iStreet At The Sol Art Gallery

I am delighted to have been selected as a none Irish contributor for the iStreet Photography Exhibition that opens at The Sol Art Gallery, Dublin on the 15th August. I would also like to congratulate all the other contributors on being selected, I hope you enjoy the show and the opening evening, sadly I am unable to attend.

Special thanks also go out to Des Byrne  for putting this show together, without guys like him our work would rarely see a gallery wall and would languish on our hard drives anonymously. This  show also represents the true spirit of Street Photography to me and reminds us all that although we  spend hours working the streets alone,  we are part of something much bigger that also becomes stronger when we join together.  Congratulations Des !

My contribution " English Christmas" from my Another Day Off series also serves as a timely reminder that although its August only 149 shopping days remain before Christmas.

Enjoy the weekend and keep it real !

Street Photography Wears Water Wings !

I was interested to read a piece by Michael Sweet this week in the Huffington Post that compared the state of modern SP to the Emperors new clothes. Michaels views more or less echoed what I have been thinking and writing for a while although I must admit that his piece put the argument much better than any of my humble rantings.

Street photography seems to be very happy living in its own shallow pool and appears to look enviously out towards the much deeper and busier pool that is occupied by swimmers of all levels who have been brave enough to shed the water wings and risk perceived failure or even drowning in order to explore their own limitations or strengths.

This comparison is especially relevant to me today as one of my recent excursions into the "BIG" pool has just ended in failure, that's no problem for me as I've been around long enough to cope and even learn from my negative experiences. The big pool on this occasion was the Renaissance Photography Awards and I failed to make the short list. The Renaissance prize is a Art Photography Prize that supports a cancer charity while showcasing both established and aspiring photographic artist's . The reason it interests me is not only is it a great cause but it gives togs like me the opportunity to break out of the incestuous world of Street Photography and present work to a Art Photography audience which is where I believe SP should live in greater numbers or at least have aspirations of inhabiting this arena.

Renaissance Photography Awards I will be back !

The positive news is that I enjoyed a really fruitful shoot last weekend and have had a picture selected for the  iStreet Exhibition in Dublin which opens on the 14th August at the Sol Art Gallery. Sadly I am unable to make the trip to see the show as I do not have enough holiday entitlement, I have used my holidays to shoot the Another Day off project ironically.

Thats it for this week, have a great weekend and keep it real !

My Renaissance entry below .

Living Off Scraps !

As Street Togs the challenge we face most often is trying to make something from nothing, our subject of choice is the mundane and the activities that happen every day. Our torment is quite often to try and find beauty or at least visual stimulation where very little exists.

The devices we use to add a little oomph !; range from humour, juxtaposition, irony and when we are really on our game we can rely on little more than a sharp eye,good light and well honed phychic  skills to predict what events might reveal themselves next. All in all Street photography can be a tough gig even when you turn up with the necessary mindset.

How can we try and turn the odds of success in our favour ? Having sorted the technical stuff and chosen a location that meets our plans we can do little more than watch and wait and eventually our next masterpiece will just manifest itself in front of us, won't it ?  No !                     Unless a little thought has been given to what your looking for, it is unlikely that you'll recognise the moment should it arrive anyway.

When things get tough for me I start looking for interesting light or graphic backgrounds at least if I'm on a stake out I can reduce the risk of the light being poor or a distracting background wrecking my hard to find moments by sorting it out when things are slow. I sometimes visualise what I would like to happen, every now and then the moment I'm  gifted surpasses any of my expectations;. It is also worth mentioning that more often nothing happens at all !

Its easy enough to grab a few individual candid portraits but for me unless the subject is especially interesting these pix won't quench my SP thirst . The truth is that patience , hard work and a little pre-planning is all we can really contribute to bring the odds down in our favour, although experience will help you make better decisions about how you manage your time on the street. A workshop or two might give you a few ideas but this is no substitute for time on the street, remember when I say time, I  mean thinking looking and engaging with your surroundings

Failing this togs could invest in a rabbits foot or suchlike because the best shots certainly rely on a element of luck or magic of sorts. I was lucky enough to come across the scene below today, I think its unlikely that I will come across a scene like this again, but I have been living on scraps for a while  and I've learnt to  take it on the chin.

Keep it real ! 

How things change !

I have written of how the Side Gallery and the Amber Collective influenced my teenage years before so I will not go over that ground again here although with the celebration of the collective currently being exhibited at the Laing Art Gallery I thought I might add a few more personal memories and how they influenced me.

