Somethings never change.

October 05, 2020 in colour photography, documentary, fujifilm, manchester, photographer, photography, street photographer, street photography

With the lockdown restrictions beginning to ease, the homeless and the unfortunate are steadily returning to the city streets.

As a rule, I never photograph the homeless as they do not choose to be on the streets.

There was something about this scene that made me press the shutter button.

I could see some emotional upset and comforted each other; they are lost in that moment so much, so they do not even see me with the camera.

We will never know what was going on. It could be one of a hundred things.

Maybe it is the prospect of a night on the street or the realisation that they have no money for the simple things we take for granted like food and a warm bed. We will never know the truth.

This pandemic has changed the way we live our lives, but some things it seems will never change.

Lockdown Reflection

June 14, 2020 in creative, fujifilm, manchester, photographer, photography, street photographer, street photography

As we slowly grind our way out of this never-ending lockdown, I have done a little bit of reflection on the past few months and tried to make sense of it all.

In the beginning, we witnessed the selfish and the self-centred of this world clear the supermarket shelves with no regard or thought for anyone except themselves. Greed was king as they believed this was the start of the apocalypse—shameful behaviour by people who should know better.

Early on, I decided to turn the news off and delete certain apps as my brain was melting with the constant bombardment of fear-driven information.

The Government failed to get a grip of the situation, which left many of us in limbo, and once the lockdown kicked in, it was too little too late. Granted, they have tried to keep business afloat with bucket loads of cash, but it will all need to pay back the taxpayer.

There have been some positives, especially our overdue appreciation towards the NHS and the overworked, underpaid key workers.

We have seen some beautiful acts of kindness from all walks of life, which have restored some of my faith in humanity.

Away from photography, my real job is Telecommunications, so I was classed as a key worker.

My colleagues and I had the task of “Keeping the UK Connected”,, and I am proud of what we achieved in these difficult times.

Its been a time for gratitude and being thankful for what I have.

There have been some tricky days, but we have come through this together and made our little unit a bit stronger as a family.

Photography wise I have used these strange days to start writing this blog which has given me some escape from the ongoing situation. I am fully aware that my writing skills are not that of Oscar Wilde or Shakespeare, but I have done this for me and my sanity, but if just one person gets something from what I have written, that will be a bonus.

Over these past months, I have delved deep into my back catalogue, and it has been pleasing to see some growth with my work. Progress, not perfection, is always key.

It will be a pleasure to see the streets of Manchester bustle with activity again as the one thing that I have missed is life itself.

Time to give 2020 a jump start.

Keep the Faith.

CASTLEFIELDS MANCHESTER FUJIFILM X100F ACROS RED

Progressing the Process.

June 07, 2020 in colour photography, documentary, creative, fujifilm, manchester, photographer, photography

My life before photography was pretty chaotic. I was on a downward slope with no exit plan. So, when I eventually sorted my shit out, and the clouds of doom began to lift, I decided to fuel my interest in photography.

In the early days, it was all about nailing the image and shooting anything that moved. My approach was very sporadic, and I was blinkered because there was no real direction for my work. I was too busy looking for my next hit as I wanted photography to make me feel better about myself.

I could see myself burning out with the days of failure and frustration because photography was not providing me with the constant highs.

So, what changed? Me, I had to change because I was the problem.

It took me a good few years to find a style and an approach that I enjoyed doing. Nowadays, I work mostly in colour, and yes, I enjoy working with light and shadow, but I try and keep progressing bit by bit.

I still have them days when nothing is going my way, and I can find myself in the right place at the wrong time, but I no longer get frustrated and start questioning why am I doing this.

The difference between then and now is that I enjoy the process instead of expecting the process to make me feel better. There is no progress without failure.

Sometimes quickly, sometimes slowly, we all get there in the end.

Keep the Faith

FUJIFILM X100T CLASSIC CHROME - JULY 2017

Under the Influence #3

May 10, 2020 in camera, creative, photography, documentary, manchester

Kevin Cummins.

Kevin Cummins has documented British music culture for the last 40 years. From the Punk scene in the ’70s to the Madchester era of the late ’80s to the Cool Britannia days of the mid-1990s and everything in between.

As NME’s chief photographer for much of the ’80s and ’90s, he provided us with some of the most iconic images of that time, and I was an avid reader of the NME in them halcyon days.

The images of Shaun Ryder hanging off the E on the Hotel sign and the paint-splattered Stone Roses, which both graced the cover, are now defining moments from that era. And let us not forget his work with Joy Division that will seal their legacy forever.

Kevin Cummins's contribution to British culture's historical documentation is something that we will probably never see again. That is why is he regarded as an icon of documentary photography.

For further reading and prints, go to his website - http://www.kevincummins.co.uk/

Recommended Book – Looking for the light through the pouring rain.

Cummins has raised the status of his work to the level of art. - John Peel

Keep the Faith