205dpi Issue Aug’15
Eilis Kitts Illustrator www.eiliskitts.co.uk
This issue Aug’15
Who are we? We are photographers. Journalistic ones. We document, record and capture anything we find interesting, beautiful or captivating. Sometimes our stories may seem strange or unusual, but we are the eye behind it all; and that’s what this magazine is all about. From cakes to paralympics, graffiti to kickboxing, our editorial documentary style takes us around Cornwall, the UK and the rest of the world. Follow us and our collective of photographers as we capture our adventures, our remarkable stories and our everyday lives.
What’ve we been doing? We’re recruiting! Each month we recieve more and more recognition, and we need to grow with the demand. If you have an interest in magazine publishing and photography, register your interest and we’ll forward you our job listing! Email us at team@205dpi.com
p.s. keep updated: 4.
6
14
16
42 Feature Story Tristan Potter In similar fashion to last months interview, Tristan is another recent Falmouth University graduate.
22 2. Michael Cox
Photographed London in an uncommon way, showing the sides of the city you don’t always see.
Monthly Single Images: Victoria Art Tom Ellis
30 3. Francis
Hawkins
Followed the stories of Cornish Lifeboat workers, and shares their tales from the sea.
1. Travis
Batton
Photographed America’s independence day, documenting the repetitive red, white and blue.
36 4. Francisco
Olivares Lara
Documented the ever present tensions in Chile over the unjust education system.
5.
Real Talk with Tristan Potter
“I have to be effectively the Swiss army knife of photography, I need to be prepared for almost every eventuality” This months interview continues our graduate lookback as we talk to those photographers close to us at 205dpi as they give us real life tips on what its like to be a graduate photographer making their way during the hardest months… The first. This month we speak to Tristan Potter who in the two months since graduated from University has gained an elusive junior staff position at one of the UKs biggest independent news wire. In this interview he tells us what its like to work as a press photographer and how his work has kept him busy across the UK and into Europe.
Hey Tris! So its been two months since you graduated how has your summer been and what have you been up to since you left University? Hey Guys, well I was incredibly fortunate to leave university with a job as a junior staff press photographer (snapper) with Newsteam International who are part of the South West News Service Group. This was both a relief and achievement for me since I have spent the last few years changing careers and becoming a professional photographer - I still smile when I say that! I have pretty much hit the ground running, so as far as summer went this year I have to say it wasn’t the daily beach visits of last year, but it has been an incredible experience so far.
So you now work for South West News Service in a junior staff position. What’s it like to be a staff photographer and how can you compare that to the life of a freelancer? Well, to me, being a staff photographer feels great; it’s a lot more reliable than freelance. I know when I’m going to work, I receive a monthly wage and expenses which as a freelancer you would have to account for plus I don’t have to do any book keeping. On top of all this I also get a holiday allowance, which means I can plan to go away and not have to worry about not earning for a week or two. As a press photographer your day-to-day must be very varied. What does one of your daily shifts consist of ?
Feature - Real Talk with Tristan Potter
9.
