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Chris Cullen
I grew up in Scotland (Edinburgh and East Lothian). I have been living in exile in Suffolk since 1993. My interest in photography dates back to about 1981. Landscape photography has always been my main focus. I shoot digital and medium format film. I return to my homeland as often as I can but I am fortunate to live in a very beautiful part of the UK. I was until very recently a local GP. After 35 years in the NHS I am now semi-retired, helping with the Covid vaccination program. Covid permitting, I now plan to spend more time on my photography.
I felt a mix of honour and alarm when I was asked if I would like to submit my choice of image for ‘Endframe’. Choosing which photographer was relatively easy. Choosing which of their images was a lot harder.
I’ve known Paul Gallagher for many years now. He has never ceased to inspire me with his careful, considered and very creative approach to landscape photography.
He has an amazing knack for revealing the sublime in complex or ordinary looking locations. Many years ago, as I was dithering over a composition on a rocky promontory in Arctic Norway, he moved my tripod a few inches, lowered it a bit and framed a composition as a suggestion. I looked through the viewfinder and remember gasping - I was looking at a classic, signature ‘Gallagher’ image. I really wasn’t sure I should take the image at all - it was his work, not mine. Though I was reasonably happy with a small number of my own shots that day, his stood out as the most ‘right’. Everything fell into place. The composition had balance. It had the right amount of simplicity - neither too much or too little.
Paul originally made his name as large format black and white film photographer. He still teaches large format film work. He also teaches monochrome and infrared digital photography, as well as colour digital work. For years he combined his photography with a high-pressure career in environmental protection. He turned fully ‘pro’ about 18 years ago.