This is Not a Photograph of a Policeman

By no means the first, but possibly the most documented, enslaved man in the Lancashire and Greater Manchester area Juba Royton is notable for his few but unique appearances in local and national records. These dates are merely records of occasions in his life, no images of him, no history before his arrival in Oldham and no indication to the type of man he was beyond what the records infer.

Throughout 2020 the only opportunity to leave home was for the 1 hour exercise limit per day. in that time I decided to proactively create, to record and muse over the now strange sights of normality.

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.

'Home is Where The Heart is' was a project I completed with the support of Coffee4Craig, a Manchester based homeless charity. This project was intended as a question of the representation of those who are in a position to call themselves homeless after personal circumstances have lead to them requiring help to find shelter, food, clothing and other sources of medical or personal support. As apposed to the architypal image of individuals in these circumstances the project was to connect the subjects with an audience in a way which created a sense of uniqueness, individuality and equality. Each story and person has their own specific needs and their own story to tell in how they became homeless and ultimately progressed on to anew chapter in their life.

The national lockdowns in2020 lead to the weekly Clap for the NHS. A tribal act intended to unite and elevate the risk and struggle of front-line workers, with the goal of influencing the general population to follow the restrictions. Instead we saw a symbol followed for fear of public ostracisation and the true individual action of littering and abandoning the guidelines.

This collection of images was short introduction to a longer term project, that of documenting the people I see whilst out walking my dog. I chose this subject as it's one of the few forms of activity that has been viable during the covid-19 lockdown restrictions. A small opportunity to connect with other people who share an interest and pastime with little risk. Each person shares a similar space in the world and sometimes similar stories yet despite being part of the social collective of being dog owners and walkers they each have distinct taste, experiences, preferences and outlooks.

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.

Throughout Salford there are symbols of movement and freedom, opportunity and potential yet the city is plagued by it's leading levels of poverty, unemployment and in-education. The only places with true accessibility are the sites of gambling, homelessness and control.