Images by amateur New Zealand photographers.: Eric Tarlton.

On this blog I am presenting a selection of images by amateur New Zealand photographers from my collection. The amateur's photo album is usually full of those special events that make a family. Mum, the kids, or the 'rallies', [and sometimes dad, when you could get the camera from him], in the garden dressed in their Sunday best, birthdays, Christmas, and don't forget those holiday snaps, out-of-focus, or badly framed. The last two faults can mostly be blamed on the cameras, with their tiny viewfinders and lenses that left a lot to be desired. But one or two shots will stand out, there is something a little different or amusing about them. And sometimes the photographer had a very good eye, a very good camera, or was just lucky. These are the images I will be selecting for this blog, and my only rule for selection is that I like the image.
With many of the images I know nothing about the photographer, but where I do these details are listed, and with some images I have included memories from the photographers family members.
Most of the photographs are from family albums purchased at auction, family estates, from descendants of the photographer, and a few were rescued from the tip. So if you have an old album, I'm interested, BUT please do not dump it. These albums are great to see and should be preserved, they are a window into the past. With the advent of the digital camera, CD/DVD disc's etc, albums are becoming a thing of the past. In 50 years [I'm being generous here] you will only be able to access todays images if you can find a player thats still working.

I welcome any comments from viewers.

All images are copyright and are not to be used without permission.

Eric Tarlton.

Eric Howard Tarlton.

21.6.1894 - 28.10.1954.

A small but very diverse collection of negatives dating from 1921 to 1946. Some of the earlier negatives have focus and shake problems, but Eric's photography improved along with the quality of his cameras. Eric's early single life was spent on lighthouses at the Brothers and Stephens Island. After marriage to Gladys Hall they were posted at Westport, their last posting was at Cape Brett, where their first daughter was born. Not long after they moved to Auckland where Eric took a position with H.M.Customs, with postings in New Plymouth and later Dunedin. Eric was a member of the Dunedin Photographic Society where he exhibited his work.