Skegness is commonly known as Skegvegas to many people that have visited because of the number of amusement arcades in the town and on the seafront. It's the local holiday jaunt for many people from the Midlands and up and down the East Coast of England. It's tacky, cheap and often in the busiest times is really dirty. I spent a day walking around looking for what typically defines Skegvegas to me. Sadly I visited on a day when my wife Lisa had a days training with Elli Cassidy for some Newborn photography training. This meant that I was doing my street project on a day when most people were at work and the kids were at school. I encountered mainly old people and families with children below the age of school. Well here's four images that I created in Skegvegas. I have a final series of 9 images. The rest I will post tomorrow.
I'm upgrading my camera
I think it's time for me to upgrade my camera. I've been using a Nikon D90 for 18 Months now and it has served me well. I've created some brilliant projects with it, switching between the 18-105mm kit lens and my beautiful 35mm F1.8 Prime lens.
I noticed the other day when I went with Lisa (my wife) to scout a wedding location for one of next years bookings that in the Church it is quite dark and my D90 just wouldn't give me the correct shutter speeds with the kit lens. I realised that I need better results in low light.
It depressed me that my beloved D90 just can't serve me any more. I'm picking up more and more commercial work too so my clients only deserve the best. Whilst wallowing in self pity an email from Calumet dropped in to my inbox giving me details of the new Nikon D610 full frame camera.
WOW! This is just what I've been hoping for. The D800E is great but it's just so heavy and cumbersome with massive file sizes. I needed something that is more versatile. The offer from Calumet is worth me looking at this too. So a quick call to my credit card company to lower my interest rates filled me with confidence when they reduced all of my current debts from 29.9% to 6.9% for the next 2 years and re-introduced an old card with 0% for 12 months. This was an omen.
So to cut a long story shorter than what it could be, I'm upgrading to a Nikon D610 this week. Just in time for a personal project that I'm doing in Skegness next week.
Keep watching for I'm going to be applying my love for Martin Parr's work 'The Last Resort' to my project next week and hopefully with my new D610.
The Reception of The Crescent
Here's something that's quite astounding. I posted three digitally prepared images of the proposed plans for the new development in Hinckley town centre on our Facebook page; Hinckley Photographed this evening. For those of that don't know what Hinckley Photographed is, it's a community page on Facebook that my Wife Lisa and I run. We have a following of 2373 local and international people and there is an incredible amount of people that like to moan. There are some positive people in amongst the chaos but generally speaking, most people are so negative. Complaining about how long it's taken to start, moaning about the way it looks, moaning that it's costing too much and pretty much finding anything they can to be negative.
I'd like to recommend that people lift their chins up and start seeing what's good. Look for the best in things and enjoy life that little bit more. It's so sad to read all the depressing comments but a real pleasure to read those that are positive.
I personally think it will only serve to be a good thing for the town. Just wait and see :)
Bus Station Bogs To Be Demolished!!!
My Wife Lisa and I popped in to Cafe Impressions at the Atkins Building yesterday evening for a networking event held by Love Hinckley. These are a positive minded group that are pro-Hinckley, ran by Cathy Eyles and Clare Farrell, attended by some of the most influential business men and women around town. Also attended by local councillors Michael Mullaney and Mathew Hulbert who confirmed that the development at the Bus Station site begins this coming Monday 2nd June.
We spoke with the councillors and discussed Lisa and I gaining access to the development during the build so we can document the demolition as well as the rise. We'll be keeping you updated with photography on our Facebook page for Hinckley Photographed.
Whilst this is fantastic news for the town, I feel that everyone is watching. Everyone is waiting, pained by the negativity of some of the other Hinckley pages on Facebook, where all you see is moaning and complaining. We're positive that this development will live it up to its hype and will bring back some well needed and deserved positivity.
Artistic Boxing Photography
Hire award winning documentary Photographer Paul Hands to capture your boxing events in a dark and gritty artistic style. Contact me for a price. Will travel anywhere in the World. Have a hard backed book created from your event.
Richard Mosse wins $50K Deutsche Borse prize for 'The Enclave'
Check out his work on his website with this link
He used old disused military surveillance film which has created an array of pink hues. This is greatly amusing when contrasted with the content of the war in The Republic of Congo.
I've always been fascinated with war photography because I imagine myself out in the field and know how frightening it must be. It's such a dangerous job but one hell of a rewarding one in terms of the imagery you would be able to collect.
Hollycroft Park
Hollycroft Park is in Hinckley, Leicestershire and is usually home to many music festivals during the Summer months. When there is a small grouping of clouds in the sky after a beautiful and hot day, you can always guarantee a gorgeous Sunset. Looking down the pitch and put golf course, it looks almost directly West and straight in to the Suns eyes and she disappears around the rotation.
I've edited this using a HDR feature in Lightroom. It's not strictly HDR but it lifts the clarity and enhances the colour and lighting. I've actually toned down the effects to try and make it look realistic. This is available to purchase, just drop me a line.
Wearing the Truth as Scars from the Battle of Silence
I've completed my project with Martin Kohala who is a heavy weight boxer. He fights for UBL Boxing Club and entered a title fight in Dudley on the 3rd of May 2014. I spent a month following him around at the gym and at home in the build up to his fight. My aim was to document the life of an unlicensed boxer. The result became something much more profound.
This project developed as I understood what I was doing and learned more about Martin. At first Martin hid is true identity from the camera. He was open with me but when the camera was pointing at him, he almost put on an act. I felt I didn't really get to see his true self through the lens, so I've created this body of work where you won't see Martin in the images. He will make no eye contact and most of the images obscure his face. As the relationship with Martin and the lens develops, so does the images. More of him becomes visible to the lens.
Wearing the Truth as Scars from the Battle of Silence is the title I've chosen for this body of work. I've borrowed this line from a poem created by ©Mwazhipan
I'm no poet and not a poetry fan but I loved this line and felt that it works really well with this body of work and the contextual depths.
Lisa Hands Photography
My Wife, Lisa Hands is also a photographer and captured me photographing her while I was crouched on some rocks in Ventnor, Isle of Wight. I don't have many photographs of myself with a camera. I don't know if many photographers do. Other than standing in the mirror how else can I get one.
This is from our holiday in the IOW last year (2013), it was October and almost all of the holiday it rained and we had the biggest storm with this day being the exception. I even managed to wear just a t'shirt.
Well I highly recommend you go and check out Lisa's photography. She strives so hard to be different to me so we can both stand out together and alone as serious photographers. This will only serve to give us strength, identity and a unique partnership. Follow this link to her web site... Lisa Hands Photography
Music Festival Photography
2014 is going to be getting me in to a few festivals for free this year. I'll be looking to get some awesome photographs of the bands in action. My aim is going to be to capture the vibe each band gives. I'm booked for my second year at Hinckley Music Festival and should hopefully be going to cover Worldfest for my second year running as well. I have another couple of festivals lined up too.
I've been getting in to gig and band photography slowly and worked with some great local artists. If you're going to any of these festivals then be sure to say hi, if you see some dodgy bloke walking around pointing a camera in your face.