Artists Up Front Street Masterworks Gallery Front Street.

As well as being a recording artiste and poet, Ras Mykkal also works as a full-time photographer for The Royal Gazette . Now as someone who rarely gets behind the lens myself, who frequently chops off heads and manages to get things out of focus and off centre, who gets a little confused about which button to press, even when using one of those disposable camera thingamajigs, you might think I'm in no position to judge a professional photographer.

Nevertheless, although I may know little about the techniques of photography I do know that, as a professional cameraman working for the Island's most esteemed news publication, Mykkal should have an understanding of the basics.

Unfortunately, in a public show the basics just aren't enough and bread and butter photography is what you get here.

Sure, there's a fairly wide range of genres -- the action shot, the portrait, some landscapes, glamour photography -- but there's nothing that stands out as interesting, unusual or different. There's no imagination, no experimentation and very few examples of Mykkal having an eye for the moment.

I'll let Mr. Mykkal show you what I mean. Explaining a particular shot, he says: "The photograph of the motorcycle rider for example -- I used a slower shutter speed and panned with the subject to keep him in focus and blurred the background to show the speed he was travelling''. Mykkal talks as though he's invented another art form when what he's really doing is regurgitating the basics of The Ladybird Beginners Guide to Taking Nice Photographs Chapter One.

While Mykkal's work may be technically proficient I suspect it's hardly technically challenging.

And, as a newspaper photographer, I would have thought he'd find himself in far more dramatic, explosive situations which would provide him with a rich source of material.

Instead, what is on display is a selection of standard pics that you would expect to find in the portfolio of any would be photojournalist.

Actually that's probably putting it a bit strong. I've had the opportunity to see the portfolios of maybe half a dozen wannabe photographers who have put together impressive selections of work. With the exception of Mykkal's three action pictures, I don't think any of the work here would make it into the final selections of most photographic students.

Sure, the three action photographs -- cricket scenes in which we see the bails flying along with expressions of delight and despair -- do capture the moment.

But then again, how much skill does it take to go down to a cricket field, set up your equipment, focus on the stumps and then just click away everytime there's a moment of action? Even easier when you've got a motordrive.

"Pointless'' and "So what?'' were two descriptions of this show that I heard from visitors before I sat down to write this review.

Although I try not to let others influence my judgement, I find I have to agree. Just what is the point Ras? Gareth Finighan Man in motion: Ras Mykkal's photograph of a motocross rider is on show at Masterworks.

Graphic file name: BIKER PHO ARTIST ART REVIEW REV