Mark Power began taking photographs as a hobby with a cheap camera. When his photos were exhibited, it boosted his confidence to pursue photography professionally. While he once thought not being influenced by past photographers was an advantage, he now realizes borrowing from others' styles is important to developing your own. He strives to emulate Walker Evans' style but puts his own spin on it given their different contexts. Patience is also key, as many photographers only find success with one project and can't handle the pressures of fame. For Power, photography is his passion above all else and any success is an added bonus, not his main motivation for creating work.

1. EXPLORING PHOTOGRAPHIC
PRACTICE
MARK POWER
BY TASH AND FAYE

3. “I took a sketchbook with me, and a cheap £50
camera, and started taking pictures. When I came
back, they were exhibited.
It gave me that boost in my confidence to think,
“Maybe I can do this”. I was a real rookie – and in
those days I thought this was an advantage. I
thought because I didn’t know what had happened
in the past, photographically speaking, then I
wouldn’t be influenced and could make my own
work. Nowadays I see how nonsensical that is.”

4. “Don’t be afraid of being deeply influenced by
others whose work you like because ultimately
your own voice will come out.
I often find myself trying to be Walker Evans, but
it's impossible because I'm not Walker Evans, and
I’m not working in ’30s America.
I suppose I have a certain style, for want of a better
word, but I’ve had to work to get there by
borrowing from other people, understanding the
history and not reinventing the wheel.”

5. “Patience is important. The history
of photography is littered with people who were
successful after one project and couldn‘t deal
with the pressures that came with that. I’m a
photographer because first and foremost I love
what I do. Any success that might come along
with that is wonderful, but it’s incidental.”

6. “It took me a long time to get to this point. I still
don’t have any money because I plough it into
new projects, but that’s what I want to spend
my money on. That’s the attitude you need to
have. You either do it properly or not at all,
because if you do it half-heartedly you won’t
have success or at least it won’t last – you’ve got
to want it right to the core of your bones.”

12. THE SHIPPING FORECAST
1993 - 1996

14. “Intangible and mysterious, familiar yet obscure,
the shipping forecast is broadcast four times
daily on BBC Radio 4. For those at, or about to
put to sea, the forecast may mean the difference
between life and death.”