lewis chong

There is a cinematic intensity to the work of photographer C.G. Watkins. His images seem more like stills from cult titles, his fully-fleshed-out characters caught midscene. Based in Paris, CG was born outside London “and moved around a lot when as a kid, living for the most of my youth in West Australia, London and up north.” After discovering his work in Masses Magazine, we had to find out more about the man behind the lens…


IF IT HADN’T BEEN PHOTOGRAPHY…

At the age of 15 I moved to London with the dream of becoming a film director. Since I can remember, cinematic and documentary films have been my biggest influences, and loves. If I hadn’t specialised in photography, I like to think I would’ve gone in that direction. I still might….


WHAT DRIVES YOU TO CAPTURING THE PERFECT MOMENT?

I’m more drawn to capturing reality – the boundless beauty and absurdity that can be found within it – than the idea of trying to recreate or control an image. That may explain it. I’ve ended up in a position where I’m expected to create, but I’d say by nature I’m more of an observer. Often I try to make believability and seemingly real moments a big part of my work. As for my style, I don’t think I’ve found it yet, thankfully. I still enjoy discovering new interests and trying new approaches, refining my work will hopefully be a constantly evolving process.


HOW IMPORTANT IS THE FASHION IN YOUR IMAGES?

Not as big a role as some of my collaborators would like. Especially in my editorial work. Many of my ideas are based on scenarios or characters in which fashion is secondary, in order to maintain some semblance of believability. I try to avoid posing. Preferring to concentrate on a purpose, or personality, so the viewer’s concentration is often drawn away from the fashion. I know…. perhaps I’m in the wrong industry! In my personal work I avoid fashion entirely and enjoy exploring places and people with no connection at all.


CAN YOU EXPLAIN THE ROLE OF THE PHOTOGRAPHER TODAY?

Should I get all idealistic? To be honest, the role of a photographer is so varied, owing to the constantly evolving markets and media. At the end of the day we’re simply documenting moments. Whether it’s journalism or fashion photography, everything is edited in some way, either through shooting selectively, editing or digital manipulation. Like our times, it’s all a mix. On a personal level, I just aim to photograph things that feel true to me and my principles.


IF YOU COULD PICK A SINGLE INFLUENCE

Just one? Most of my big influences are filmmakers, but if there’s one film that has made what I could call a real impact on my work, and my life, it’s Koyaanisqatsi. I saw it at a young age, and it really opened my mind to the scale of both this planet and the humanity that covers it. Godfrey Reggio has created other epic works, the Qatsi trio as a whole or his short film Evidence, but Koyaanisqatsi never fails to inspire me.


DO YOU THINK IT’S POSSIBLE TO DEVELOP AN EYE, OR LEARN AESTHETICS?

Neither of my parents are what you might call ‘creatives’, just a normal working-class family. My mum worked as a book-keeper for a refrigeration company, and yet she has an interesting way of looking at the world. Often pointing-out people or situations that nobody else seems to notice. It’s tempting to be envious of photographers that grew up with, or studied under, inspiring and creative people, but I really believe that an everyday or outsider perspective can be just as influential and interesting. Maybe more so….


WHAT IS YOUR OWN FAVOURITE SERIES?

On any given day I’m sure I would answer differently, but today I’ll go with my series that documented The Gathering, an online gaming convention in Hamar, Norway [Pictured above]. I went there a few years ago with an idea in mind and ended up shooting something completely different. Essentially some of the 10,000 gamers sleeping in the morning light, after playing through the night. It was a personal project, but the guys at Masses published a selection from it in their 5th issue. In fact, a lot of my favourite work has been for Masses. I’ve been lucky to shoot for my favourite magazine since its beginning. They’re always open to a different approach.


AND LASTLY, HOW DO YOU STAY ENGAGED?

I need to empty my head in order to fill it with new material. I’m not used to analysing my work process too much, perhaps I’m lazy in that way, but the most important thing for me, in terms of furthering my craft, is to avoid feeling comfortable in the creative sense. If I feel that I’m repeating myself, either in technique or concept, I force myself to reconsider, aim for something higher or different. Or if I find myself relaxing after working on a succession of jobs, I remind myself how long it’s been since I worked on a personal project, start brainstorming. Basically just your run-of-the-mill freelance guilt.