CAPITAL INTEREST DECEMBER 2015 / VOLUME 1 / NUMBER 11 / WW.RPS.ORG
IMAGE © DAMIAN MCGILLICUDDY
WELCOME
CONTENTS LONDON, NOSTALGIA - PETA McGINLEY SHARES HER FATHER’S PHOTOGRAPHS PT 2
3-7
LONDON, INTERVIEW ONE - DAMIAN MCGILLICUDDY
8-15
LONDON, INTERVIEW TWO - DAVID TOVEY
16-19
LONDON, TOPICAL - PENNY DIXIE ARPS
20-21
DISTINCTIONS - STEVE REED LRPS
22-25
REVIEW - SYD SHELTON ROCK AGAINST RACISM DAVE’S DIARY - A MERRY LONDON CHRISTMAS - DAVE HARRIS LRPS RPS LONDON LINKS
25 26-27 28
LONDON, NOSTALGIA IN THE FOOTSTEPS OF MY FATHER, PART TWO
PETA McGINLEY SHARES HER FATHER’S PHOTOGRAPHS FROM LONDON IN THE 1950S. On Jan 14, 1952 My father Rix McGinley and a friend set sail on the ship “ Sydney” from Melbourne, Australia for adventures in London and the Continent. He was 26 years old, had taught in a one roomed Primary School for a few years in Country, Victoria but now wanted to see the world! He wrote home to his mother and father regularly and from these letters I have gleaned the following information. From Dad’s letters There is so much to be seen and so much to learn if you can only forget all the mad rush and bustle of this modern age. History lives over here, that is for sure. It is the beauty of London architecture, the architecture is great and truly impressive but it is the dirty veil of grime which hides it, which we found hard to take. Now we are getting to the stage where we can see things from the English point of view. (This was a bus tour I think) St Margaret’s, Westminster the Church of truly fashionable weddings and on the other side the House of Parliament. Just as we got off there Big Ben struck quarter to four and that more than anything, it made us realise we were in London ! We went into Westminster Abbey and after a quick look at the Parliament Buildings we then went to Westminster bridge. From here we could see Lambeth Palace, the huge buildings of the L.C.C. and what is still standing of last year’s Festival of Britain sites, including the new Royal Festival Hall which fortunately, is to remain.
IMAGES © PETA McGINLEY
Here we went along London’s last existing tram route weird and wonderful hopped off and walked down past the Air Ministry to Aldwych and onto another bus to where The Strand becomes Fleet Street. We passed the Law Courts and along past the newspaper offices to Ludgate Circus up Ludgate Hill to St Pauls. Lots of bomb damage around its buildings on all sides and just across, narrow streets have been razed but St Pauls remains unscarred. It actually must have been inspiration to the Londoners.
Back on the bus and then we went through the area known as Cheapside to what is called The City. This is the financial side and here most offices of most of the banks of the world all clustered around the Old Lady of Threadneedle Street the bank of England.
As time was getting on we dived into the bowels of the earth for our first ride of the underground. I have not ceased to wonder how London traffic, rail and road run so smoothly and efficiently. The railways are at three levels. Firstly County Trains are at ground level, next the District Trains and they come to the surface wherever possible and on the lowest level are the Tubes which stay buried until quite a way out of Central London area. Many of the stations are linked by lifts, escalators or stairs and tunnels go everywhere. It is almost impossible to lose yourself though for all directions are displayed noticeably and regularly. The bus system is huge; at one time in Trafalgar square I counted up to 23 buses all double decker. It is incredible to our Melbourne minds with our out of date trams etc. (And now to the walk) I took time to visit Kensington Gardens to see the yachts at the Round Pond and then went to the London Museum in what was formerly the Kensington Palace. It was the nicest museum I have seen yet. There is another wing of the Museum we saw the Royal Apartment as used from the time of William and Mary until Queen Victoria shifted to Buckingham Palace. Again, more tradition and history is everywhere.