It all depends what’s on. With the press being so varied it could literally be anything. One thing that is consistent is the car or as I’m taking to call it now: ‘The Office’. I can do anything from one to four jobs in one day with different stories in each job. As a full time snapper I spend a lot of time on the road so driving is a very big part of the working day and of course being out and about I’m sending pictures into the desk as I go. On a typical shoot what images do you need to capture? How do the images relate to a story? In most shoots I am looking to produce a good set of clean images, which help to illustrate the subject matter. I wouldn’t say there is a magic formula unless it’s for a specific commission job, normally for one of the nationals, in which case I would meet the brief. However I do find myself looking for nice clean portraits, both full and half-length, details (if the story lends itself to it) and sometimes we collect historical content such as old family pictures. It’s not often we focus on a photographers kit, but it really is essential in your line of work. What do you use mostly? As a snapper I have to be effectively the Swiss army knife of photography, I need to be prepared for almost every eventuality; which means I carry a lot of kit. My standard working kit consists of a Nikon D3 and D3x. I use a mixture of lenses both telephoto and prime and with these, depending on the job, I can cover anything from 24mm right up to 300mm and with 2x teleconverters that can be stretched to 600mm. I also carry four Speedlights and a commander, lighting stands, mobile backdrop and a trusty monopod and tripod. I also have equipment for video as we do lots of this for both news and human interest stories. Lets just say you need a big booted car for this job! The variation must be quite exciting, where have
you been in the name of your job? So far I have travelled around 6500 miles in the last couple of months going anywhere from Calais to Coventry, which is where I currently live. I have spent a day in ‘the Jungle’ in Calais, outside court houses and hanging out the side of a helicopter. Each day brings a new challenge and I think this is why I enjoy it so much. I like things to be different and almost unpredictable. As with anything there are challenges and probably one of the most difficult things to do is the more sensitive stories. For example, I have had to cover topics such as murder and serious illness. Trying to talk to people when they’re grieving can be incredibly challenging but it is all part of the job and so you have to find a way of coping. What have you taken from your work in France? Explain your day? Calais was something I never envisaged doing. The phone rang at 13:15 on a Wednesday afternoon and on the other end, its the picture desk asking if I could get to Calais for Buzzfeed and pick up their journalist from London on the way. At first it was confusing but then the excitement kicked in as I was digging for my passport. Having only been on the job for just over a week I wasn’t really sure what to expect so I grabbed my kit, loaded the car and hit the road. At 21:15 we were on the ferry leaving for Calais. Upon arrival we headed for some of the reported active areas to see if we could see what was happening. We walked down the A16 motorway towards the junction for the Euro tunnel. As we walked past queuing lorries I couldn’t help feeling we were being watched. There were signs everywhere of activity, holes in the metal fences, broken padlocks and lorry seals scattered everywhere. As we came around the bend we saw our first sign of the refugee’s. There was a group of approximately 30 people trying to get into the back of queuing lorries. The sound of horns from the lorries pierced the night as other drivers were warning the
Feature - Real Talk with Tristan Potter 11.
lorry in front that they were being broken into. In the morning we got talking to the hotel owner and he introduced us to someone from the British office who came to talk with us. After hearing some horror stories of journalist being chased off with knifes we both felt more nervous about the entire thing. From here we headed into the camp nicknamed “the Jungle”. We firstly met ‘Alpha’ on the outside edge of the camp. He was, at first, very uninterested and hostile towards us but with time he then invited us to take a seat at his table and he would talk with us. Having offered us tea we had our first encounter of an incredibly troubled group of human beings. One of the most difficult issues we discovered was the awareness of my camera. These people didn’t want to have their pictures taken, nor did they want to talk to the people who have been spreading lies about them on the TV/Internet. There was an obvious distrust of journalists and as we approached people, every so often, we would meet someone who would
12.
talk and the stories that we heard were beyond belief. The struggle and poor treatment of these individuals was beyond anything I could have ever imagined and to me this story had to be told. How does the work professional world compare to university and what advice can you give to those still studying? Well at University I was told “how tough the industry is” and they weren’t wrong. It’s incredibly fast paced, competitive and sometimes devious. You don’t know who to trust other than your own and some people can seem nice but will cut you out at any opportunity. I guess with anything that involves money there will be that competition so I have had to learn and adapt to this and in doing so I have learnt something that no one can teach you. My biggest pieces of advice to anyone who really
Feature - Real Talk with Tristan Potter
want’s to work in the photographic industry is to sample it, perhaps through an internship. Purchase your own equipment and learn how to use it properly because you are going to need everything that it has to offer at some point. And dream big. I’m a great believer you can achieve your dreams with the right amount of energy and commitment. If its what you want then go out and get it. Do you still shoot personal photography when not working? Do you think its important to not shoot just for work? I got into photography as a hobby and although now its my career, it hasn’t changed anything just yet. I was warned once by a close friend to find a hobby because once it becomes work it will no longer be enjoyable. I do shoot on days off, I also take pictures because I want to - not because I’m paid for it and also still enjoy it as my hobby. In five years time
though who knows how I’ll feel. I really do think its important to shoot for yourself pretty much all the time, sure it may not be what work want but at least you can say you enjoyed making that image, you just have to make sure you do get the pictures work wants first. What are your aims for the future and how do you see your photography developing? It’s still incredibly early days right now, I myself enjoy taking pictures, however since beginning this job I have found a new interest in journalism. Talking to people daily and hearing their stories has made me more and more interested in people on a whole and after a day in Calais perhaps I’ll find myself doing something like foreign journalism. But who knows what’s next. Right now I just want to learn and perfect my skills in anyway I can. Interview: Tom Sandberg
Feature - Real Talk with Tristan Potter
13.
