Half the year is gone, but...

An update as such, now that 2011 is half over:

1. The 100 Portraits project is complete and talks surrounding an exhibition are ongoing. More on this as it and when it occurs. Ideally this will be sooner rather than later.

2. The new half of the year means being able to pour more energy into the next project. This will stem from the writing on 'terminal identity'.

3. With more film work being produced in Northern Ireland the remainder of the year is looking economically brighter than the previous half. Roll on Game of Thrones season two and Good Vibrations [2012]!

4. The London Street Photography Festival starts today! Their website and timetable are full of interesting photographers, exhibitions, and workshops, so don't neglect it. Especially the astounding and only recently discovered work of Vivian Maier, shown as Vivian Maier: A Life Uncovered.

-PM

Walking my Beat II

The challenge of photographing people consistently for one hundred days has not started to swamp me yet. In fact, I cannot see any reason why this project would fail since it involves talking to people, which I enjoy, and photography, which I love. Working with strangers on the streets is fantastic, there is an exchange of trust and authority that comes from making a portrait. The end result is a spontaneous collaboration of sorts.

In Belfast the responses have been very positive on the whole to both the project as a whole, and to me as a photographer. Whilst completing this body of work I cannot help but think back to the first time I was refused a portrait, refused so harshly that I found it hard to keep my camera out for the remainder of the day! We were in Harajuku, in Tokyo, and I spotted one of the funkiest, most crazily dressed people I have ever seen... No sooner had I raised my camera and the young woman had blocked her face and started screaming, "NO PHOTO! NO PHOTO!" The image below was taken moments before she spun on her heeled boot to confront me.

[Girl in Blue, Harajuku, 2008]

But, photography has helped me learn so much. I have found that I really enjoy approaching people, engaging with them to learn something of their true character before making a portrait. I have found that even the most intimidating looking people [such as 10/100] respond to my easygoing nature. I think always having my camera on display means that strangers can instantly understand, he is a photographer, and when I ask for a portrait the process is not encumbered by unpacking and preparing the camera. I really feel the camera should not stand in the way - it is a means of recording an interaction; a mechanism; a tool.

Aside from the 100 Portraits, I still continue to photograph the city. This is what I have found recently:

-PM

Walking my Beat I

Now that the 100 Portraits project has been going for quite some time I think it is about time for a roundup. A chance to introduce some of the fantastical characters I have been privileged enough to meet, or [if I had already met them] to include in the series.

Top right to bottom left: Beccy Henderson, Fergus, Rose Baker, Michael Savage

Beccy and I burnt a Pinter script for her portrait. I suppose it counts as art-therapy. Check out Beccy's mega-busy youtube page!

Fergus was the second person I feel like I bullied into a portrait [the first was 26/100]. I am not proud of this fact. However, the day I photographed Fergus was a rainy Sunday, it may even have been Easter Sunday, and the streets were empty. He was the ONLY person I found after walking for over an hour, and I could not let the project fail. I have backwards Irish politeness to thank for this one.

Rose Baker, an absolute gem. She has a blog and a radio slot [Queen's Radio at 8pm on Tuesdays]. Rose also photographed me when I was photographing her, I'll have to track this down.

Michael, photographed the night before our relay team entered the Belfast Marathon and placed 1164 of 2282. Our team name: SKY PANTHERS ARE GO!

-PM