“Ninety-nine per cent of my work was advertising and crap. The people who were hiring me I didn’t like. Keeping a civil tongue up the rectum of a society that keeps you paid is an art which I was devoid of. I had nothing more to say in photographs. I’d taken all the snaps I needed to take. Maybe I didn’t think I was good enough.”

–Brian Duffy

via The Independent and Colin Pantall

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10 Comments

  1. Isn’t it what a lot of photogs struggle with, am I good enough?

  2. Right on.

    It’s sad that many photographers work so hard just so they can make it to the top and get advertising/commercial jobs. It says absolutely nothing about their work except they can make pretty pictures.

    It always bugs me when the likes of nadav kander (a personal fav) waste their talent on pix that only want to sell shit.

    • @shahnyboy, Naive you are. Nadav Kander=www.nohumanity.com

  3. The remaining 10% is brilliant and worth it?

  4. This is why I love English photographers. They are the only ones who speak honestly.

    • @Andy,

      What photographers do you have in mind?

  7. I just love this… it truly was a gentler, more humane age!

    “While shooting Otto Klemperer for his first Vogue assignment, he forgot to take the lens cap off his Leica camera but the boys in the dark room spoiled the film accidentally on purpose and he photographed the German conductor again during rehearsals and got away with it.”

  8. Brian,
    “Keeping a civil tongue” is part of the all business. I agree that it’s maybe the
    hardest part of “doing business”.
    I wasn’t particullary good at it and now that I’ve moved on to doing my own work I’m a much happier guy. At least that’s what my wife tells me.
    I’m having a lot more fun now than when I had to deal with the clients.
    Don’t despair there is hope for all of us.

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