articles/Review/des-gadget-page3
Published 01/06/2014
Richard P Walton
Canon 15mm f2.8 Fisheye
Richard P Walton first started taking photos when he was 18 and six years ago, at the age of 24 he set up his own photography business, already with a wealth of experience from working for other photographers. With a fellowship in portrait photography already under his belt at just 27 he has certainly been one to watch, at least in part down to his quirky style.
'I think wide angle photography can be so much more interesting than long lens photography' Richard tells me when I ask him why he chose to tell me about his fisheye lens. 'So many people have got these rules that they have set themselves and they never break out of them. I just find any excuse to break those traditional rules; you can be really creative when you use a wide angle for something unexpected. I look through the lens and it looks nothing like how I see the world with my own eyes, which is still exciting to me!'
Weddings and portraits might not be a subject that you would usually associate with a fisheye lens, but Richard certainly does make the Canon lens earn his place in his bag; 'The 15mm fisheye is actually the most expensive lens that I own, but gear is such a small part of the equation when it comes to my photography.
Obviously you need the gear to do the job, but I really think that photography comes from the mind and the imagination rather than the amount of money you spend on gadgets.' However, having said that, there could be disappointment in Richard's future! Canon have withdrawn the lens from sale and replaced it with a much more expensive version. I suspect that Richard will be scouring the second hand shops to find himself a backup before they all disappear!
Two years ago Richard achieved something that many would consider an enormous task. At the age of just 27 he achieved his fellowship in portrait photography. 'Someone had told me that they had been awarded their fellowship when they were just 28, the youngest so far. When I heard that I made it my mission to get mine before I was 28 and I succeeded just a month before my 28th birthday!' Of course it's always an achievement to be awarded a fellowship, but it must be extra special to be awarded it at such a young age.
www.richardpwalton.co.uk
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