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Featured on BBC website
A nice review of Peter’s photos from the Southsiders project, and my documentary, by Phil Coomes of the BBC: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/in-pictures-24142422
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Featured on BBC website
A nice review of Peter’s photos from the Southsiders project, and my documentary, by Phil Coomes of the BBC: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/in-pictures-24142422
You could do this...no really you could
You could do this...no really you could, a photography project very close to home
I found this article on the BBC website about Richard Bevan who having moved to small town USA decided to photograph as many of the residents as he could. As Phil Coomes says in his article
“Photographers love to travel but sometimes it pays to look at what is close at hand and document the community you live in. Richard Beaven has done just that, turning his lens on the residents of Ghent,…
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Ten photos capture the UK in 2014
Ten photos capture the UK in 2014
From Phil Coomes at the BBC
As we reach the end of 2014, Milica Lamb, picture editor at the Press Association (PA), selects some of the best shots captured by the news agency’s photographers across the UK.
“PA produced close to a quarter of a million images in 2014, so, as always, being tasked with selecting an editor’s choice for the year has proved incredibly hard – there are just too many…
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Vaccinating a remote community
18 Novemb'r 2014 Las updatid at 01:25 Articull writte by Phil Coomes Pitchure editer Mer frum Phil Whutever yer chose subjeck, fer photografers thar is one thang at is mer impertant thun innythang else, at is access. If'n y'all a'ken’t git at yer...
A new article has been published on www.brianbrown.net
New Post has been published on http://www.brianbrown.net/2014/10/16/from-silver-mine-to-wet-plate/
From silver mine to wet plate
17 October 2014 Last updated at 00:27
Article written by Phil Coomes Picture editor
More from Phil
For the first 150 years or so, silver was an essential ingredient to photography, those little particles that reacted to light to create an image. Photographer Sean Hawkey decided to take his camera to the source and photograph the miners who extract the silver from the earth.
Of course Hawkey did not take a standard 35mm film camera, but lugged a mobile darkroom and laboratory, heavy antique equipment and lights, plus 20kg (3st 2lb) of metal plates for his large-format camera.
His passage through customs was an interesting one as nitric acid and diethyl ether are controlled substances, yet both essential in the production of photographic plates when using the wet collodion process.
What makes this project so absorbing is that Hawkey’s beautiful pictures of miners at the Fairtrade certified Sotrami mine in Peru were made using silver dug out from its depths.
“I went underground with miners, drilling, blasting with dynamite, and disinterring the precious metal,” says Hawkey.
“I’ve worked in construction, demolition and civil engineering, but the mine is the toughest environment I’ve been in.
“One miner with the same birthday as me told me, ‘We’re the same age, but I’m older than you. The mine makes you old.'”
A view of the Sotrami mine
Hawkey learnt how to use collodion from John Brewer specifically for this project, noting that its beauty comes from the imperfections, and the fact that so many things can go wrong. It’s a far cry from the predictability of working digitally.
“Start Quote
It’s not pretentious to say these portraits are deeper and more revealing. You can’t sustain any vain or superficial expression for 10 seconds, you can’t conceal yourself behind a mask”
End Quote Sean Hawkey
He adds: “And I love the stillness. In early photographic images, people are composed and serious, and they had to be because the exposures were really long. So you get some quite profound portraits.
“I feel there’s an intense, spiritual quality about the pictures because of the long exposures and required stillness. It’s impossible to take a grinning or whooping selfie with collodion – and I’m not challenging anyone to try. I think it’s a good thing you can’t do it.”
Of course the process should only be attempted by anyone with the correct training and safety equipment.
One thing that intrigued me was how the miners reacted to his requests to take their picture in this way.
Hawkey says he felt like a bit of a “berk” as he began to describe his artistic concept to the miners.
“I was afraid of what they’d make of it – they endure an aggressive routine of dynamite, rock-smashing and hauling heavy sacks up 400m ladders.
“I wondered if they’d snort in disdain. But they didn’t.”
“First of all they were a bit amazed that I’d brought vintage gear and a darkroom with me from England, to their remote mine in the Andes, but when they saw the plates, they were thrilled.
“They all wanted a portrait, they all wanted to see the process, and miners lined up to have their picture taken, and they cheered when the images appeared in the fixer.”
It wasn’t only miners Hawkey photographed. One night, word having spread of this Englishman taking pictures with an old camera, he found four policemen at the door of his bunk asking about the work.