I strolled to Kensington Gardens passed the round pool with all the children enjoying holidays by catching tadpoles or sailing yachts. Parents and nursemaids snoozed in the sun. Wandered to Serpentine and watched the rowing boats drifting as their oarsmen sat peacefully contemplating the ducks and swans on the water. In the distance I saw Peter Pan surrounded as usual by crowds of admiring youngsters. Along the Serpentine I passed into Hyde Park. The chestnut trees were a vivid green, while the oaks and the elms were all in different stage of leaf. The daffodils were on the wane but already masses of bluebells were taking their place. In the flowerbeds were tulips, hyacinths, primulas, polyanthus and wallflowers. There was as you can imagine, a beautiful fragrance in the air, so I lay on the hill and looked out over The Serpentine for half an hour or so. ALL IMAGES Š PETA McGINLEY
Went out of Hyde Park thought the small green park to the front of Buckingham Palace. The sentries were in their beautiful scarlet tunics. ‘Tis just like looking at a live post card, to see them so rigidly at attention in front of a battery of tourist cameras. I don’t envy them.
Next I cross through to St James Park to Trafalgar Square and onto Piccadilly Circus and then caught a bus home. It was a wonderful afternoon and I took half a color film.
ALL IMAGES © PETA McGINLEY
ALL IMAGES © DAMIAN MCGILLICUDDY : WWW.DAMIANMCGILLICUDDY.COM
LONDON INTERVIEW ONE INTERVIEW WITH DAMIAN MCGILLICUDDY BY PETER PARKER
With over 25 years in the industry Damian McGillicuddy has gained a level of knowledge and experience that is seldom matched. Over a long and colourful career he has secured his position as one of the United Kingdom’s best photographers by accruing nearly 700 international awards, being the only photographer to hold 5 UK Master Photographer of the Year Awards, along with 7 Society Photographer of the Year awards and is the only photographer in the world to be awarded a Grand Master Bar. In 2013, Damian was instated as Olympus UK’s Principle Photographer and Educator – a position that he is clearly extremely proud to hold. Damian is a Grand Master photographer that gives something back to the profession by readily and generously training other photographers. I was lucky enough to attend an Olympus Big Shoot experience and experience the self styled ‘edutainer’ and the magic that is ‘Team McGillicuddy’.
Here Damian answers my questions…. Capital Interest (CI): How do you describe yourself ? DAMIAN MCGILLICUDDY (DM): Complicated! CI: What does photography mean to you? DM: It’s everything. My life, my passion, my mistress.
CI: What do you want to say with your photographs ? DM: I want to create pictures that make me happy. I want to share the techniques and skills that have given me all the good things in my life. CI: How do you get what¹s in your mind onto the photograph in just the way you want ? DM: I usually do a sketch or two of the concept. But you really do have to know what you want to say with your photography. CI: What do you think makes a memorable photograph ? DM: It’s impact. It’s all about good lighting CI: How do you get yourself inspired for a photoshoot ? DM: I see things a bit differently. I was dropped on my head when I was a baby! Seriously though, I do see life a bit differently, through my own eyes. I try not to look at other photographers’ work, so I don’t get too influenced and I can keep to my own style. CI: When you are shooting how much of it is instinct vs planned ? DM: Everything is planned, but doesn’t often end up as planned. It’s an organic process and a mix of instinct and planning. CI: Do you have any unfulfilled photographic ambitions ? DM: Lots. I’d love to photograph Mohammed Ali.
CI: What’s been your most challenging assignment? DM: The next one. CI: What do you think the future looks like for photography and photographers ? DM: Everyone owns a camera these days, but not everyone is a photographer. The skill is in the lighting and composition. Of course every now and again a person will get a great shot but can you be consistent? Look, you can buy a burger for 99p or for £30 – there is room in the market for everyone. CI: Is there life outside photography for you ? DM: Yes there is – there has to be. But few people know about the personal me. Lots of people see the professional me but I closely guard the personal side of my life.
