Oh Trouble

It's been a busy few months and this blog is gathering dust, but it's a good sign of keeping on my toes.

I've been working on a couple of different things, and on a particularly interesting project with On The Record. This group of lovely folk are getting people to tell their stories and uncovering history through interviews and lived experiences. I've been taking portraits for their work about Speakers' Corner in Hyde Park, meeting hecklers, orators, jokers and troublemakers.

Some of my portraits will be included in the exhibition at the Bishopsgate Institute, opening December 7th.

Click here for a portrait I took and the story of one of the lovely troublemakers I met, Ruth Eastwood.

Portrait of a stranger

Forgot to make a note of his name but I do remember he was Irish.

Lazerface

Headless Portraits

A picture of my pappou (centre) from 1945, whilst serving with the British in Ismailia, Egypt.

Last Sun

Love this photo of my sister, brother (& nephew) soaking up the last of the summer sun in 2012, taken with my old brownie box camera.

Pram Pushers

Apparently there was some sunshine in London last summer, after all. Sunny enough to use my old brownie box camera, light leaks and all.

Harry

Portraits inspired by a shady picture of Burroughs taken by Ginsberg.

Summer with Kodak Six-20 Brownie Junior

More photos made with the battered old Kodak Six-20 Brownie Junior from the family treasure chest. Polka dots and numbers are the backing paper markings on the 120 film, as is that charcoal texture, which I quite like. Almost like seeing the frame numbers when looking at a contact sheet.

The Witching Hour

well you better watch out now

or she'll put you down

she's gonna make you itch

cos she's the witch

>>Hocus Pocus and a Walk Through The Woods<<

Walk Through the Woods

Opening Night

Things are definitely shaping up for our exhibition - opening in just 10 days!

Come along for a drink and a chat, find the event page here.

Reflections in Pubs & Bedrooms

I know summer pictures are overdue, but this is a little update to let people know what I've been busy working on more recently.

I'm taking part in this year's Photomonth, a photography festival that takes place across East London in over 150 venues.

My own contribution will be a series of portraits exploring how the recession has affected the ambitions and expectations of young people (including people who don't fall into the 16-25 age bracket we typically hear). I've chosen to base my portraits in public spaces like pubs and cafes, because they are social places where people open up and discuss.

The exhibition will be a joint venture between me and Estefi Araujo, who will be exploring portraiture from an opposing angle. Estefi will be exhibiting portraits in bedrooms, intimate spaces of daily routines and private moments.

If you're intrigued, please keep an eye out for updates on our dedicated blog here, and come down to the opening on 12th of October (details to follow soon). Everyone welcome!

Montmartre: Crop/Uncrop

Swimming

Last week I headed to London Fields lido to shoot some swimming.

 I wouldn't normally have chosen to shoot sport but it was the theme for a Magnum/IdeasTap brief, and I figured it would be a good challenge to do something different.

I liked the idea of shooting someone who does sport on a regular basis, but is not an athlete. I wasn't looking for bulging muscles and super-human strength, but wanted to show a more typical engagement with exercise. Here are the results:

It didn't win but it was a good exercise in thinking about how I would tackle a brief, then putting a plan into action and comparing the results. If you're interested check out the winning images here.

Nan's house

Here are some photos I took recently, trying to tell a story about my nan.

Recently my nan was diagnosed with Alzheimer's. So far, it mostly affects her short-term memory: she can't remember if she's eaten, or what the last sentence she just read was about. Her longer term memory is largely intact. She knows she's been diagnosed, still remembers who everyone is, and what her past is. 

As she was always quite a reserved woman, and as I grew up in a different country from her, I've been keen to hear more about what kind of life she's had and what she's seen in her time. She's travelled a lot and like most people her age lived through tough times.

But the stories are harder to get to than I first realised: she forgets what she's talking about mid-sentence, trails off, gets confused and lost. Trying to talk about the past seems quite uncomfortable for her. In effect, it feels like these memories are trapped inside her.

The memory held in her muscles however is still strong. Her motor skills are very much intact, in fact she powers through her routine of daily household chores with enormous strength.

Her house is immaculately ordered, everything has its place. If you are foolish enough to leave a half-drunk cup of tea lying around, it'll be washed, dried and put away in a snap.

This is my documentation of a place rife with memories, and my attempts to trace and decode the map of knick-knacks and souvenirs that make up the story of a life lived.

To be honest the pictures came out very grainy, and though they sort of add to the idea of haziness and vagueness I think I might try to re-shoot some of these next time I go to visit her.