I will start off by recognising the fact that a photographic exhibition of this sort hosted by the Laing is a massive demonstration of how far photography has moved forward in the last 40 years. The Laing Art Gallery was and probably still is home to Newcastle City's municipal art collection, I have very few memories of seeing anything here that was truly memorable other than a multi-coloured abstract octopus shaped sculpture attached to an outside wall that was eventually removed when the city decided not to purchase.

The most influential work of the Amber collective for me personally was definitely Sirkka's work in Byker although it wasn't until recently that I realised that apart from the work itself, this work helped me see that the community I lived in was a valid photographic subject and that my "everyday" had both social and historic value to others.

In the early 1980's I was inspired to set up a community photography project in Walker, a neighbouring district of Byker in Newcastle's east end. This project taught photography to unemployed adults and youths, this work brought me into contact with the late Murray Martin one of the founders of the Amber Collective who tried to help us find a source of funding to enable us to continue our work, sadly without success. I mention this only to demonstrate that the work of this collective reaches much further than the work that hangs on the walls of the Laing today. The Amber collective taught me that photography was accessible to working class kids like me !

One of my fondest memories of the Side Gallery is of taking my late father to see the Bresson exhibition following a walk alongside the Quayside Market, he was impressed, it also helped him to understand my humble efforts of this time.

Today everyone is a photographer of sorts, this certainly was not the case back then and those with the vision to record everyday life seriously were viewed as eccentrics by many. It is only when a collection of work is seen after the passage of time that its true value can be seen and the cost of losing our visual social history can be understood.

The early Amber manifesto is worthy of any photographers consideration.

Integrate life and work and friendship.

Don't tie yourself to institutions.

Live cheaply and you will remain free.

And ,then do whatever it is that gets you up in the morning.

".... your other stuffs great ! "

One of my favourite sayings when asked for personal advice from a friend or work mate is that "you know your own business best" but I am beginning to wonder if as a photographer, I know my own work best.

I recently showed 2 of my favourite photographs to another respected photographer who in all fairness wasn't seeing it ! I still stand by the statement that these images are among my best but remembering the old adage that photographers are lousy editors of their own work I might be wrong ?

I have to admit to liking "Street" images that contain 5 folks or more as I find the human interaction and subtle body language that these pics posses fascinating, allowing me to return to images time and time again and still learn more about the image I captured. The effect of these more complex interactions is that the images lack impact on first inspection as they are in my opinion anyway, slow burners.  The pay off exists if your prepared to invest the time but the short term impact is low unlike some of my other efforts that are high on initial impact but in my opinion burn out too quickly ! (I hope this makes sense).

On reading this back i realise that of course not everyone is going to be prepared to invest a disproportionate amount of time looking for the subtleties that I see, especially if the initial impact of a moment is low and even if they do I can't expect others to share my vision and see it how I do !

I also think that images that are difficult to capture are prized most by the photographers who capture them, but most viewers care very little if you stood in the rain for hours before the moment occurred or that 16 variations of a scenario were explored before the image gave itself up.

The lesson from all of this for me is to try and publish more work and listen to the feedback, others do not necessarily see it as I do.  My motivation for creating these images is personal and therefore I enjoy the luxury of self indulgence, as we all should from time to time as creative folk !

Ultimately we can only create images that meet our own interpretations of what is good or interesting, the emotional content of some captures may skew our personal valuations of our own work so it becomes especially interesting when others engage with our pictures and see more and sometimes less than we do . 

Enjoy the weekend & keep it real !

British Life Photography Awards

I see that its time to enter the BLPA again and I must confess to being disappointed and confused by the whole experience. 

Let me explain, I will always support anything that might raise the profile of British Photography as I believe the British reserve quite often holds us back in what is a global market place. The BLPA inaugural project looked great, exhibition, book etc . Supported by Homer Sykes a photographer I respect , Whats not to like ?

1. I made my entry no problem, paid my cash, no problem.

2.I was advised that I was short listed & to forward large files, no problem ? News Embargo no PR "op" here.

3. Uploaded large file and rang to confirm delivery, delivery confirmed !

4. Receive email "please forward file " urgent we don't have it ? Days before final judging !

5. Receive news of result, News embargo no PR here !

6. Unable to attend exhibition and book launch at the Mall galleries, do I receive a free copy of the book as a contributor "No " I bought my copy like everyone else.