Victoria Art Monthly single images www.victoriart.tumblr.com
‘Die Verwandlung’ Style: Victoria Knife Hair & Make-up: Dara Dukhnovskaya Accessories: Helena Romanova Models: Artem Surov & Nikita Orlov
Red, White and Blue Travis explores the age old celebrations that take place on American Independence Day.
Patriotism is a driving force that brings people together. Such pride can be a serious virtue that can propel a nation to be all it can be. On the flipside, it is also a justification to let your hair down and expose the whimsical side that resides in all of us. From my corner of the world, red, white and blue are the colours of choice. If you are being patriotic, these colours will be displayed in some fashion. It may be a hat, a shirt or your entire ensemble. It may even be a complete costume of a patriotic figure. If you are not one to make a fashion statement, you will probably be the person with the flag anchored on your car. In fact, your car itself may be red, white and blue. As parents we don’t stop at ourselves, but we extend our patriotism to our kids figuratively and physically. These kids may not know exactly what is happening, but couldn’t care less because they get to eat junk food and play in the streets. Even babies are put on display despite their crying protest. And yes, this does include our four legged fury kids, too. It appears no person or thing is safe from the patriotic red, white and blue. A patriotic celebration wouldn’t be complete without pictures. It is almost as if you become a tourist in your own town. Cameras are
everywhere. Posing for a picture in front of a flag or posing just to show off your level of patriotism is a must. This also includes posing just to be plain silly. In some ways, we adults take on the kid role and our kids take on the adult role. This is evident when you see the mom or dad laughing and carrying on while their children are sitting to the side with the “Are We There Yet” expression on their faces. You parents know what I’m talking about. With all the cameras around, it is easy to blend into the crowds to become just another face. This makes it easy to get close to the action and capture a candid moment. I am as patriotic as the next person, but I am not one to vocalize or put everything on display. I much prefer to be more subtle. However, the lack of subtleness that is displayed in my pictures is my way of displaying patriotism. I guess you could say I like the storyteller role.
18. Travis Batton
Travis Batton
19.
London Glamour Michael photographed the less publicised side of the iconic capital.
“London is in a constant state of change and regeneration.�
24. Michael Cox
Ask to see a photograph of London and you’ll probably be shown the usual aerial shot of the financial centre, the London Eye or Piccadilly Circus, maybe Harrods and Buckingham Palace. In this series I explore an alternate view of London. Exploring the places in the capital we pass without notice, this project presents a series of photographs where the rush and glamour of the city is left behind. Through visits to London I am faced with the glitzy facade of tourist and shopping destinations. Walk away from the Pret-a-Manger and hiding behind a shutter door London’s underbelly is exposed. Here I challenged the esteemed reputation of my capital city by capturing the undercurrent of London: its corners, housing estates, hidden or unusual spaces and structures. These are quiet places of stillness and suspense. Nothing is happening here; I am not focusing on the ‘who’ or ‘where’, but rather the ‘what’.
even due for demolition. The subjects are not nearly venerated as much as perhaps cathedrals and churches or glamorous shopping centres and football stadiums; however they are still relevant to keeping London alive and functioning. It is a normal part of any city to have cracks where repairs are being made and new parts are being forged; London is in a constant state of change and regeneration. I do not know London well, this is very much an outsider’s perspective, however I have come to know a different side of this city by walking off the beaten track, looking a bit closer. This is my alternative view of London.
