3 minute read
MY CARDIFF Photographer Phil Lewis’s snaps of Penarth are turned into a calendar
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PICTURE-PERFECT PENARTH Award-winning photographer PHIL LEWIS, who lives in Penarth, has created a calendar to showcase his hometown, and it’s already selling out. Here he tells us about the local project…
I’m quite proud of my achievements so far… My photos have been published in Amateur Photographer magazine and Practical Photography magazine and I also won a photo contest which was run to celebrate World Art Nouveau Day 2020. I focus a lot on landscape and architectural photography, and prints of my photos have been sold to people all over the world – from Australia to Texas.
Travel and photography are my twin passions… and they go very well together, but the majority of my most ‘successful’ photos have been taken here in Wales; many of them in my hometown of Penarth.
After the initial phase of lockdown had finished… and people were allowed outside of their houses for more than one hour a day, I decided to go out every morning for the ‘blue hour’ – a period of time when the sun is below the horizon and the indirect sunlight takes on a predominantly blue shade. There were still very few cars on the road, and so the air was crystal clear. Penarth is a town made for photography but going out in the blue hour lent a different view to the familiar.
I ended up with a portfolio of Penarth images… and was thinking about what to do with them. Then I saw a news article about the link between Alzheimer’s and coronavirus; my father died with Alzheimer’s, and The Alzheimer’s Society provided great support, so I decided to turn my images into a calendar, Penarth Through a Lens, to raise money for the charity.
I announced I was doing a calendar on 30 August, and by 7 September I’d sold out... So now I’ve got another run of 250 calendars printed. The pandemic has led to a sharp decline in donations to many charities, so I now, more than ever, want to try to contribute what I can. n
Penarth Through a Lens calendars are available at Snells, Foxy’s Deli and Bee Happy – all in Penarth Town Centre – and they can also be purchased through Phil on Instagram @artnouveauman, or on email philip.lewis100@live.com
TOP 5 Phil’s favourite bits of Penarth
• The Pier It’s an iconic Art Deco building which now houses an exhibition space, a cinema and a café, and it’s a lovely place for a stroll almost any time of the year. • The Custom House It’s my favourite place to eat in Penarth. It always feels like a real treat whenever I go. • The Cliff Tops A high vantage point overlooking the Bristol Channel; in summer it’s a great place to meet up with friends and relax in the sunshine. • Penarth Library Because who doesn’t love a book? I’ve spent weeks in there over the years I’m sure. • Locally-run cafés and coffee shops Penarth has its chains, but the local shops are where the real magic of Penarth can be found. Foxy’s Deli, Willmore’s and Waterloo Tea (located in the Washington, a magnificent building), are three of my personal favourites.
