in the frame

From My Lens 10/11/20 From My Lens 10/11/20

Nifty Fifty.......? .......... go on then.

I’m frantically getting out and about before lockdown 2.0 or the weather puts a stop to it, the idea is to build a catalogue of photos to edit over the winter.

Yesterday was pretty pleasant in Brighton. Folk out and about enjoying the last rays of summer / autumn sun rays.

I actually bumped into a photographer yesterday, we were both CHIMPING, gave an acknowledged nod to each other. Having a chat for a couple of minutes, the fella was from London, and was enjoying his maiden trip to Brighton.

To change things up, I started using my 85mm, which I used as part of my ongoing COVID19 coverage here in Brighton, I just love the compressed images and the bokeh, these are ideal for environmental portraits and street in general.

I have also queried why I have not been interested with the 50mm, I think the very reasonable prices and kit lens status, had pushed me away from it, numpty!

I’ve been reading quite a few photo books since March 2020, to get some creativity ideas. What I have enjoyed of late, is taking more street portraits and candids.

I acquired a Sony 50mm kit lens for the A7iii, as I’m keen to build on my street portraits, as well as providing a different perspective for my general street photos.

As well as the perspective being that bit closer to that of the human eye of 43mm, the compression allows you to stand a little further back from street portraits, which I’m finding is more friendly when taking candids in the street, compared to the 28mm or less in the face.

Yesterday was World Mental Health day, long may the spirit and mindset of this fella last through the winter.

I asked to take his photo, was told sure buddy, when I asked ‘Are you doing to a Stag Do, or a Birthday Party’? he responded ‘Naaa mate, I haven’t been out for a while, so I thought I didn’t dress up’.

Good for you.

Until next time, keep snapping.

A selection of the images within this article are available for sale on the Website or Etsy Store, if you would like to enquire about something else, please click the email icon at the foot of this page.

From My Lens 9/9/20 From My Lens 9/9/20

Staycation 2020

A good friend of mine made an interesting statement about Covid19, back in May 2020.

He mentioned he was calling his girlfriends pug Civid' When I asked ‘why’? I was told, ‘its simple really…… it's stopping us going on holiday, we can't go out for an evening to the pub or restaurant and it poos everywhere'!

A good friend of mine made an interesting statement about Covid19, back in May 2020.

He mentioned he was calling his girlfriend’s pug 'Covid' When I asked ‘why’? I was told, ‘its simple really…… it's stopping us going on holiday, we can't go out for an evening to the pub or restaurant and it poos everywhere'!

Both funny and apt.

I’m sat here writing this blog, returning back to work after my two weeks annual leave. No sun, sea or extravagant journeys unfortunately, lockdown in COVID-19 has kiboshed that.

I had some nice plans for 2020. April 2020 was supposed to be a trip to Istanbul with the kids. It was being billed as ‘kebabs and cameras’. I have been mesmerised by the street photography there for many years, in fact the tipping point was purchasing the excellent City of a hundred names, by Alex Webb last year. But alas not to be, this year at least.

Whilst this is depressing, it is providing me with some me time, catching up on photobooks, documentaries and also afforded me the opportunity to compliment my own body of work documenting these strange times.

It also provided a more grounded break with the kids, to have a couple of day trips.

First up was Broadstairs and Margate. I have always loved the allure of the British seaside town and all its kitsch foibles.

I hadn't been to Broadstairs before, and was given the nod by a work colleague. It was a lovely place with plenty of photo opportunities of the domestic holiday maker.

I wanted to take them to the Black Lives Matters exhibition at the Turner Contemporary Gallery, this was of interest to my daughter, who has taken an interest in the three marches that have been held Brighton over the summer, since the harrowing murder of George Flloyd by a police officer.

The exhibition detailed works evidencing black folks plight in the Deep South to get work through art and craft. It also had an excellent (albeit limited) collection of black and white civil rights photography front the 1960’s.

The Turner Contemporary Gallery is a stunning building situated to the east of the seafront, which also has an Anthony Gormley statue in the sea, at the rear of the gallery.

Whilst the town has regularly been voted the best seaside town in the UK to live, the remnants of the old Margate are omnipresent.

Arlington House is a beautiful brutalist residential high rise that dominates the skyline.

First completed in 1964 the site was advertised as “Britain’s first ‘park and buy’ shopping centre with luxury flats,” and marked the beginning of Margate’s redevelopment.

Arlington was designed by Russell Diplock Associates and built by Bernard Sunley and Sons, Originally the site was made up of 52 shops, a pub, a supermarket, a coach station, a filling station, a multi-storey car park and the 18-storey, 142-flat block.

I normally take the kids up to London for a day trip, but due to the depressed tourist market, we were fortunate to be able to book a 2 night stay at the Lancaster Gate Hotel, near Hyde Park. We snagged a bargain getting the room at 50% of the normal daily rate.

First up was West London, and Notting Hill / Portobello Road.

By daughter loves to see the whitewashed London terraced houses and flower lined mews.

For dinner we headed over to Tayyabs Restaurant for the mixed grill in Whitechapel, absolutely delicious. This place never seems to disappoint. I haven’t eaten here for nearly 10 years.

Day two was a mixture of shopping and sight seeing, we ended up heading over to Soho in the evening for a bite to eat at Bibimbap and to take some night photos of the lights in China Town.

As staycations go, it wasn’t bad, the kids and I remain healthy and well, so we can’t and shouldn’t complain.

Until next time, keep snapping.

From My Lens 5/3/20 From My Lens 5/3/20

COVID-19 - Lockdown

I created a page for my coverage of the COVID-19 pandemic, that is sweeping the world.

Its hard not to make this a political statement, such as the header at the top.

Utter nonesense by the government making our front line NHS workers be exposed to this with any form of acceptable PPE

‘Stay Home, Protect the NHS & Save Lives’

I created a page for my coverage of the COVID-19 pandemic, that is sweeping the world.

Its hard not to make this a political statement, such as the header at the top.

Utter nonesense by the government making our front line NHS workers be exposed to this with any form of acceptable PPE. Not forgetting other essential key workers (transport, supermaket, teachers, this list goes on).

Have a look at the COVID-19 page here.

From My Lens 4/2/20 From My Lens 4/2/20

Street Photography Rambles

It's 31st March 2020.

The kids and I (as well as the rest of the country) are under government stated self isolation.

With itchy shutter fingers, I thought I would have a look over the photo archive and build a YouTube video with a random selection of digital photos from Brighton

Here's a selection of my Street Photos in Brighton, taken on my Ricoh GRii and Sony A7iii with 28mm F1.8. Music is royalty free / creatibve commons provided ...

It's 31st March 2020.

The kids and I (as well as the rest of the country) are under government stated self isolation.

With itchy shutter fingers, I thought I would have a look over the photo archive and build a YouTube video with a random selection of digital photos from Brighton

The vast majority of these images were captured on my Ricoh grii, with a few also from my recent purchase, the Sony A7iii.