Story Book

An exploration of the meaning of self and the ‘Portrait’ Through this set of images I hope to capture the concept of the portrait being more a reflection of the artist than an insight to the subject. The portrait is a result of many decisions made by the photographer, those decisions tainted by their observations, pre-conceptions and agenda. At some point the product of those decisions is more the interpretation of the photographer than the representation of the subject. The ability to manipulate and alter the image leaves us open to believing someone looks or even acts a certain way. Photographers can create masks, beauty or deceit. In many ways photographers are, through their subject, taking a self portrait albeit vicariously.

A series of images shot on the first Saturday night of the 2020 lockdown. Each scene is from the Northern Quarter and surrounding areas in Manchester at approximately 9pm.

Street photography has been around since the inception of photography as a medium. It's a genre of work that I enjoy both researching and creating as it presents us with a vision of everyday life otherwise unseen and unknown. whenever I'm not working on a commission or project I like to soak up the atmosphere of my home city Manchester looking for the sights and scenes which epitomise what it means to be Mancunian.

As 2020 was drawing to an end I was thinking about how much time I had spent away from family and friends and how the restrictions on gatherings and meetings was affecting not only myself but everyone throughout the country. I took the time to experience some of the festiveness of Christmas that I missed by not being able to gather with loved ones by vicariously enjoying the displays of my neighbours. I found it interesting how each household celebrates in different ways yet how similar the message is across all homes.

Salford, Manchester has always been a particularly hard hit area by poverty, lack of engagement, education and general well being. However with the growth of MediaCity the area has become known for the northern hub of high earning creatives and media. Against a backdrop of the lowest national rates of life standards the idea of accessibility's blocked by the inherent financial and education struggles of the local residents.

‘This is Not a Photograph of a Policeman’ Saturday 19th September 2020, four days prior to the introduction of stricter restrictions of the gathering of people and opening hours of hospital venues during the resurgence of Covid-19 infections. How do people react when presented with information outside of their everyday routine? Do they stop and examine, turn away and ignore, carry on unaware or destroy it? At 10am Manchester interacted with a cardboard policeman carrying a bundle of deflated latex gloves and a message of ‘Keep Calm and Carry On’. At 11.15am it was removed by Arndale Security assisted by a homeless man. I don’t know whether I should be annoyed by its short life or worried it lasted so long.

The decisive moments, commonly associated with Henri Cartier-Bresson is the precise moment all natural occurrences intersect to form a scene of equilibrium in front gf the camera. Here the (in)Decisive Moment the scene is built from the less obvious ways our world coincides with itself.

Jasmine is my rescue dog and best friend for many years. I often walk with her to and from places I need to go and most often to a place where I can play games with her in a semi controlled way. This series was a personal decision to let Jazz take control of several walks and lead the way. Mainly as I found I tended to also be rushing and hurrying around our pre-set route and destinations. I found myself thinking of what she sees and smells and how she interprets the world. I also thought of how I myself was the cause of our hasty walks and with this series I took the time to enjoy the experience of being with her.