Vic Attfield

This page celebrates Vic Attfield’s 90th birthday and recognises his significant contribution to photography and APS over many years. Vic selected the slideshow images below to represent his photography over each decade since the 50s, and then one for each year from 2011. The article below was contributed by Paul Mitchell FRPS, a long-standing friend of Vic.

Vic Attfield FRPS MPAGB BPE 5

(Comments by Paul Mitchell FRPS)
Vic’s interest in photography started in 1951 but it wasn’t until 1958 that his photographic journey started in earnest when he joined the City of London and Cripplegate Photographic Society. Although it had a membership of over 100, many of whom were distinguished photographers, it was their friendship and constant encouragement that gave him the grounding for his unique style of photography.

Over recent years he has confined his photography mainly to monochrome as the graphic quality of black and white suits his type of subject matter. Usually these days he concentrates on what can be loosely described as ”street photography”. He feels that with the increasing pace of life and quickly changing environment and lifestyles, the recording of these moments in time is now becoming much more important than it was in the past.

Very few of Vic’s images are planned. He rarely works on a project, preferring to wander around an area looking for interesting aspects of everyday life which can be interpreted in a sympathetic or humorous manner. Capturing that split second in time when the shutter is open can never be repeated – it is gone for ever. This is the type of photography he most enjoys, finding situations, reacting to them and recording his feelings in the finished print. Because of this his pictures are mainly stand alone images.

Vic has been lecturing and judging in the UK for nearly 50 years, he has also lectured as far away as New Zealand. He is a Fellow of the Royal Photographic Society and is a Master of the Photographic Alliance of Great Britain. Vic is still very active as a member of the London Salon of Photographers and was a member of the Arena Group of Photographers for many years. Examples of his work are included in UK permanent collections such as the RPS Tyng Collection, as well as in Russia and Europe.

In Vic’s own words “We are forever striving to produce that ‘perfect’ single image which can communicate the intention of the photographer and create a sympathetic reaction from the viewer. This is what gives photography its fascination”