Edward Chambre Hardman 1898-1988 born in Ireland and was based for most of his career in Liverpool. His father was a keen photographer and he took his first photograph at age 9. At 18 he joined the army and spent 4 years  in the 8th Gurkha rifles where he met Captain Kenneth Burrell who had an ambition to set up a photographic studio in his home city of Liverpool. Hardman and Burrell decided to open a studio in Liverpool together in 1923. Although not an easy task, the business eventually gained a reputation as the place to go for portraiture. Whilst Hardmans living was made through portraiture his real interest was landscapes which he took alongside his portrait business. In 1929 Kenneth Burrell left the business entirely to Hardman and in 1932 Hardman married his former assistant Margaret Mills. They worked long hours in the studio but found time and weekends to get out taking landscapes.

Above is an image by Hardman entitled ‘Over the Sea to Skye’ taken in 1935, this landscape was taken of Loch Alsh after a week of bad weather and Hardman notes “After a week of almost continuous rain the sun shone again through the gaps in moving bands of clouds, sending down beams as from a spotlight.” (http://www.ntprints.com/image/344980/loch-alsh-and-skye)

A classic B&W landscape patiently waited for and printed exceptionally well showing the scene in a dramatic way in a rapidly changing landscape, evoking a deep sense of the dramatic in the viewer.

The image above was taken by Hardman and is entitled ‘Birch Forest in Glen Cannich’ and is another great example of B&W landscape photography, well composed and taken.

Above is a photograph of Helsby Hill, Cheshire. My tutor, ‘Keith Roberts’ has suggested that some of my images remind him of ‘Hardmans’ work. My use of dramatic clouds to help add to the drama of the picture I can see in the image above and the top image especially in Assignment 2 and Assignment 3. The image of the castle below is similar in style to the work I produced for the second assignment where I made the sky an important part of the picture. Hardmans work certainly shows a great deal of care in its capture and subsequent printing and is certainly work that I can appreciate, as is his constrained approach to the image in comparison to the work I have produced.

Above a photograph of Carreg Cennen Castle, Llandeilo, Carmarthenshire.

Hardmans work is certainly something I will seek out to investigate further, excellent work!

Bibliography -

http://www.ntprints.com/collection/2480/chambre-hardman