Richard Dawkins
I've been reading Richard Dawkins' selected essays, collected as A Devil's Chaplain, and telling everyone I know the jaw-dropping things I've been learning from it. Interesting facts are interesting facts, though: what makes Dawkins an outstanding science writer is the way he conveys the most complex of ideas in language and imagery that a child could understand.
The creature depicted on his tie here is a crocoduck, one of the concepts he mentions in his forthcoming book The Greatest Show on Earth: The Evidence for Evolution.
Edinburgh, 2009.
Comments and faves
Charlie Sheldon, Mixtribe Photo, Emmanuele Contini, alexshell, and 27 other people added this photo to their favorites.
HampusBovbjerg (.se) (33 months ago | reply)
Oh man.
I love that guy.
Would really like to meet him.
Pete & Plants (33 months ago | reply)
One of the great minds around and as you say extremely erudite as well. Love the photograph, full of character.
HampusBovbjerg (.se) (33 months ago | reply)
Regarding the shot though, you should soften the contrast down a bit, the wrinkles on his face stand out in a way that make it look unnatural and a bit too harsh, and you get those weird black spots that people don't have in their faces.
And the angle is a bit weird, shooting people from below is generally a bad idea IMO, was he on a stage giving a speech or something?
TGKW (33 months ago | reply)
Thanks, guys.
HampusBovbjerg - Thanks, I did think for quite a while about the tones on this shot, but I felt this rather harsh treatment (although Flickr has oversharpened it somewhat) is what I was looking for.
He wasn't on stage or giving a speech, so the angle was deliberate. Although shooting from below is not often flattering and not something I'd do in fashion or portrait photography where I have to take the subject's vanity into account, I suppose I was trying to convey something of the gravitas and stature of the man and his ideas. I think I may have been more successful in this image from 2007, of the similarly erudite AC Grayling.
HampusBovbjerg (.se) (33 months ago | reply)
I looked through yur shots and noticed that you do it quite often, while i get the point of it. Shooting from below gives an aire of power and status etc etc. I think that a lot of the time it gets a bit too much, almost like a caricature.
But i guess it's just personal taste and cultural differences, after all i am swedish and we're a (sometimes way too) modest people.
TGKW (33 months ago | reply)
It's also because everybody tends to be taller than me, haha.
Putain, quel bordel! [aka Virx] (33 months ago | reply)
Crocoduck tie! Ha! :D
Emmanuele Contini (33 months ago | reply)
WOW WOW!!! As i looked the thumbnail I said he couldn't be him and...
One of my myths
marcusjroberts (33 months ago | reply)
Interesting comment on the contrast and angle - both valid points but I think Tommy is right here in giving Dawkins this treatment. He's a harsh man, have you read "The God Delusion"? He pulls no punches.
Great portrait of a great thinker.
What was your aperture?
GraemeNicol (33 months ago | reply)
it's patently obvious god doesn't exist. i don't need some oxbridge boffin to tell me so. let's see Dawkins use his intellect to grapple with some real-world issues and then we'll see how great he is...
(ok, so i'm trying to be as uncompromising and belligerent as Dawkins himself...)
Michael Haight (33 months ago | reply)
I am so jealous that you got to photograph Richard Dawkins. Wonderful photograph!
Venividibitchy (33 months ago | reply)
What an opportunity.
Love the tie.
HampusBovbjerg (.se) (33 months ago | reply)
@GramelNicol His only work isn't the god delusion and the doucmentaries about how religion sucks balls, hes done alot about evolution and genealogy that isn't just god bashing.
HampusBovbjerg (.se) (33 months ago | reply)
Genealogy isn't the right word i guess.
Venividibitchy (33 months ago | reply)
He even coined the term (and concept of), "meme".
"The Selfish Gene" is a must-read.
GraemeNicol (33 months ago | reply)
point taken. i'm somewhat out of touch, and i've only read magazines articles, not his books.
my basic understanding of the man centres not on his advancement of science, but wholly around his "god-bashing". and while i may privately agree, i think with such an approach he can only ever be preaching to the converted.
i also want to see him address the issue of modern "secular religions", i.e belief in economic dogma, cult of celebrity, nationalism etc...
Michael Haight (33 months ago | reply)
I loved The Selfish Gene, but Unweaving The Rainbow is one of my favorites.
DebDub (33 months ago | reply)
Love it! On Explore!
Regards,
Deb
Dr. Ilia (33 months ago | reply)
amazing capture
Nice Shot!!!Please post the excellent photo at
(Post 1 Award 3)
Photographer Paradise
TGKW (33 months ago | reply)
Thanks, guys - glad you like this.
Graeme - I know what you mean. Although I think he is centred very much on the advancement of science, and the public's appreciation of it, he tends to shy away from discussion of, or at least voicing an opinion on, social issues related to science (excepting religion, and its lack of relation to science), retreating instead to his ivory tower.
When it comes to the ethics of science, and a lot besides, I consult the work of Peter Singer, whose writings you should definitely check out if you don't already know it.
Marcusjroberts - this was shot at f/4.
Huey Yoong (33 months ago | reply)
You are immensely lucky to have met him, Tommy. I adore his books - The God Delusion echoes exactly how I feel about religion & the state of world it's gotten us into and as a Genetics/Psychology graduate, The Blind Watchmaker was also fabulous in conveying concepts which can be daunting, but seems simple when explained by him.
Also agreed on the angle of shooting, as photographers I believe it is something that comes naturally to us - it's our way of interpreting the subject & conveying what message we want to. Well done :)
quixotic54 (33 months ago | reply)
excellent shot. an inspirational man. i am very jealous that you got to photograph him.
Jeffrey Guterman (30 months ago | reply)
Great shot.