Richard Worts has accomplished a lot in his life, working as an engineer, serving in the army and achieving a lot in the field of finance, but he has never ceased to nurture his passion for photography: even when times were bleak. I had the privilege to talk to him about his career.
How did you get into photography?
I was fourteen and still at school when I got my hands on my first camera. I borrowed it from a friend and I was intrigued so I just began experimenting and trying to figure out what interested me the most. I was very fortunate and the first pictures I took were published in the school magazine. I gradually built up a passion for taking pictures and I spent quite a lot of time capturing the poorer areas of London because I found the urban landscape particularly evocative in a way. When I turned sixteen I was given access to a photography laboratory doing small projects here and there. I had keys to the photography studio and so I would pop in as often as possible so I could improve. For a couple years I practised mainly after school and, from there, I was led into a full-time career in photography. I took shots for several advertisement projects and I loved to experiment with light.
How long did that last?
Not very long because there was a big economic recession in 1973 and I simply could not make a living relying on photography. So, I decided to join the army. I spent thirteen years there and I was asked to take photos, which really kept me going and at the end of my time serving I got the photos published. I then got a full-time job in finance and had to keep photography as a hobby, only taling shots in my spare time. To tell the truth it’s been like that ever since as I never saw the opportunity to return back full-time. This didn’t stop me from taking part in various projects and courses. I actually decided to take a course on dance photography where I met Hillary Stredel. She was originally a dancer herself but she gave up to take up photography full time.
Is there a specific project that you are particularly proud of?
Well there are a number but I would have to choose the portfolio I composed in January 2017. I was asked to take pictures of the Winter Trail Rally, which went through Germany, Austria, Poland and the Czech Republic. I followed the rally for four days or so and it was really brutal because the temperatures ranged from -15°C to -20°C! I had to take pictures of all sixty cars at every stage and I was given 3 objectives which I absolutely had to meet: I had to give the impression of speed; find scenic views; and I had to take pictures of cars sideways. It was a first for me as I had never done anything similar before. I tried to use different techniques such as searching for intricate bends in the road, panning and experimenting with the reverberations of the snow. Overall, I think I took a total of 2,000 pictures and I was faced with the near impossible task of narrowing it down to just 300. I liked a lot of my shots and it was hard for me to discard some of them but it had to be done.
What’s your favourite field of photography?
I really enjoy photographing under challenging conditions, so contemporary dance photography of fast-moving dancers, working with low-level theatre lighting is a constant challenge. As an engineer, I’m fascinated by the technical aspects of photography. I think having a technical mind helps with taking a good photograph. With film photography I became conscious of the limitations and so the development of digital cameras, which are much more flexible and efficient, was monumental for me, whereas others found the progression daunting.
