Ian Murphy
About Ian Murphy
I remember the first photograph that I took was with a Box Brownie, it was a picture looking up into a tree during winter and the complexity of the naked branches looked so interesting - I was eight. My father who was a Commercial Artist at a leading London Advertising Agency in Hill Street, Mayfair, worked mainly from home in Sussex. He had a darkroom in his studio and showed me how to develop the film and print the picture of the tree’s branches.
My parents bought for me and my sisters a privileged education, firstly at a prep school called The Abbey followed by Clayesmore School in Dorset. The “Arts” were and still are in many schools not considered seriously. However, at Clayesmore I re-opened the school’s darkroom in the basement quite near to the school boilers, it was always a warm room, and the magical 20°C for developing film was easy to keep stable.
Everyone of my generation remembers the assassination of President Kennedy in 1964. It was a sunny day and I sat by the window of Henbest’s geography class room, spending most of the lesson looking out of the window and wondering if a giraffe would enjoy eating the leaves of the row of lime trees, and trying to visualise how high 18 feet was against those mature trees. The lesson ended and we were changing classrooms when we heard the news. I felt the world had changed. The denial of human involvement in Climate Change by the American President may give the millennials a similar memory.
I had difficulty passing exams, my dyslexia had not been diagnosed, but after an extra year at a school in Malta, I did manage to finally tot up eight O-levels and three A-levels and then came the question of what to do with my life. My favourite subjects were biology and chemistry, the school career advisor thought I might like to be a biochemist so arranged a visit to a laboratory in Birmingham. It was awful, a Dickensian laboratory with sloping roof windows that had not been cleaned for years and Bunsen burners that might have had a common ancestry with Faraday. The scientists I met were bald fat men who seemed to me to have chosen to leave the joy of life for a salary cheque. I was 18 and thought I would have a few hours off before catching the train back to Dorset. I went to a cinema and saw Antonioni’s film “Blow Up”. It changed my life’s direction. I always enjoyed photography but taking wedding pictures for a living was not on the top of my agenda. Antonioni showed me that photography could be a life’s path. The Rolls Royce convertible driven by David Hemmings gave me the idea that a living could be made from this profession - thank you Antonioni. I was interviewed by the legendary photographic historian Margaret Harker at the School of Photography, Regent Street, London, where the first degree course in photography was established. It gave me a good start, and has served me well, especially in the transition from the chemistry of photography to the digital age. It so was pleasing to see that the histograms and methodology of describing colour remained the same. All those hours of plotting the histogram graphs of processed colour film were useful after all.
I was lucky to have been in the right place at the right time, and in a profession that was iconic during that period. When I entered into the marketplace, my first job was with the Telegraph magazine, a story I presented to them was accepted, and I got the prestigious front cover. Up until the 1970’s Newspapers were printed in black and white but the printing industry was moving on - colour scanners were invented and affordable colour printing started to come onto the market. The Sunday papers were enhancing their product by adding a colour supplement. The technology then was not all that sophisticated as the magazine had to be printed weeks before it was released so the subject matter was interest rather than news worthy, which suited me just fine. With the colour printing industry booming every subject needed to be photographed in colour.
In my opinion and experience there has been no other profession in the world’s history that has offered such social and geographic freedom of movement. Everything from NASA’s Space Shuttle Simulator to N°10 Downing Street are just memories. However it was a skilled business, and for those who developed a reputation for consistently producing outstanding images there was a huge reward. I still enjoy the memory of reading in the Financial Times an article on MP’s pay and in that year I had earned more than Margaret Thatcher, the then Prime Minister of Britain! Illustrating the power of the market place, and that being an Artist has value in society.
The professional colour film we used had a latitude of half a stop. It did not matter whether you were working in Jakarta or Glasgow, in a thunderstorm or tropical sunlight, if you returned without a beautiful photograph – that would be your last job and your reputation would be tarnished. I made it work and what a privilege it has been. I have an understanding of the ecosystems on this planet which is why I am so concerned for the future. I’ve worked in 117 countries, in tropical rainforests, deserts, in the Arctic Circle, in mountains and on oil rigs in the sea. I’ve seen war and people who care for others, cities and farms. In all my travels my most prominent memory is of meeting kind people in all walks of life. The world is not a scary place.
