Urban charm
An early morning walk around home sweet home! The city landscape is layered with rich character and charisma to the photographer's eye - the complexities of the street genre brings its own set of challenges, but also offers opportunities that are awaiting to be discovered. Sometimes you just need to explore and seek out those elusive gems... I found myself lingering, anticipating a dramatic sunrise that was forecast with the high-level cirrostratus clouds; having cleansed my chosen lenses from the evening before, I felt prepared and ready for what the morning would unveil before my eyes. It's no secret that I'm heavily biased towards Bristol, partly because it is adorned with creativity and contrast. The vibrant pulse within the urban environment is always alluring to me...
A street photographer acts as a sort of urban ethnographer, documenting those spontaneous, candid and fleeting moments of everyday life. The quiet moments during the early hours of the day are usually the best times to set out for - a fresh start to a new day can often be the best time to venture out with the camera (a worthwhile effort to explore the possibility of capturing the unknown). The quirky nature of the Bristol scene can be difficult to describe, it can sound exaggerated to people who are not from the area, but it definitely has an essence of energy that carries its own distinctive individuality.
Recently I have revisited the works of Martha Cooper. The books that she has published, along with the ability to tell stories through imagery have always inspired me. It's often said that zooming with your feet is typically the best practice. It can be quite refreshing to go back to basics and remember where it all started - one of many reasons why I have been using a 50mm prime lens as of late...