ALL IMAGES © DAMIAN MCGILLICUDDY : WWW.DAMIANMCGILLICUDDY.COM
ALL IMAGES © DAMIAN MCGILLICUDDY : WWW.DAMIANMCGILLICUDDY.COM
LONDON INTERVIEW
TWO
INTERVIEW WITH DAVID TOVEY BY PETER PARKER
IMAGE ©
David used to be a successful entrepreneur. During the course of our hour together it emerged that he had been a chef, a publican and a workaholic! But one day, arriving at work, he says: “I knew something wasn’t right, I was losing feeling down my left side and then my speech started going really slurred.” He’d had a stroke, aged 36. He phoned 999, an ambulance arrived within two minutes, took him to hospital, and, thanks to the speedy response, he made what seemed like an equally speedy recovery. But just one week later, he went back to work but his confidence had been irreparably dented and he gave up his job. But he was then diagnosed with neurosyphilis, then four days later was told he had cancer. 10 days later he had a cardiac arrest. The hospital sent David for a brain scan, but it didn’t explain the symptoms he was still experiencing. At the same time, his former hospital in Croydon phoned about a previous set of blood tests. They told him he was HIV-positive. He had no idea how he’d
NEIL CORDELL
contracted it, but it explained the weight loss, the fevers, the progression of syphilis and even the depression, which can affect some sufferers. “I was relieved” he laughs, “because I’d been given an answer as to why I’d been feeling so bad. In a way, I was lucky.” With renewed hope, but aware that he needed desperately to retrain in order to find a career he could manage, David enrolled on an art course at London Metropolitan University. He loved it. Discovering William Klein was the spark that lit David’s enthusiasm for all art forms. I met David in his rented flat near Euston. His small, unassuming apartment oozes his arty style and individuality. David made me a coffee and explained how photography helps him to relieve anxiety and panic attacks – even the thought of being interviewed can make him anxious. But photography has given him a mechanism to control his breathing and channel his thought. “I truly believe photography has saved my life” he says. Going out with a camera helped me to talk to people and break down barriers. David uses mostly film cameras and an old digital compact camera. “I personally don’t think I am that good at taking photos” says David self-deprecatingly, “but I can see a moment, a story”. “I have a passion for wild flowers and I go around London, there is so much flora – there is a really good wild flower ‘scene’. But with my street photography I am trying to show the isolation, the trauma, and the pain of London. I can show it in a happy picture too. Last year’s Café Art Umbrella picture is both a happy and a sad picture I think.”
ALL IMAGES © DAVID TOVEY : http://www.davidtoveyart.co.uk
“I talk with homeless people because I can show both the happy and sad. I can break down barriers with photography. I want to prove that homeless people have something to give. Broken people can be fixed if the right social networks are in place – those networks aren’t benefits or social services – it’s friends, pets, family and so on” (David’s cat is called Boris). “Success comes in many forms and the pressure to succeed in financial terms is what can cause stress, depression or mental health issues – you can be successful with a camera and take great photos. It’s a process that helps me (and others) to relax and get rid of the demons.” “I love black and white photography. The most memorable photos will move me – cause an emotion – something that draws me back or tells a story. And you can’t plan that. I don’t plan anything when I go out with the camera. I like to paint and photograph blur –that’s how I see the world.” David is on a mission to raise awareness of the plight of the homeless; to break down barriers and encourage the public to talk to homeless people. So far David hasn’t done too badly with Café Art and his pictures have been on TV in the UK, Germany, Austria, Switzerland and the USA. As our interview concluded and the Verdi that had been softly playing in the background filled the room, I reflected that we so often jump to conclusions, and overlook the talented and interesting people who, often through no fault of their own, find themselves homeless.
As I read somewhere, these Londoners are homeless, not contagious
IMAGES ON THIS PAGE © DAVID TOVEY : http://www.davidtoveyart.co.uk
IMAGES ON THIS PAGE © NEIL CORDELL : http://www.davidtoveyart.co.uk
LONDON, TOPICAL BY PENNY DIXIE, ARPS
About a year ago, with a small group of London RPS friends, we started to talk about putting some of our work into an exhibition. Eeek! How scary! It took me months and months to understand how my work could fit in with the rest of the group and even more time trying to ensure that I wasn’t totally overwhelmed by the challenges of the whole idea.
Here’s the text that I put together to go with my pictures in the exhibition. Overall title: Shadows’.
‘London Stuff: Bright lights and
Strapline: Inspired by the accidental ghostlike figures in her cityscapes, Penny’s images contrast the glitter and wealth of London with the shadowy figures of the homeless at night.
