A Kodak Box Brownie that had belonged to Alfred’s father was his introduction to photography, and that was a long time ago. The results were usually many shades of grey, and only occasionally something recognizable. At the time, 9mm black-and-white film was all that was available; colour 35mm film arrived only several years later. It was not until he began working in Bahrain years later (also many years ago) that he could afford to buy a Pentax—and had the spare time to use it. He still has the original shots, which became the beginning of a collection that eventually grew to several thousand. Back then, he and others had to take or send their exposed films to a local photographic shop for processing. They considered themselves fortunate if they received two or three results from a roll that they thought were reasonable, and of course there was no way of knowing until the prints came back. Bahrain was Alfred’s first post, followed by Saudi Arabia, then Qatar (where he met his wife Gina), and finally Oman—a total of 23 years. These countries, along with trips to others farther east and south, provided many rich photographic opportunities.
While in Saudi Arabia, Alfred moved on to two Nikon cameras (still film), one with a wide-angle lens and the other with a 50/225 telephoto, along with various other accessories he considered essential at the time. He switched to digital after moving to Oman, keen to prove he could “keep up,” and he enjoyed the early developments in camera technology. He noticed improvements in his results as he could view them almost immediately after shooting. In more recent years, however, he feels he has simply bumbled along, taking images that please him and that come from being in the right place at the right time.
Changes in eyesight and other physical limitations have made photography less engaging than it once was, though he very much appreciates the many excellent photos he sees, especially those taken by members of the APG. He is also grateful for the freedom afforded by modern phone cameras and looks forward to the next innovation in image recording.
Alfred’s final thought is that ever since he became “hooked” on photography, he has loved creating a shot through choices of framing, light, and subject. But his greatest pleasure has always come from having a record of the many places and people he has encountered. He has never felt the need to create computerized images; if he had, he says he would have taken up watercolour painting instead.
