Its good to stop !

I have always had a love/ hate relationship with my photography, I used to justify this when I was a commercial tog as the ebb and flow of any working situation but I am surprised to learn that I feel the same with my personal projects.  I love not taking pictures almost as much as I love capturing and searching for slices of life, camera in hand.

I have been out with my camera on a few occasions in the last few weeks but I must confess that without the purpose that I had until recently (my another day off series) , I'm not really seeing it, as my approach seems to lack purpose, it would be easy to just start shooting random pix in the hope that some sort of coherence will emerge but I know the value of having a developed mental agenda, as it makes the seeing and subject selection much easier.

I have said before that Street Photography is a tough gig, in fact I would go further and say that togs who really work at their photography probably underestimate how demanding SP really is ! It's not until you stop that you realise just how much of yourself that you are actually bringing to your work. My last few efforts on the street would be best described as shopping trips with a camera.

I have taken the opportunity of "resting" to reread a number of my favourite photo books Ian Berry's, The English seems to get better with time, I have also been re-acquainting myself with Writing In The Sand by Sirkka Liisa Kontttinen a much under rated collection of pictures in my opinion which were created on the beaches of my native North East. .

The editing of my current series is at the halfway stage and living up to my expectations, I have a few ideas for pictures on the back burner, I also have a few ideas I want to test shoot before committing myself to creating another series of pix.   

All in all I'm a happy tog just chilling and exploring various options before committing myself to another creative endeavour. I have to admit that I feel less like a dog chasing his tail,  Street Photography will take more of you than it should if your not careful, the next great shot is certainly worthy of pursuit and any momentum that you are currently enjoying should definitely be exploited but planning time away from SP will probably be beneficial for both your pictures and your every day life.

In short , keep it real !

Lessons Learnt !

When I started my Another Day Off Series I had no idea it would take four years to complete, if I had I might never of started it ! , the project started life as a seed of an idea that would allow me to explore my Country and myself as a photographer. 

I have learned a lot about my own photography during this shoot and can reaffirm that the reward really is in the journey, being disciplined enough to stay with the subject for a long period of time was possibly the greatest challenge as I am naturally inclined to take a butterfly approach to my creative endeavours, although once the series started to gather momentum and establish itself within my mind it became easier to maintain and find the moments that were waiting to be included in the project.

My approach was not terribly ambitious, I hoped to achieve an average of one decent capture per week, this modest objective really helped in the early days as I saw no sense in heaping excessive amounts of expectation and pressure on myself. I knew that as long as I invested enough time into the series the moments would eventually give themselves up. The  first year did not even achieve the 1 per week target but my ability to see my subject improved as the series progressed. 

The biggest mistake I made was that I underestimated the effect of giving up my "days off" to capture this series would have on my day to day life . The commitment required to match my ambitions certainly created conflicts with my other obligations and I must admit that I am relieved to have completed the series as I did not have the appetite for another year of "Another Day Off" !

The isolation of creating independently can lead to moments of frustration and self doubt,  but the series almost takes on a life of its own after a while and the will to carry on and finish the job becomes greater than the thoughts of quitting.                                                                                  The support I have received from my Twitter followers has been exceptional and has helped me through the lows,  I would like to thank John Meehan  & Peter Barton of the f50 collective for their kind words and support.

I am currently editing the project and am finding that some of the images are better than I remember at the time of capture, sadly the opposite is also true !

I think it is unlikely that I will undertake a project of this size again on a spare-time basis but I would love to take on a large project on a full time basis. This series represents the realisation of an ambition for me and helps me to understand the commitment and sacrifice that other togs have made in order to pull a body of work together while  holding down a job and keeping the wolf away !

Working My Patch !

Today I thought I would try and explain how I work on the streets to try and increase my chances of being "lucky" !  In many ways a successful street picture is a miracle, especially when it contains numerous individual elements that only take on significance collectively. I believe that the management of photographic expectations is a key part of feeling fulfilled at the end of a "Street" session.

My hope at the beginning of any Street shoot is to create one frame that gives me what I refer to as "The Buzz" I use this phrase as I am unable describe it any other way and I'm not even clear about what the formula is that makes some shots have this magic ingredient !

I tend to think of my search for moments in terms of "Man bites dog" rather than the reverse !

The first thing to make clear is that "My Patch" is not very big and consist of 3 small streets the town square a back lane and sometimes a bus station if I'm feeling adventurous and things are slow .  I consider my first walk of the route as little more than a reconnaissance exercise although I am ready to shoot if opportunity knocks. During this walk I'm looking for anything that may have changed since my last visit, different weather often produces new opportunities, new traders, characters or events that could all become viable subjects for me. When I find a location I like I stop,think and almost walk through the possibilities that might develop in my mind. These thoughts never or rarely become reality but my mind and eye are now tuned into the potential of a location.

Observation of a small area repeatedly not only increases the odds of me capturing a moment in one of my pre-visualised locations (Hotspots !) but it also helps me to notice the repeated behaviours of people on the street and predict future events.

I do not believe in trying to make silk purses from pigs ears ! I will not entertain the idea of shooting in locations with bad light, please understand that when I refer to bad light I do not mean low light as light or should I say the quality of the light on my subjects is everything to me !

I generally take very few pictures on the street, I use digital as sparingly as I once used film. The main reason for this is that I do not want to become conspicuous and pollute the behaviour of my potential subjects. Once I find a scenario that is worthy of photography I will shoot whatever I can before my cover is blown although I have found that by remaining visible for a long period in certain situations can lead to subjects ignoring me completely, a form of acceptance I suppose. I have been known to pretend that my camera is broken to buy extra photographic time , Acceptance of my incompetent amateur photographer act works every time in certain situations. (maybe its not an act ?). I certainly believe that looking less than professional can help me work unnoticed !

I usually invest no more than four hours searching for moments in one day and this is usually interrupted by a coffee break as I am unable to maintain my street photography mindset for long periods. The level of concentration, creative thinking and seeing required for my pictures soon takes its toll on me . I think very little about exposure, shutter speeds etc. my mind is firmly on the subjects, composition, light and what I want a capture to to communicate. 

Working my patch is normally a mix of repeated walking of the same route with intervals of waiting and watching as my mind whirs trying to create significance from the many random moments before my lens ! 

I'm not saying this is the best way to shoot street but it is my way and it works for me !

I hope it helps one or two readers to experience "The Buzz" ! 

Keep it real !

Serendipitous Elements !

One of the greatest motivational factors in Street Photography for me is the element of surprise. When I say surprise I mean the discovery of a moment that makes me look twice,it may be something I have not noticed before or a happening that I could never of predicted or expected.

I was fortunate enough to find such a moment this weekend when I was framing up a shot which included  British Union Flags, the original framing wasn't that great, it was a abstract composition that relied on cut off composition, then suddenly a figure entered the frame a breeze blew the flimsy flags into a almost horizontal position ensuring that the summer sunshine  cast a unusual translucent colourful shadow onto the shirt of my unaware subject.. 

One of the main surprises of this shot for me is that the white parts of the Union Jack flag are projected as black in the shadow, as this area of the plastic flag is actually opaque. I would have expected white to be translucent ?

I must confess that I did not expect to pick up a contemporary looking shot at a medieval event celebrating 800 years of Magna Carta. ; I must also confess to being pleased with this effort and believe it demonstrates the value of really looking at our subjects with a open mind and an eye for detail.

I would imagine that most folk would not care one jot about the way this cheap plastic bunting transmits light in the right conditions but as a photographer shooting a English series the quality and properties of shadows from generic British bunting that are cast onto people matter to me and might well feature in other pictures in the future.

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 !