Murray Cammick FOTOFEST '26 
Guest Exhibitor 

Cammick’s photography is old school film photography, avoiding digital printing using the traditional Gelatin silver process to create high-quality black and white prints. The photographs being exhibited have been printed by top New Zealand Gelatin silver printer Jenny Tomlin. Cammick’s photography is in the Te Papa Art Collection and his music photos featured in Art New Zealand magazine, the Autumn 2015 issue.

“In the early days I chose to define myself as a photographer – an identity for myself – my Minolta SLR camera was almost permanently around my neck,” says Cammick.

“I guess that gave me the purpose and status that young people seek in life. I was part of the ‘taking photographs’ gang. In the early days it was easier to be a ‘fly on the wall’ when I was the same generation as the musicians I was photographing. As I grew older and got busy as RipItUp editor, I enjoyed giving the opportunities to younger photographers to take the magazine’s photos.”

While Cammick was shooting music, he was also photographing V8 Cars and drag / Transgender culture in Queen St, Auckland. His car photos have been exhibited in the series “Flash Cars” shown in Sydney (2015), Auckland (2016) and Wellington. The music photos also have been exhibited in Sydney (2017), Auckland (2017) and Wellington (2022). The drag / Transgender photos have been shown in Auckland (2019) and Wellington (2024). 

When RipItUp music magazine started in June 1977, co-publisher Cammick and original editor Alastair Dougal were not aware of how radical the changes in music culture would be as the decade ended. Foreign punk / new wave acts like The Ramones, Iggy Pop and Blondie visited and locals like Suburban Reptiles, The Scavengers and Toy Love put some energy into the New Zealand scene. Cammick was fortunate to have the opportunity to take concert photos when David Bowie, Bob Dylan and Roxy Music toured. 

In the early days of RipItUp, local musicians were inspired by the success of Split Enz overseas and original writers like Hello Sailor, Th’ Dudes and Sharon O’Neill found respect for their own songs. In a time of cultural change, RipItUp and Cammick’s camera documented important events such as Bob Marley’s 1979 tour and the culture of the suburbs, like the young North Shore band Screaming Meemees playing to a teen audience in a packed hall.

For those who liked their music raw, seedy local venues were the place to worship and the Auckland’s Zwines and Mainstreet mosh-pits were where alienated youth gathered to enjoy the company of kindred-souls. Cammick sought to capture the tribal, sweaty audience as well as the musicians.

Prior to starting RipItUp in 1977, Cammick was the designer of Craccum, Auckland student newspaper in 1976. He studied photography at Elam School of Fine Arts 1973 to 1975 with lecturers John B. Turner and Tom Hutchins who encouraged him to take socio-political photos for the student newspaper. Cammick took the first photos of the Flash Cars series at Elam and learnt a respect for the documentary tradition in photography.

Reflecting on his music photos for the Capture blog, Cammick wrote: “I tried to document the music and the scene as a ‘fly-on-the-wall’ documentary photographer. You either contribute to the myths / bullshit of rock ‘n’ roll or you try and show some of the reality of the grind of promotion and touring. I recall being at Craccum in 1976 and being delighted that our music editor John Robson came back from a press conference with a photo of Frank Zappa drinking a cup of tea. How sublimely un-rock ‘n’ roll!

“Shooting un-rock ‘n’ roll photos became something to aspire to, so I was pleased to get Iggy Pop in his clunky reading glasses laughing at the Talking Heads story in RipItUp magazine. As we arrived at Iggy Pop’s White Heron Hotel room he was still in his pyjamas and I sneaked a shot but he heard the camera and made it clear, “No photos in my pyjamas.”

“For years I've regretted that I did not capture the glamour of Debbie Harry in my 1977 photos, but now I am starting to appreciate that they show a tired young woman who is in Auckland for a few daylight hours of promotion on her journey between New York and Australia.

Murray Cammick continues to be addicted to music and alongside his role publishing and photography he has credentials as a soul / funk DJ. He currently hosts Land of the Good Groove Fridays 1-2pm on 95bFM, Auckland. He hosted the popular George FM Tuesday afternoon soul/funk show “Soul Finger” from 2004 to 2010. The original “Land of the Good Groove” on bFM ran from 1983-1993. In 2010/2011 Cammick deejayed the music at the Powerstation before the shows by Paul Weller (2010), Sharon Jones & the Dap Kings (2010) and George Clinton (2011). 

RipItUp magazine always supported indie NZ music and Cammick founded two local record labels Southside (Upper Hutt Posse, Moana & the Moahunters, MC OJ & Rhythm Slave, Ngaire, D-Faction, Houseparty etc) and Wildside (Shihad, Head Like A Hole, Dead Flowers, Hallelujah Picassos, Stylus, Muckhole, Pumpkinhead, Slim, Rubicon, Graham Brazier, Second Child, Future Stupid, Rumblefish, Paselode, D-Super, The Warners, Emulsifier etc). The photographer’s notes on photos:

Bob Marley

Anyone who asks me to play soccer has smoked too much dope. Marley asked me that question – after I had retrieved a stray ball, by the park outside his hotel, the White Heron. I interpreted his question, as an indication that he would prefer that I stopped taking photos. 

Our RipItUp writer had gone home and there no longer much point in me staying. Crafty Liverpudlian, TVNZ reporter Dylan Taite had brought his soccer boots to the non-existent press event that day, so he could cunningly play soccer to achieve an exclusive interview. He achieved his goal – i.e., the interview of a lifetime. Marley obliged and even spoke rather clear English in the interview, rather than patois that he might use if he was in a less communicative mood. Dylan’s interview, with Auckland harbour in the background, features in most Bob Marley documentaries.

I was not too keen on doing ‘music industry’ style photos of a Platinum album presentation or the traditional Māori welcome, the powhiri – but “Yes” was the answer when the visitor to New Zealand was Bob Marley.

Iggy Pop

We arrived at the White Heron hotel, to find Iggy in his room, still wearing his pyjamas, playing guitar. I took a subtle snap on my camera but Iggy heard the click and turned to me, “No photos in my pyjamas!”

During the interview Iggy said: “You have to remember, I was in — will the real Sex Pistols please stand up? — I was in the Stooges.”

It was curious to watch Iggy reach for his clunky reading glasses to peruse a Talking Heads story in the current RipItUp. I recall Iggy saying, “Here I am traveling the world, alone in my hotel room, except for my pyjamas.” Due to the writer’s discretion this comment – whether taking the piss or not – did not run in RipItUp.

Graham Brazier

I have more good photos of Graham Brazier than every other local musician in total. To be blunt, Graham was into having his photo taken and I think he liked to help me get a good shot. The musician who performs off stage as well as on stage, to some, is a ‘rock star poseur’ but photographers appreciate a little bit of help.

Graham was a poet and a book collector – he had empathy for poets and writers, and he was not above helping me to get a good photo. On occasions when I had camera in hand, I’d get a nod from him that said: “this will make a great photo.” This is what happened backstage at Mainstreet.