I enjoyed our meet-ups and our photography related conversations and but I certainly didn’t I’m better known for my nature and wildlife see myself as a photographer who would exhibit photography, but living in London, I find it very their work. hard to resist the glitter and sparkle of this city at night. I find myself drawn to the big iconic The closer the date of the exhibition, the more views: the opulence of Canary Wharf; the I panicked. My vague idea was to use some of grandeur of the Embankment; the spectacular my London cityscapes and contrast these with panorama from the Millennium Bridge and the photographs showing the plight of the homeless view of Westminster framed by the arches. in London. On the day that we finally started to put the exhibition together, I found a new sense With a big camera, a tripod and mission to of achievement and then most surprisingly, a capture photographs of London in all its glittering pride in my work and a desire to share it with splendour, I frequently jostle for space with others. people who walk in front of my open lens and leave their shadows on frame after frame. The I was very uncomfortable about the idea of tourists with their selfie-sticks, the trendy hipsters, taking photos of vulnerable people using my the night workers, the families, the youngsters ‘big’ camera but eventually conquered my fear on a night out and other photographers...all of and took photos on the streets of London with us looking for a place to capture the bright lights my iPhone. of London. I like the idea that these photos might influence Reviewing these images on the computer others who like me, walk past London’s rough however, I found myself looking more carefully sleepers and don’t know what to do. at the accidental shadowy figures that I had
captured during the long exposures. Some pass fleetingly, as transient shapes, while others linger, occupying dead spaces in the hive of activity. Here, the photograph itself becomes a metaphor, capturing what the eye often fails to record. A void that exists between the poorest in our city and their contemporaries, each passing the other but choosing not to see. It’s said that we’re all just a few steps away from disaster… Walking around London, I am conscious of more and more shadowy shapes in corners. It’s not my imagination. These are people. Human beings. Just like me. Men, women and young people living or sleeping on the streets. The numbers are rising year on year. The Combined Homelessness and Information Network (CHAIN) records each individual contacted by homeless outreach teams or other services. The most recent census (2014) gave a figure of 7,581 people who had slept rough that year in London alone. This was a rise of 16% from the previous year, and more than double the 2009/2010 figure. Research on pathways into homelessness in the UK found that the reasons most often cited by men were relationship breakdown, substance misuse, and leaving an institution (prison, care, hospital etc.). For homeless women however, the most common causes were physical or mental health problems or escaping a violent relationship. The number of female rough sleepers in London is difficult to calculate, owing to their tendency to keep a low profile. They are also more likely to have had negative experiences of approaching local authorities due to problems with mental health, drug or alcohol dependencies. Homeless women are more likely to be physically attacked, verbally abused or sexually assaulted than males. If a society’s success is measured on how it treats its weakest members, then each of us needs to assess our relationship with those in the shadows. For this Stuff I began to point my lens into darker places and to record the plight of a few rough sleepers as other people walked past them, without seeing them or perhaps, choosing not to look. What anyone takes from this gallery is up to the viewer, but know that each picture tells a thousand stories, and each onlooker has a choice to make about the part they play in the narrative.
ALL IMAGES © PENNY DIXIE ARPS
DISTINCTIONS Congratulations to all our members who have recently gained a distinction. Don’t forget to send us the story of your journey to feature in Capital Interest. We are particularly thrilled to feature Steve’s Licentiate panel this month as, although not the first Bleeding Londoner to achieve a distinction, Steve is the first whose panel was made up entirely of Bleeding London images.
MY JOURNEY TO LRPS BY STEVE REED, LRPS My journey to LRPS began with Bleeding London, the London chapter’s yearlong-plus project to take a photograph on every street in the city. I habitually walk all over London – I often take the tube to a new corner of the city and explore with my camera -- so it was only natural for me to become heavily involved in Bleeding London. In fact, it’s what drew me to the RPS in the first place – a photographer friend who was already a member told me about the project, and I eventually joined. Somewhere in the midst of taking hundreds and hundreds of pictures from Wembley to Deptford and from Ruislip to Dagenham, I heard one of the project leaders remark that it would be great if someone could earn their Licentiate distinction using just Bleeding London photos. That stuck with me and became a personal challenge. Selecting the photos was the hardest part; I tried to choose images that stood strongly on their own, yet seemed to work well with each other -- either in terms of color, style or subject matter – to create a balanced panel. I also attended an LRPS advisory session, where a couple of judges made editing suggestions on a few of the shots and recommended that I swap out one picture for an alternate that I’d presented. I adopted nearly all of their recommendations, which resulted in the bookending of the two photos of the urban dogs and their owners (the photo of the man and his dog wasn’t in my original line-up) By the time the finished panel went before the judges, months had passed and most of the shots had been printed and mounted multiple times. But in the end I was happy, and I hope the panel reflects the liveliness and eccentricity of London’s streets.
