Unfortunately I haven’t been updating my website recently with new photography, although I hope that will change soon. Much of my time over the past 6 months has been spent creating a new vision for the magazine for London Independent Photography, as previously mentioned here. My first issue as editor was launched back in April (cover above left, photo by Carole Evans). Re-titled, redesigned and twice the thickness of the previous magazine, it made a bit of a splash and was exceptionally well received by members and other readers.

Tonight is the launch party for the Summer 2010 LEISURE issue (above right, photo by Tom Robinson) and I’m really excited to see the response to this follow-up. In addition to featuring great work by nearly 40 members, there’s an extensive interview with Stephen Gill, and contributions from Paul Hill and Simon Roberts.

It’s been a fascinating experience to work on the magazine, and even a privilege! Contributors have been outstanding really and I look forward to working on future issues.

In June, La Pura Vida Gallery invited anyone to edit a slideshow from a selection of over 200 images, and my slideshow is featured in the gallery. It was really fun to do, and I discovered some exciting photographers’ work in the process!

The theme was “Travel is very useful and it exercises the imagination. All the rest is disappointment and fatigue. Our own journey is entirely imaginary. That is its strength. It goes from life to death. People, animals, cities, things, all are imagined. It’s a novel, simply a fictitious narrative.” – Céline, Journey to the End of the Night

With photographs by: Charalampos Kydonakis, Christian Flatscher, Dave Sinclair, Andrey Bogush, Chuck Patch, Simon Kossoff, Kourosh Azar, John Goldsmith, Julien Barathon, Mehrdad Azmin, Gustavo Sanabria, Ivan Sanjuan, Snjezana Josipovic, Rivo Yubara

This photograph taken at the Bank of England was selected by Pictory magazine for a showcase on London. Pictory features stories from people around the world, documenting their lives and cultures, and is edited by Laura Brunow Miner. View the showcase here

I donated prints of these two images for an auction to raise funds in support of relief efforts & rebuilding in Haiti after the earthquake. In collaboration with Charity Print Auctions organised by Andrew Newson, the amazing efforts of the group raised more than £18,000. These sold for £130 with funds going to Red Cross and SOS Children’s Villages.

Our group also publishes a magazine three times a year featuring members’ work, and I have now taken on the position of Editor with my first issue to be printed in Spring 2010. This is a very exciting time for me, and I hope to not only create a magazine that is rich with thought-provoking and inspirational content, but one which engages our members and the general public alike. It is currently stocked in the Photographers Gallery, Serpentine Gallery bookshop, Viewfinder Gallery and the National Portrait Gallery. I do hope to see future issues reaching out to a wider audience from the shelves of more shops and newsagents, so be on the lookout!

I am already in the process of gathering content, meeting with potential writers and contributors, and encouraging members of LIP to participate in the creation of the magazine in some way. These issues are entirely funded by our annual membership fees – there is no sponsorship, advertising or funding whatsoever paving the production route with gold. Because of this we have the freedom to produce a printed work of the standard that best fits our collaborative personality. As such, the magazine will see a number of changes from its previous incarnation, most recently edited by Britt Hatzius who dedicated three years to the job. She saw the magazine as a printed exhibition work which showcased images submitted on a theme, then she ‘choreographed’ them to flow through the book.

My interpretation of the magazine will involve more dialogue and friendly banter, more articles and photographic series, while still including theme-related work. However it may turn out, I do hope people will feel good about the result, submit their photographic work for consideration and above all read it!

The exhibition opens on Sunday, October 18th from 2.30-5pm. If you can make it I think the show promises to be somewhat eclectic and interesting this year! It seems the selectors favoured series of work and chose more images from less photographers than in previous years. I had 6 prints selected by Magda Keaney, Curator Photography, National Portrait Gallery and Susanna Brown, Curator Photography, V&A Museum. Runs until October 31st at Cottons Centre Atrium (aka The Jungle!) on Southbank near Hays Galleria, SE1 2QE – (map)

Vegetable Sellers in Paharganj – 8 pictures

This series of portraits was made in the Paharganj area of New Delhi, India in March 2009.

Women in Mott Street – 15 pictures

A collection of observed portraits of women in Mott Street, Chinatown, New York City, taken in March 2008.
I published a book of this work (10″x8″ Landscape, 80pgs) and it’s available at Blurb.

Beer, Whiskey, Rock – 18 pictures

This is a working title for a long-term project I photographed in a small heavy metal bar in central London.
In some ways it is still a work in progress, but most pictures were taken between Summer 2007 – Autumn 2008.
At the time I began this project I was very much inspired by Swedish photographer Anders Petersen’s book Café Lehmitz.
And so there shall also be a book of this work!