7. The PR the winners received was mostly London based, this is a British award.

8.  From the photos I've seen the curation and exhibition layout was a bit haphazard due to the numbers of works shown, fewer framed works might of added greater prestige to these awards, rather than the unframed prints that were displayed !

9. The book layout suffered from the same problems, using pix over 2 pages killed them dead, the square format design did not help as most entries were landscape format.

10. Although I supplied my website address it was not featured in the credits, others managed this. No additional web hits !

11. The Exhibition has only one other venue organised so far this year, nothing in Scotland , Northern Ireland or Wales ! British ? I believe the fee to host this show is £4000 ?

In short I never expected to win this competition but I thought if my work was recognised a PR opportunity might exist, it did not due to the over the top news embargo's. Better awards use the short list etc to maintain interest leading to the result and local PR opportunities can be exploited which benefits the awards, sponsors and the photographers.. It looks as if the publisher handled the PR as a cost saving, they never considered the benefits that were being denied to the entrants. ! The news embargo made it difficult for togs to make the most of their success. Thankfully the winner was London based !

I have been fortunate enough to be successful in other awards and have benefited greatly in the past, this appears to be all about book-sales and free content (paid for with entry fees) not British Photography or British Photographers.

I am reviewing my involvement with this project which is sad for a photographer who shoots English everyday life exclusively !

The BLPA has lost its appeal to me, just as my entry above has lost is colour !

Keep it real and good luck to those who enter this years awards !

Be A Decent Person !

Street photography is exploitative, that's a fact , however it is up to you to decide to what degree you exploit the situations and people you come across while out with your cameras.

During my trip up north last week I framed up a number of shots that I failed to pull the trigger on as I felt uncomfortable with the scene, in short I felt as if the images could be interpreted badly, they definitely did not show the various individuals I encountered in a positive light !

I would hate to think of my work being viewed in a gallery situation by a middle class educated audience that engage in a form of class tourism quaffing white wine and canapé as they go !

That is one of the reasons that the "Last Resort" pictures make me uncomfortable although I feel much better about Parr's mocking of the middle classes ?

I would imagine that most of the togs reading this are male and are no strangers to checking out functions and specifications of products before purchase. The question I would ask is how many of us have examined the function and motivation behind our own personal photography ?

This might seem like an abstract question at first but on further examination you might discover a little more about yourself and your work. The great thing about commercial photography is that the function is easy to understand, the selling of products and services is the sole function either directly or indirectly. The question when asked of Art Photography or Street Photography becomes more difficult to answer, some might argue that Art has no function, that's why its art ! The cynical might take the position that Arts function is to generate shit loads of cash while making ordinary folk feel inferior as they are unable to understand it  !

Whatever your point of view I think this question should be asked on a personal level and the answer might be that perhaps you need to become a better person before you can become a better Street Photographer ?

Keep it real !

Just Got Back

I have just returned from my mini road trip of northern coastal resorts and I must confess that it was a real eye-opener,  these resorts are struggling to maintain the interest of the Great British public in the twenty first century, the June weather I encountered for most of my trip helps to explain the demise of many of the seaside towns of the North that I have great memories of. 

All of the places I visited were very quiet with the elderly and local dog walkers making up the numbers in many of my pictures against a background of local traders with long faces. The English seaside holiday still exists in these places but I felt as if I was witnessing the demise of a disappearing tradition that is failing to change quickly enough to the aspirations of the current generation. The pictures I created in Majorca at the start of this series seem to take on a deeper meaning when seen alongside the images of these tired English seaside resorts.

The photography went well although I must admit that I ended up shooting with a cynical eye half of the time and with a heavy heart at other times.  The overwhelming memory I was left with is one of sadness as I revisited these cold locations that held warm memories for me..

On a positive note I found a number of moments that I am very pleased with and a number of scenarios that were exactly what I was hoping for when I set off on this trip. I also came across some that i could never of imagined, the real world never fails to surprise me !

I'm sure it will take a while for me to edit this shoot and even longer for me to decant the work before publication but I'm really looking forward to it,the pictures here are just here to illustrate this piece, my priority at the moment is to keep on shooting the English at play.

I would also like to pay tribute to all of the brave souls who are fighting to maintain the Great English seaside resort from Bed & Breakfast landlady's to candy floss and ice-cream vendors  your contribution does not go unnoticed by me , ultimately however it is up to us, the English people to decide if these essential links to the past will play any part in our children's future.

These places appear to be a real barometer of the effects of austerity on the family's of our country, it makes me wonder if the humble day off at the seaside is being sacrificed by many who are struggling just to make ends meet .

