ABOUT CHRISTOPHER BUNN
The Beginnings:
Christopher grew up and was educated in London England . His first introduction to photography was as a little boy. He and his brother, Mike Bunn, also a photographer, who inherited these beginnings as well, would sit at the bottom of the stairs where there was a beautifully carved chest from Burma . Inside this chest was the magic carpet to ride to 'Out of Africa', their mother’s photographs of a life in British East Africa . Not to far from these travels was Christopher's first darkroom, a small cupboard under those stairs.
At school Christopher excelled in art and the possibilities of being a commercial artist was in his thoughts. The time came to leave school and the opportunity arose to work in a London commercial photographic studio with the grand title of 'Junior Photographer'. Here Christopher absorbed a wealth of training from the disciplines of the studio, the technical finesse in the darkroom and photographing fashion in the streets against London 's gray city backdrop.
Midstream:
ENGLAND 1977
On an early visit to California the gray London backdrop was now lifted to reveal blue skies, palm trees, translucent shadows and California tans. Laguna Beach California was now his new home. Still attracted to blue skies and palm trees Christopher today is based and lives on the West Coast of Florida with his beautiful artist wife in their Blue Lagoon.
Photographic works:
Mainly in the field of commercial photography, whether in the comforts of a studio environment or in the blazing summer heat of Death Valley , Christopher's keen eye and delivery of photographs with balance of design, composition and purity has been acknowledged and rewarded with a diverse variety of subjects yet all have his signature of style.
He has photographed many historical homes, including those of President Thomas Jefferson, Montecello and the home of President James Monroe, Ash Lawn.
His timeless and classic portraiture has given him commissions that have been published in national and international magazines. Music CDs, book jackets and the opportunity to photograph celebrities both past and present.
The revolution:
With a thorough knowledge of traditional photography to which Christopher is a master, he has however embraced the digital revolution and is one of the best. The majority of his colour commercial assignments are photographed using various methods of digital capture. Film is used for all his black and white photographs. Photography does not change. Digital is just a new tool, it is like an artist selecting perhaps a different textured brush. You have to have the knowledge to use it and reason for selecting it. It is the feeling and interpretation of light as a photographer that evokes our emotions in a photograph and it is these traditional photographic skills that are required. Without them photographic images will be of mediocrity and no identity.
Photographic art:
FLORIDA 2006
Away from his commercial assignments Christopher continues to pursue his romance with light creating personal photographs, perhaps at one moment choosing a lensless pin-hole camera then at another his antique 1926 8"X10" camera.
All photographic printing is meticulously hand printed by him on gelatin silver or platinum / palladium coated papers. Again he has embraced digital technology by including printing on acid free papers (Hahnemuhle his favorite) using a sophisticated wide format printer.
His exhibition prints are available in limited and some open editions.
©CHRISTOPHER BUNN PHOTOGRAPHY, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