Though the aesthetics of the subjects are enhanced by photographing them, they are still considered to be ugly and some
Michael Cox
25.
“You can look at a picture for a week and never remember it. You can also look at a picture for a second and remember it for the rest of your life.�
- Joan Miro
Lifeboat Family Francis tells the unique and touching stories of Cornish lifeboat men, Project ‘Lifeboat Family’ looks at the two Lifeboats of Penwith, Sennen and Penlee, Cornwall. The Project focuses on the fathers and sons that work on the lifeboats and the family names continuing through the generations. These two lifeboats are some of the oldest in the country and come from small close-knit fishing communities, leaving the traditions running strong. Even though technology has advanced so much the ethos of the lifeboat hasn’t changed; volunteers risk their lives to rescue people they do not know. The ancestors of the men who features in the work crewed on very different Lifeboats but the sea hasn’t changed and people always need rescuing. This goes to show the immense dedication of the men and families who have volunteered for decades.
Martin Brockman (above) stands in the old Penlee Lifeboat Station that has been left as it was in 1981 as a memorial to the lifeboat disaster, Penlee Point, Cornwall. The lifeboat ‘Solomon Browne’ launched from this slip on a stormy December night in response to the distress call of the ‘Union Star’ vessel that had an engine failure and was drifting towards the cliffs near Lamorna. Martin’s father Nigel Brockman left on that night, the whole crew were killed attempting to rescue those onboard ‘Union Star’. Martin’s older brother, Neil Brockman, was also a member of the crew at the time of the disaster but was not permitted to go because of the ferocity of the storm. It was custom that during a bad storm only one member of the same family were allowed to go onboard in case the boat was lost. Neil carried on in the lifeboat and became coxswain before being taken over by Patrick Harvey. Martin is the Penlee Lifeboat’s Visits Officer and Youth and Heritage Education Volunteer. Martin visits schools and community groups to give lectures on heritage and sea safety.
32. Francis Hawkins
Phillip Shannon (above), retired Second Coxswain to the Sennen Lifeboat, stands under the lifeboat slipway, Sennen Cove, Cornwall. Phillip grew up in Sennen and spent his childhood on the beach and around the cove. When Phillip came of age to join the RNLI at seventeen he jumped at the opportunity and spent almost 50 years as a dedicated member of the lifeboat crew. Phillip left the Sennen Cove Lifeboat crew aged sixty-five because of RNLI retirement rules and became one of the longest volunteer lifeboat crewmembers in Britain. He had been on the lifeboat for hundreds of launches and 150 lives had been saved during his time on the boat. For his services he was awarded an MBE. Phillip is the first of his family name to be a member of the lifeboat crew. His father was a member of the cliff rescue team and the lifeboat committee, but Phillip is the first to represent his family on the lifeboat. His two sons Dan and Jack have followed in his footsteps. His oldest son Dan is Second Coxswain and Jack is a valued member of the crew, a professional seaman and mariner.
Francis Hawkins
33.
<<< Terry George, fulltime Coxswain of the Sennen Lifeboat stands by the winch mechanism in the Sennen Cove Lifeboat Station, Cornwall. Terry grew up in Penberth, a small cove between Lands End and Mousehole. This was a small community; the sort where the front door was never locked and you knew everyone in the cove. As a child he would “play in boats, on boats and around boats”. Terry’s uncle took him to sea as a young boy, which was the start of his lifelong association to boats and the sea. At one point during the late 1890s the Sennen Lifeboat went out with an entire crew with the surname George. In recent history Terry George’s paternal grandfather was a crewmember with generations before him also volunteering on the Sennen lifeboat. Terry has two sons, Oli and Ben,
>>> Patrick Harvey, fulltime Coxswain to the Penlee Lifeboat sits in the Lifeboat Station, Newlyn, Cornwall, England. Patrick grew up in Newlyn and like his father became a fisherman. Patrick thought he would be a fisherman for the rest of his life but with the knowledge of local waters and skills he had learnt from fishing he became a valuable member of the lifeboat crew. For the first ten or twelve years from 1993 when Patrick became a member of the Penlee Lifeboat crew he was unaware that his ancestors were former members. It wasn’t until a conversation with his uncle that he found out that his maternal grandfather and great grandfather had both been members of the lifeboat crew. Downing was his mother’s surname, an old family from Mousehole with stong links to the lifeboat.