Initially he was worried he had broken some law but was relieved to find out that they too wanted their picture taken.
“Some of the miners were aware of the great early Peruvian photographer Martin Chambi, who carried a wooden camera around the Andes. That was a useful reference.
“They laughed when they saw me mixing Inca Cola with the developer – the sugar restrains heat-induced fogging.
“And you can see in the pictures, as well as their magnificent faces and hard lives, there’s no animosity, they were willing, friendly subjects.”
Here is a selection of Sean Hawkey’s pictures from Peru.
You can see more of Sean Hawkey’s work on his website.
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A new article has been published on www.brianbrown.net
New Post has been published on http://www.brianbrown.net/2014/10/07/speakers-corner-in-pictures/
Speakers' Corner in pictures
8 October 2014 Last updated at 04:59
Article written by Phil Coomes Picture editor
More from Phil
A small piece of land in the heart of London has been the scene of heated debate since 1872 when the Parks Regulation Act gave permission for people to meet and speak out on any issue. The site, once home to the Tyburn gallows – a site for public execution – became known as Speakers’ Corner, and earlier this year reopened to the public following refurbishment.
Photographer Jan Enkelmann is working on a long-term project on the area and here shares his thoughts on his work so far.
“With freedom of speech such a hotly debated topic, Speakers’ Corner is one of those institutions you think should receive a lot of media coverage. But surprisingly it doesn’t.
It was once the site of riots, tumultuous demonstrations and public meetings of groups that weren’t allowed to gather anywhere else. It is where Marx, Lenin and Orwell found their audiences. Today, Speakers’ Corner is mostly seen as a playground for eccentrics, religious fanatics and oddballs of all kinds.
While this is certainly true, and the majority of speeches have religious backgrounds, there are still a number of speakers desperately trying to keep the tradition of meaningful political debate alive.
What fascinates me is about the place is that you never know what’s going to happen next. What starts off as a quiet afternoon might turn into mayhem within a few minutes and things are suddenly kicking off. That’s especially true in the current political climate and with the many religiously motivated conflicts around the world. Speakers’ Corner will give you a glimpse into the motivations behind every one of these conflicts and present the beliefs and standpoint of each of the parties involved, however extreme they might be.
Some veteran speakers draw a regular crowd, as do the religious dogmatists. These mix with local Sunday afternoon strollers, tourists and groups of foreign students eager to practise their debating skills under the supervision of their teachers or tutors. And then there are the hecklers and hangers-on who do their best to stir up the proceedings.
I first learned about Speakers’ Corner in secondary school, in the early-80s in Germany where I grew up. It was portrayed as a key London landmark, in line with Tower Bridge, Big Ben and Westminster Abbey. But then it took more than 10 years of living in London to discover it for myself.
It is a place that won’t reveal its true character and mystique on a single visit. So over the last few years, I’ve become one of the regulars, dropping in once a month or so for an afternoon of taking photos but also chatting with people, getting heckled myself, becoming part of the scene. I guess I’m intrigued as to what draws people to this place in a time where it’s become so much easier to reach and interact with a global audience through digital media.
When taking pictures, I generally try not to get too drawn into the speeches and altercations and focus on the visual side of things, although sometimes it’s hard to avoid being dragged into a debate.
From a photographic point of view, I’m interested in the dynamics between speakers, audience, hecklers and passers-by. There is always a lot of passion and naturally that makes for great pictures. Long lenses don’t really work here, you have to get up-close, be part of the action. Things are moving fast, the light is always changing and the crowds, surrounding fences and harsh light falling through the trees make for tricky backdrops. But the results can be amazing if you do get it right.”
Here is a selection of pictures by Jan Enkelmann.
You can see more of Jan Enkelmann’s work on his website.
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From silver mine to wet plate
17 Octob'r 2014 Las updatid at 00:27 Articull writte by Phil Coomes Pitchure editer Mer frum Phil Fer t'furst 150 yeers er so, silv'r wuz un essenshul ingredient ta photografy, thems lil particles at reectid ta lite ta creete un image. Photograf'r...
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Speakers' Corner in pictures
8 Octob'r 2014 Las updatid at 04:59 Articull writte by Phil Coomes Pitchure editer Mer frum Phil A small peece o'lan' n' t'heert o'London has bee t'ssene o'heetid debate since 1872 wen t'Parks Regulashun Ack gave permission fer folk ta meet an'...