DISTINCTIONS : STEVE REED LRPS
ALL IMAGES © STEVE REED LRPS
DISTINCTIONS : STEVE REED LRPS
REVIEW PHOTOGRAPHY EXHIBITION SYD SHELTON ROCK AGAINST RACISM REVIEW BY STUART SMITH Migration and race dividing UK public opinion, concerns about large scale unemployment and terrorist threats are issues that dominate the headlines of the British media in 2015 as they did in the late 1970’s and early 80’s. Autograph ABP’s Syd Shelton’s Rock Against Racism exhibition, bringing together his images from between 1976 and 1981, seems eerily contemporary in its themes. The exhibition focuses on the 1978 London Rock Against Racism Carnival 1 at Victoria Park and the Lewisham 1977 Anti-National Front Demonstration as well as images of Northern Ireland and the tensions experienced there. The black and white images weave a tale of musicians, artists and activists coming together to stand against Racism. Billy Bragg described it as “...the moment when my generation took sides.” The images of those involved in the carnival shows the, then, leading luminaries of the Punk Rock and Reggie scenes. It portrays the strain between the racist ideologies that existed within some aspects of the Skinhead movement but also their love of Afro-Caribbean Ska music and many more contradictions. It is hard to walk around these striking images and see the sense of defiance and anger against Racism and not reflect on how they relate to today, when many of the same arguments against migration and race are being espoused. That is one of the overwhelming feelings of this exhibition. It raises questions of how far has the UK come, how inclusive is society now, what has changed? Indeed Autograph ABP seem well prepared for this reaction and are encouraging debate on Twitter through the hashtag #RockAgainstRacism. The exhibition ably demonstrates how art, politics and documentary journalism can come together. Syd Shelton’s work is definitely biased in its Anti-Racism message but it is also a portrait of a pivotal moment in time. A time when a generation took sides. EXHIBITION RUNS UNTIL 5 DECEMBER 2015 Rivington Place, London, EC2A 3BA OPENING TIMES: TUESDAY, WEDNESDAY & FRIDAY: 11AM – 6PM, THURSDAY: 11AM – 9PM, SATURDAY: 12 – 6PM, CLOSED SUNDAYS, MONDAYS AND BANK HOLIDAYS ENTRY PRICE: FREE Exhibition Details: http://autograph-abp.co.uk/exhibitions/rock-against-racism
DAVE’S DIARY A MERRY LONDON CHRISTMAS Dave Harris LRPS
This article is nothing about Christmas really. Other than a tiny tangential reference. I’ve nothing against it, you understand. Well, I do. But it’s not diary material. It’s just that I have nothing to say photographically about Christmas. But it is about London. That greatest of cities. You know this of course (the bit about greatest city) as you’re reading the greatest magazine about the greatest city. And it is about the sort of things that go on at Christmas in London. I went with my wife’s Decorative Arts group (sort of W.I. with stripes) on a trip to a couple of unusual London gems. Wow. Too good to miss. Gem 1: Wilton’s Music Hall. ‘The oldest surviving music hall in the world’. So says their website. Built in 18xx (I should have made notes), and used as a pub-based music hall for many years. Not big, like the London Palladium - a smaller, neighbourhood version. To cater for the swelling, local population as the East End expanded with the arrival of the docks and railways. All sorts of things went on here. Music, theatre, comedy, circus, sex (in the upstairs part) with a bouncer. It’s a small horseshoe-shaped shape with stalls and an upper gallery. The stage is tiny. It carried on for about 20 years until it was taken over by a temperance society. They closed the bar and opened a coffee shop! A hundred and fifty years ahead of its time. It’s great for photofaffers. They’ve sorted the structural basics - roof, heating, damp etc. But decoratively, it’s a mess (until they raise money to renovate the inside). My camera loves mess. Not so good for the Decorative Arts group!
Gem 2: St George’s in the East. A Hawksmoor church in Stepney, East London. Built in the 1720’s, it was one of the 50 churches planned for the city. Only 12 were completed, 6 by Hawksmoor. H loved snazzy towers, and this church has 3! It was badly damaged in the blitz, but a smaller church was built inside during the 60s. H’s towers were so solid and well built, they survived. I always find it hard to get good and different shots of churches. And the sky always dominates. My main excuse was that the weather was grey and Londony. So a revisit is necessary, perhaps with a tripod and some graduated ND filters. I nearly forgot.. the Christmas reference I promised at the beginning? Roy Hudd is starring in a festive panto at Wilton’s. Pity the kids have grown up!
ALL IMAGES © DAVE HARRIS LRPS
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