The Student Photographer Although he's earned his living in publishing and broadcasting Roger George Clark once considered photography as a career. 'Until I got into the BBC,' he says, 'I considered becoming a full-time photographer. When young broadcasting seemed out of reach so I turned to photography instead. ![]() 'During my last couple of years at Emanuel school I bought an adjustable camera for £5 in a sale at Boots the Chemist - a folding Kodak with an f 4.5 lens. 'I took pictures in all kinds of weather and lighting conditions - rain, hailstorms, snow, overcast days and into the sun. I photographed Emanuel's Ist VIII pacing the Oxford and Cambridge crews on the River Thames (my first action pictures), school games, and cadet life in army training camps. Before I left Emanuel I bought a second-hand Leica. This 30-year-old camera produced more subtle results and was good at capturing action. ![]() ![]() ![]() 'A handful of my pictures appeared in small magazines. I freelanced for a local newspaper in Richmond. The architectural photographer Eric de Maré wrote to me after seeing a couple of my photos in Country Life. He wanted to reproduce the pictures in two of his books. I received just enough encouragement to persuade me to continue taking pictures, but not enough to earn a living. I had to pay the rent. So I went into publishing. I would have to confine photography to my spare time. Photographic knowledge, however, proved a lifeline - the golden thread that led me into exciting worlds. A few years later it led me to The Observer Colour Magazine and eventually broadcasting and the BBC. In the meantime, photography got me my first job.' CONTINUED |