34. Francis Hawkins
The Endless Struggle Francisco documents the ongoing problems caused at the hand of the Chilean education system.
The student movement is a series of nationwide demonstrations by university and high school students in Chile started in 2011. They have been considered the most important mobilizations in recent years and one of the largest since the return to democracy. These protests came from students who reject the Chilean education system, which provides a wide participation of the private sector in relation to the state. Currently, only 25% of the education system is funded by the state, while students provide the other 75%. In short, it is a highly stratified education system, with incredibly high interest rates on borrow and pay later systems - of which most Chileans canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t afford. This system was originated during the dictatorship of Augusto Pinochet during the 1980s ending with the enactment of the Organic Constitutional Law on Teaching (LOCE) four days before handing over power. This law allowed the state a regulatory role, delegating much of teaching the private sector. After the mobilization of 2006, known as the â&#x20AC;&#x153;penguin revolutionâ&#x20AC;?, LOCE was replaced in 2009 by the General Law of Education, which did not bring significant changes to the previous law. Student, university and secondary movement has been one of the stakeholders with better organization and mobilization capacity in recent times. In the substrate that, it is a major phenomenon: the distance, disaffection, and rejection of political parts and the political system, and in
Francisco Olivares Lara
39.
general, to the “Chilean educational model.” One of the peculiarities of this process of mobilization for Education, is that it was not triggered by any action of the government in particular, but rather responds to a long accumulation of discontent, that the student movement is one of the main objectives this time, and you feel that this is the time where you must stop these bad practices and to end profit in education in Chile. Within these different flashpoints demonstrations and clashes with the police, they are presented by so-called “masked” or anarchist, which cause damage to both public roads as well as the private trade. This small group is faced with excessive violence accusing repression by the police and in response to this can’t end peacefully because of the magnitude of the actions of these individuals. Usually these people do not necessarily go with the goal of education reform, but only to cause damage. Thus, the most aggressive and ugly side of these events is shown, which have a different purpose, to obtain an educational reform in the country. Until today has not been achieved educational reform in Chile that meets the demands of students, provide a free and quality education for all. These photos were taken in Chilie during the year 2012, under the government of Sebastian Piñera Echeñique.
40. Francisco Olivares Lara
Tom Ellis Monthly single image www.tomandhiscamera.com
This issue’s stars 1. 2.
Victoria Art
www.victoriart.tumblr.com
Travis Batton
‘Red, White and Blue’ shutteringthrulife@gmail.com www.shutteringthrulife.com
Michael Cox
3.
‘London Glamour’ mjcox94@hotmail.co.uk www.mjcox.tumblr.com www.michael-cox.co.uk
Francis Hawkins
4. 5. 6. 44.
‘Lifeboat Family’
07972 041010 francishawkins@live.co.uk www.francisrhawkinsphotography.com
Francisco Olivares Lara ‘The Endless Struggle’ f.olivares89@hotmail.com www.flickr.com/pancho89
Tom Ellis
www.tomandhiscamera.com
With thanks to.. Lois Golding
Editor-in-chief www.loisgolding.carbonmade.com
Production team Tom Sandberg Manager
Paige Harrison Editor & Writer
Sophie Sear
Assistant Manager
Matt Cox
Brand designer & sign writing god Instagram - mattcox904
Tristan Potter
Special feature photographer. With thanks to Newsteam. www.tristanpotter.com
Toby Ellis, Tristan Potter & Heather Golding General assistance.
45.
Eilis Kitts Illustrator www.eiliskitts.co.uk
To contact for requests, questions or more information: team@205dpi.com All images and text published in 205dpi are the sole propertry of the featured authors and the subject copyright. 2015 Š 205dpi