Cornwall © Noel Myles
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It was good to get an email the
other day from my friend Noel Myles, letting me know that he had updated his
website. The new website is unusual; instead of being presented with
conventional gallery based sites you are immediately taken to an e-book that is
an online portfolio of his work from 1986 to 2013. It's a nice take on the old
concept of the photographer's 'book' and a compelling and rewarding way to look
at his work.
Back in the day, before we had
websites, tweets, Facebook, blogs and Instagram, every serious photographer who
was seriously looking for commissions had their 'book', a beautifully put
together portfolio. Often leather bound and handmade, these books were exquisite,
expensive collections of prints that were necessary to show one's work to best
advantage.
Noel's online book feels like a
very modern take on the old concept. There is work on display that I have not
seen before, and as ever, his work is fresh, unique and fascinating. In a world
that is awash with dull, uncrafted conceptual art photography, Noel’s pictures
are always interesting and rewarding. It is difficult to lose yourself in a photo
in the same way as you do with a painting and we have become accustomed to
viewing photos with fleeting glances, but Noel’s Still Films grab your attention and demand a longer look. Go have a look; you can even print a paper copy for yourself.