Brian Abbott - Biography

Brian’s photographs are rich in texture and patterns combined to depict delightfully vibrant images, from serene landscapes and magnificent structures to animated fauna and flora.  Each photograph is taken with great care and respect for the subject, conveying the humility of the photographer in the face of such exquisite beauty and magnificence.  Utilising dark room techniques refined over years combined with modern digital technology, great care is taken over the production of each and every photograph to bring you an image of the highest quality and elegance and to do justice to Mother Nature.

We hope that each photograph brings to the viewer the same joy in which it was taken.

The Beginning

Inspired by his father, an avid photographer, Brian’s passion for photography was ignited at the age of 12.  From the moment Brian was exposed to the magic of images captured on his father’s camera coming to life in the darkroom, he was captivated.  That same camera, a Zeiss Icon, Super Iconta B 6x9 cm range finder is still used by Brian today.

Bitten by the photographic bug, Brian started his career at Photra in 1980 selling professional photographic equipment to professional photographers and labs and advising them on the use of equipment and lighting techniques. He specialised in large format cameras, studio lighting equipment, dark room equipment, Broncolour, Hasselblad and Sinar 4x5  and 10x8 inch cameras as well as Durst large format enlargers.  Brian’s knowledge of photography came from demonstrations of this equipment as well as tapping into the knowledge of some of South Africa’s finest professional photographers.  Working for Photra was Brian’s way of getting into the photographic world – it enabled him to see the different styles of many of South Africa’s greatest photographers, such as Harry De Zitter, Horst Klemm, Pierre Peters, Michael Myersveldt and the list goes on. 

After devoting a decade at Photra, Brian took a small detour from the photographic world and invested in 20 years of exploring the dynamics of human behaviour, specialising in Neuro Linguistic Programming and working within the corporate environment to maximize human potential.  Throughout this time Brian continued to nurture his love for photography, his camera a constant companion on his travels.

The Inspiration

Brian’s greatest inspiration is Mother Nature – from the most delicate flower to dramatic desert plains, Brian’s lens finds beauty in all of her facets.  By being in tune with nature, Brian doesn’t seek the perfect picture – the picture chooses Brian.

He is further inspired by Dennis da Silva, undoubtedly one of the old masters of photographic printing and Ansel Adams – the “papa of black and white photography” – who created the zone system.

The Technique

Brian’s photographic roots are in the darkroom - it is here that he explored the use of form, texture, movement and light.  He believes that it is in the darkroom that one can truly begin to understand the nuances and techniques of good photography.
With the advent of digital technology, photography has never been quicker or easier – it has opened an avenue for an enormous amount of people to move into the world of photography.  Brian has  translated his knowledge of darkroom techniques into the medium of digital photography, giving his photography an added edge.