In Pictures : Photographs by Roger Deakins

Light, composition, juxtaposition, irony, paradox; stolen images, all of which suggest a story beneath the surface. These single frames are more personal to me than perhaps my years of work in cinematography due to the collaborative nature of films. In creating still frames, all the choices are down to me. I spend a lot of time wandering which allows me to come upon images that strike me – sometimes I’m not sure why. Some people meditate; I walk and observe the life around me. These new photographs reflect my reconnection with still photography since the publication of my monograph BYWAYS in 2021. I often find myself in different geographical places, but the people and landscapes still intrigue me. I guess you could say my sense of irony comes out in my photos and I like the use of stills to tell a small story locked in time. After the publication of BYWAYS, there have been many exhibitions of my work. I love the fact that people will come up to me and describe their favorite photo – and it is never the same image that strikes other people. I like people to find their own meaning in my work.