New
Zealand fine-art photographer Doc Ross is
one of the core exhibitors at the Ballarat International Foto Biennale. His
portraits show the survivors of the Christchurch
earthquake in February 2011.
One of the core exhibitors at the Ballarat
International Foto Biennale, which closes next Sunday, is Christchurch resident and
professional photographer Doc Ross. Ross was in his photographic studio in the city on February
22, 2011, when the devastating earthquake hit the New Zealand city.
While many
photographers attempted to cover this horrific event, Ross was asked to
consider a different approach for a book by a local artist. He was asked to
look at the emotional, rather than the physical effects of the day on the
city’s residents. So he undertook an investigation on how long the vibration
actually lasted and eventually he found an expert who estimated it was 37
seconds.
Ross made this period the basis for his series of portraits of locals
caught in the event. He shot large format 4x5 film images on an old Speed
Graphic press camera in his studio. He took six images of each sitter, asking
them to stay still (with varying degrees of success), and later merged them via
minimal post-production in software.
He says he made the portraits on an old
film camera because he felt digital images would “look too good”. The result
was a series of shots which is a disturbing and thought-provoking collection
showing psychologically damaged people, still struggling to cope. The images
were made within a few months of the event.
"Dee" is one of the images Doc Ross created for his BIFB exhibition, '37 Portraits'.
Some images are slightly blurred,
whilst in others the sitters have stayed rock-steady during the 15 minute
period it took Ross to shoot the images for each subject. Ross also got each
individual to write about their experiences during the quake in just 37 words.
The overall result was powerful and illustrated the impact a focused theme can
have when handled skilfully and with empathy.
Ross is a veteran photographer
who worked on editorial images for many years before moving into the field of
fine art. Visitors can see his portfolio in the Ballarat Art
Gallery until Sunday at
5pm, when the 2013 BIFB comes to an end.
Australian Photography + digital magazine will cover the BIFB more extensively in our November issue.
"Phillip", from '37 Portraits' by New Zealand pro shooter Doc Ross.