Parallax — more than meets the eye
The unique Parallax series first appeared in the ODT on February 16, 2002, a masterstroke driven by the passion and creativity of photojournalist Gerard O’Brien. It began with a rainspeckled picture of a stop sign at a local intersection and now, more than a thousand pictures later, Gerard’s extracurricular compositions have found an authentic and beloved place with Otago Daily Times readers.
We sat down with Gerard to chat about his book, his work and what inspires him.
What inspires your love of photography?
My love of photography goes right back to seeing my first black and white prints magically develop in front of my eyes - I think a lot of photographers who started in the days of black and white darkrooms would have similar feelings.
What is parallax in relation to your images?
Parallax is an effect in photography where the image seen in the viewfinder is not framed the same as the image seen through the lens, because the viewfinder is in a slightly different position to the lens. My reference to it is in a slightly ironic way in that, hopefully, my pictures present a view others may not have seen, or frame the ordinary in a different context.
Are there any secrets or techniques behind your photographs?
Get out of your car. I walk to work most days and it’s only at that pace you get to really observe things. Often I’ll see something that will make a great photograph but the light is wrong. Sometimes that means revisiting at a different time of day, or even year. The seasonal changes in light will always reveal things never noticed before.
Do you have a favourite image?
They are all special but Macrocarpa Hedge (above) is one of my favourite images. I took it at Totara 20 years ago on the way to Oamaru. I’d often glimpsed the gap in the hedge driving that road but this time the light was right and the stubble in the field provided a perfect contrasting hue to the sky and dark hedge. It was important to align the top of the hedge to the skyline - scrambling onto the roof of my jeep gave me the elevation! A long telephoto lens compressed the image and gives the impression of everything being on the same plane.
What does parallax mean to you?
Parallax has been a great adjunct to my usual work as a press photographer. I’ve been lucky to have an avenue for imagery that doesn’t fit in the news pages of the ODT.