STUART DUNN
Lens Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS II USM
Exposure 1/800 sec, f/5.6, ISO100
IN THE foreword to his new book, the filmmaker and photographer Stuart Dunn argues that humankind’s hopes, fears, flaws and desires are common to all. For him, ‘Us’ and ‘Them’ doesn’t exist – there is ‘Only Us’, and those last two words form the title of the book. Chronicling Dunn’s years spent travelling the world, this is an epic photographic portrait of humanity featuring a diverse cast of characters. We caught up with him to discuss his fantastic photography and his career to date…
How did you get into photography?
Shortly after I left art college, I had a chance to travel South Africa with a friend. I took what little money I had and, while I was there, I took photos of the people and animals I encountered – none of which were any good. Then one evening, while driving through Durban, I was involved in a car accident, and my friends and I had to go to the police station to give statements. While I was sat in the station, a huge South African police officer lumbered through the door with a local man in handcuffs. Luckily, I had my little 35mm camera in hand and asked the police officer if he’d mind if I took his photograph. He answered: “No problem, but wait: I’ll get him to smile for you.” By “him”, he meant the man in handcuffs. He proceeded to twist the man’s arms behind his back causing the man to scream in pain. I raised the camera to my eye and took the shot. That was the first time I realized that the camera was more than just a device for taking holiday snaps.
