This blog-post is uploaded with a heavy heart, following the untimely passing of Martin Parr in December 2025.
This is the second instalment of our Past Masters series, we delve into the saturated, often uncomfortable, and undeniably witty world of Martin Parr. If there was one photographer who defined the "British look" of the late 20th century, it was Parr—a man who turned the mundane into the magnificent and the grotesque into the high-art gallery.
Martin Parr was born in 1952 in Epsom, Surrey. Unlike many who stumble into the craft, Parr knew he wanted to be a documentary photographer from the age of 14. His early interest was sparked by his grandfather, George Parr, an amateur photographer who encouraged Martin’s budding eye.
The Rise to Fame & The Big Break
Parr studied photography at Manchester Polytechnic (1970–1973), where he was part of a legendary cohort including Peter Fraser and Brian Griffin. His career began in earnest with quiet, black-and-white studies of Northern England, notably in the series The Non-Conformists and Bad Weather.
However, his "big break" and subsequent rise to international notoriety came in 1986 with the publication of "The Last Resort." This series, documenting the working-class seaside resort of New Brighton, was a shock to the system. Using garish, saturated colors and a ring flash, Parr captured the "messy reality" of British leisure—crowded beaches, overflowing trash cans, and melting ice cream. It was hailed as a masterpiece by some and decried as "cruel" and "snobbish" by others.
Style and Philosophy: The "Parr-esque" Gaze
Parr’s style is defined by:
Hyper-Reality: Using macro lenses to zoom in on textures (like half-eaten food or leathery sunburnt skin).
Saturated Colors: He famously used Kodachrome and later ultra-saturated films to make reality look almost artificial.
Humor as a Weapon: He used wit to critique consumerism, tourism, and national identity.
"I think the ordinary is a very under-exploited aspect of our lives because it is so familiar." — Martin Parr
Equipment: The Tools of the Trade
Parr’s gear evolved with his shift from the "quiet" observer to the "loud" social critic:
Early Era: 35mm Leica M3 for his black-and-white work.
The Big Shift: For The Last Resort, he moved to a medium-format Plaubel Makina 67 (a wide-angle camera) and later used a Mamiya 7.
The Signature Pop: He is famous for using a ring flash or a side-mounted flash to create flat, shadowless, and clinical lighting that exposes every detail.
Digital & Modern: He eventually transitioned to the Canon 5D series and even shot his later work on an iPhone.
What he didn't like: Parr famously disliked "pictures of everywhere looking beautiful." He loathed the romanticized, soft-focus view of the world, often calling sepia-toned or "pretty" travel photography a "soft version of propaganda."
Black and White vs. Colour: Which was Better?
This remains the central debate of Parr’s legacy.
The Black and White Case: Many peers, including the legendary Don McCullin, praised Parr’s early monochrome work (like Bad Weather) for its exceptional eye and humanist celebration of community.
The Colour Case: Most critics argue that Parr only became Parr when he switched to colour. The "acidic" palette allowed him to move from celebration to critique.
The Verdict: While his black-and-white photos show more "empathy," his color work is what changed the course of documentary photography. As Parr himself said: "My black-and-white work is more of a celebration and the color work became more of a critique of society."
Peer Endorsements & Quotes
Parr was notoriously divisive. When he applied to join Magnum Photos, Cartier-Bresson famously voted against him, calling his work "from another planet." However, he eventually became the agency’s president.
Don McCullin: "Martin, you're an excellent black and white photographer... you transposed that eye to the world of color."
Grayson Perry: Noted Parr's "needle-sharp eye for the material culture of our times."
"Photography is the simplest thing in the world, but it is incredibly complicated to make it really work." — Martin Parr
Essential Viewing & Reading
Top Photo Books
The Last Resort (1986): The definitive book on the British seaside.
Small World (1995): A scathing and hilarious look at global tourism.
The Non-Conformists (2013): His early black-and-white masterwork.
Common Sense (1999): An explosion of close-up consumerist detail.
Famous Photographs (Links)
Multimedia
The End of a Career
Martin Parr passed away in December 2025, leaving behind a legacy that transformed photography from a "fine art" pursuit into a sociological tool. He established the Martin Parr Foundation in Bristol to preserve the heritage of British documentary photography, ensuring that his "oblique approach" will influence generations to come.
Would you like me to create a comparison table of the specific cameras and films Parr used for each of his major book projects?
Martin Parr | A Visual Tribute to the Master
This video provides a poignant retrospective of his career, contrasting his early black-and-white masterpieces with the saturated color aesthetic that became his signature.
Who are you, Martin Parr? Since the 1970s, Martin Parr has fearlessly held out his unique photographic mirror and given us some of the most extraordinary and unique visual clichés of modern times.