Although, because of my work, I have been to dangerous places. I have been imprisoned for allegedly being a spy rather than a member of the press, targeted with guns shot at, and on one occasion had two spears put to my throat, but it is how you handle the moment. Accidents can happen they are part of life, but to be purposely killed by another person that you can talk to or you can communicate with, is thankfully remarkably rare.
It was in 1979 that I first came to Zambia. It was a rainy cold day in November when I was contacted by telephone by the Honourable Mark Tambatamba, the then Minister of Information. We worked together to produce the first pictorial book on Zambia, that was well received by Government and as recorded I was offered Honorary Citizenship to Zambia by President Kaunda. Over 30 years 30,000 copies of this book were printed and there are still a few copies on sale at the Planet Bookshop Arcades.
Curriculum Vitae of Ian Murphy:
Education: The Abbey, Ashurst Wood, Sussex Clayesmore School, Iwerne Minister, Dorset
The School of Photography, London. Graduated July 1972
Work Experience:
2017-2018
Produced and published “Mural Paintings” and the first photographic Exhibition at the National Museum. Lusaka
2013-2016
Produced and published “An Introduction to Astronomy” with a map of the sky printed with illuminous ink. “ZAMBIA Celebrating Zambia’s Golden Jubilee”
The print run of the LSA calendar reaches 4000.
2009-2012
Produced and published the first book on the Kafue National Park, a park of 22,400 square kilometres, and made a map of the park.
2000-2008
Produced and published “The Traditional African Art of Zimbabwe”
“The Historic Trees of Zimbabwe” “Food and Good Fellowship” “A Field Guide
to Planning and Implementing Land Use Changes with Rural Communities in
Africa” “Acacia Handbook” “The Magic of the Makishi” “Healthy Harvest” for
the FAO, “Showtime” for the Zambia Agricultural and Commercial Society, “African Organic Farmers Field Crop Manual”.
1994-1999
Produced and published “The Field Guide to the Acacias of Zimbabwe” “Kakuli” “The Spirit of the Zambezi” and “The African Catalina”. Won the European Union Funded Contract to produce 40 tons of brochures and posters for Zimbabwe’s Tourism Industry.
1989-1993
Produced and published “Zimbabwe - Africa’s Paradise” The Presidential Elephants of Zimbabwe” for the Heads of State Commonwealth Conference. Work experience in Russia, Kazakhstan, Georgia, Siberia, Singapore and Australia.
1986-1988
Developed a larger based corporate clientele, founded The Corporate Brochure Company in London to service the needs of this sector. Work experience in Thailand. Indonesia, Oman, Philippines, and Malaysia.
1983-1985
Photographic work for Corporate Clients - Annual Reports etc. Produced and published “Zambia”. Offered Honorary Citizenship of Zambia by President Kaunda.
1980-1982
Magazine assignments including work in Spain, Italy, France, Sweden, Denmark, Mexico, and the USA.
1977-1979
Developed knowledge of the printing industry with the completion of “Rhodesian Legacy” published by Struiks, Cape Town, after a commission from the Rhodesian Tourist Board. Work experience in the Advertising Industry. Freelance assignments in the UK for The Telegraph Magazine, The Observer Magazine, The Sunday Times Magazine and others.
1972-1976
Photo-reportage. Main client: The Telegraph Magazine.
Clients:
Shell UK, Shell Transport and Trading, Burma Oil, Petroleum Development Oman, Glaxo, Britoil, Rolls Royce, Lonrho, Alfred McAlpine, The European Union, The British Council, Zambia National Tourist Board, Zimbabwe Tourism Authority and others.
Awards:
“The Most Original or Imaginative Treatment of Building Services” by HVCACIBS Journal.
“Wildlife Photographer of the Year” 1986.
Winner Castrol Industrial Photographic Competition “Picturing Industry” 1987.
Fellow of the Royal Geographic Society London FRGS 1998