Buckets Without Spades

Keep it real !

Keeping it real !

The older I get the more I seem to be disappointed by people, that's not individuals you understand but people "plural", groups, crowds and yes quite often photographers and to be more specific street photographers the sense of community that we like to refer to is hard to find for most togs especially beginners, Street Photography appears to be becoming more and more elitist !

The help and support that we like to believe exists for newcomers is really only available at a price and that seems to be the problem, street photography is being exploited as a means of making money by togs who are not good enough to cut it in the commercial photography world or qualified enough to get a job teaching photography via one of our many universities.

Self proclaimed experts are everywhere you look on the internet on both sides of the Atlantic, as far as I can see their ability to use the social networks for self promotion eclipses any ability they might have with a camera. Its a shame because some of these folk are talented and might become as good as they think they are, if only they would focus on the photography rather than try to convince us of how great they are ! 

What we do is a very simple thing, we take modest photographic equipment onto the street and record everyday life in a way that has meaning to us and hopefully others. The subject is accessible to all and the kit can be as basic as the humble Olympus Trip film camera. Don't let the real democracy of street photography be corrupted by those who have sold out and choose to sell "the dream" to those who are to busy earning to do the real learning that street photography demands !

I would be grateful if all Street Photography experts could wear a badge or a silly hat just to help us lowly togs identify who you are, that way not only will we be able to avoid you but we will be able to sound the bullshit alarm and save others from your influence.

Street Photography is not a competitive Olympic event,however, it can be a very rewarding personal journey if your prepared to embrace your successes and failures equally !

Keep it real ! 

Ray -Jones, a subliminal influence ?

Its not very often that I enter a gallery and feel as if I am surrounded by my old friends, the iconic works of Tony Ray-Jones have been with me since 1980 when I came across "A Day Off" in a discount bookshop on Oxford St,  before then I  had been drip fed a meagre ration of TRJ via Creative Camera magazine and Album to be honest at that stage the teenage photographer  I was, was not seeing it !

At the age of 20 seeing the work as one,helped me understand it, I was riveted by his approach, the wit, humour and irony slowly emerged before my eyes. the more I looked the better it got, It was like watching my first 10 x 8 develop in a dish as the details emerged my understanding of my country and my photography started grow.

At the age of 20, I had completed my formal photography education and had worked as a commercial photographers assistant , I loved the Documentary approach that I was seeing at the Newcastle Side Gallery that introduced me to some of the greatest photographers that will ever live, although at that time I did not realise the privileged position I was in, Brandt, HCB, Weegee and many other giants of photography were delivered to me gift wrapped on Newcastle's Quayside every month and I soaked up these exhibitions like a sponge, remember this is the pre-internet era and looking back I now realise how lucky I was to have such a great free resource on my doorstep.

The thing that perplexed me was that interest in "my" Ray-Jones appeared to have fallen off the radar, I knew he had died young but why had the photographic establishment not given this great talent greater recognition ? How could I buy Another Day Off( new American first edition) for less than a fiver in England's capital only six years after the posthumous publication of what to me is the greatest photographic study of England ,ever !

I continued to pursue my commercial photography career which of course is a total contrast to the photography that had inspired me personally, I believed then that Art photography or Social Documentary was not going to allow me to sustain myself financially, I maintained my interest in what I thought of as proper photography while creating images, any images for cash.

This story then fast forwards to 2012 a time when my hamster wheel of commercial photography is behind me and the world is now embracing digital photography, I create an image on the holiday island of Majorca that awakens my interest in all things Ray Jones, the more I look at this pic the more I see how TRJ has influenced how I see !

This image reminded me of many of the little tricks TRJ introduced me to, the underwater child is almost a direct link to the surrealist Ray-Jones image captured in Clacton of the boy swimming towards the figure in front of the pool inspection window. The lady with the sunglasses appears to have fallen out of the Barry Island Caravan image 1967, I promise none of this was intentional at the time of capture but it does help me understand the source of many of my photographic triggers.

I have since spent the last four years trying to understand the influences of Ray-Jones on my personal photography and the work of others and have almost completed the journey and its great that I am able to visit a gallery in Liverpool and reacquaint myself with the work that helped shape my ideas of what is good photography and helped me see another England ! 

I wish he could have witnessed how his work has inspired most British photographers today although they might not be aware of it or choose to acknowledge it !

 Written originally in May 2015 and shared on Twitter again in October 2018 , this image was captured in 2012 and reignited my teenage interest in candid photography in public spaces .