George Byrne

My name is George Byrne. I’m an LA based photographic artist.

I started taking photos at around fifteen years of age and after high school, I studied photography at the Sydney College Of The Arts.

I now create large-scale photographs that depict everyday surfaces and landscapes as painterly abstractions. I use various forms of photo manipulation to create my work.

My first camera was the Canon AE-1, and then, as my prints got bigger, I moved to medium format: Hasselblad, Mamiya, Pentax 67, and Digital Pentax 645D.

I’ve never been a big gear-head, just like to keep it simple.

I like rugged, reliable cameras that are simple to use.

Following is a snapshot of my history in cameras:

Canon AE1 Program with Canon EF 50mm and Canon EF 24mm lens – this was a fantastic camera. The Toyota Corolla of 35mm cameras is a genuine classic that is super simple and light to carry around.

Hasselblad 501CM – maybe the most beautifully engineered film camera ever? More a Porsche 911 or a Mercedes. When paired with an 80mm lens, the images are beautiful, crisp and creamy, great for portraiture.

Mamiya 6 with a 75mm f/3.5 – the VW Kombi Wagon. A fun camera to use with cool, natural vignetting and a solid build.

Pentax 67 Mark II with SMC Pentax 90-180mm f/5.6 Zoom plus a SMC Pentax 300mm f/4.

I love the immediacy of the Pentax 67 Mark II with its huge glass viewfinder. The best, brightest, truest view finder of any medium format film camera I have ever picked up!

It is a heavy camera and prone to breaking down, plus the parts are hard to find. However, I love the results and the big prints are magnificent.

Pentax 645D with SMC Pentax AF 80-160mm f/4.5 and a SMC Pentax-FA 645 150-300mm f/5.6 ED – I don’t feel super strongly about this camera, I have zero emotional attachment, but it does a great job.

My technical process is straightforward. I shoot in natural light and mostly at 500 / f/11 or f/16.

The film I use is Kodak Portra 400.

I often shoot in LA in the hot sun, so I always use 50+ sunscreen and long-sleeved cotton t-shirts with a hood. I walk in HOKAS! They’re hideous but practical.

My advice to all photographers is to go for it. Don’t worry about what anyone else is doing. Chase the things that grab your attention.

Play, practice, have fun. Photography is just an extension of being in love with the world around you.

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