Kids, 2016
‘For me, street photography is it. It's what I want to do. It's almost impossible to run out of subjects as something different happens on the same street every day. London is full of surprises.’
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Pug Life, 2016
‘I started off using a Canon 450D and a long lens (50-200mm). It took me a while to build up enough confidence to ditch the lens and use a regular 18-55mm, getting closer to the people I wanted to photograph.’
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Sister Ray's, 2016
‘The Canon is a lovely camera but it’s bulky and people do see you coming when you’re using it, so a couple of years ago I switched to an Olympus EM5 which I absolutely love.
It’s smaller and easier to use and has a flip screen, so you can shoot from the hip and see what you're doing.’
It’s smaller and easier to use and has a flip screen, so you can shoot from the hip and see what you're doing.’
Pride, 2016
‘I’m fine with waiting for a person to notice me and photographing their reaction, but I'm not into the intrusive kind of street portraiture practiced by Bruce Gilden, which to me is all about sticking your camera right in someone's face – I wouldn't do that!’
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Metamorphosis, 2014
‘Two of my favourite street photographers are Martin Parr and Joel Meyerowitz. I could see from their work that street photography is not just about photographing people walking down the street.’
Dave's strut, 2016
‘It's about so much more – their surroundings, the light, the colour and humour in different situations. I didn't set out to emulate them, but I did have an idea of what I should be looking for when I was out shooting.’
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Singing in Shoreditch, 2015
‘As a city, London is fairly friendly to photographers. Most people I come across are very happy to have their photo taken – if they even see me doing it.
I've had a couple of instances where people have been very angry. The first time it happened it really put me off going out shooting and it took a while to go out on my own again.’
Red Stripe, 2016
‘I think maybe it helps that I’m female – I do know a few male photographers that have been in physical fights with people who didn't want their photo taken!’
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Distracted, 2015
‘If I were to give advice to aspiring street photographers, I would say practice, practice, practice. Getting out as regularly as you can builds your confidence and sharpens your eye.’
Skater Girl, Brick Lane, 2016
‘Photograph in a way you feel comfortable with at first then slowly push yourself out of your comfort zone - get closer to people, wait for eye contact, that kind of thing. Find your own style and don't let other people tell you what to do.’
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Shake a tail feather, 2016
‘And London is full of characters that are waiting to share their stories – and people who are less happy when you catch them doing something they shouldn't be! It's a fantastic city full of colour and diversity and I hope I'm shooting it for a long time yet.’
Shadow dancers, 2014
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Chapel Hill Market, 2012
Happy Shoppers, 2013
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Happy Coppers, 2014
Thinking caps on, 2013
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It's lit, 2012
City views blow away the blues, 2016
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The Bull and Gate, London Astoria, Rainbow Theatre, the End, Turnmills and Plastic People. For Londoners of a certain age, hearing the names of these now-closed music venues will conjure memories of early Blur gigs where a young Damon Albarn swung from the rafters of the Kentish Town pub, of hearing dubstep for the first time, and sweaty club nights where megastars like Prince might just show up. For anyone younger, they might feel a pang of loss that they never got to experience this messy, unbridled version of London nightlife.
In a new exhibition, opening on May 30, the V&A is spotlighting some of these legendary lost music venues.
‘I was concerned about the reports during the pandemic and post-pandemic that a lot of venues were struggling and closing. It was an unprecedented situation which was affecting the whole creative sector,’ says Harriet Read, lead curator of Lost Music Venues, which was created in collaboration with the Music Venue Trust.
RECOMMENDED: An oral history of Madame Jojo’s
Photograph: © Ali AugurAde Fakile fixing projector in Plastic People, 1991
‘Because of that there’s been this increased awareness of music venues and their importance in the creative economy and the music industry.
‘[The V&A wanted to] highlight these spaces not just for their musical significance but as a place for design and art and performance, from poster design, to architecture and sound design.’
After an open call-out for music memorabilia, the V&A has pieced together an...
There's so much tradition to pack into December that it's no wonder Christmas seems to start before autumn does these days. London has always been crazy for Christmas, though – just check out the gallery below, which shows the city in festive trim as far back as 1956. All photos are from the Henry Grant Collection, held by the Museum of London. A large selection of the Museum’s collections are available to buy as prints from www.museumoflondonprints.com
RECOMMENDED: See our full festive guide to Christmas in London
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How do you sum up a city that changes its look as often as its underwear and always has plenty to say? It sounds impossible, but that’s the challenge we set ourselves when we decided to draw up a definitive list of the best photographs ever taken of the capital. In making our selection we had help. We couldn't do it all by ourselves, obviously. So we enlisted people like Wolfgang Tillmans, Juergen Teller, Nick Waplington, Dorothy Bohm and Eamonn McCabe. Those are just some of the names among the world-famous photographers who shaped our selection. We also picked the brains of the top London photography brass at museums including the Tate, V&A, Museum of London and Imperial War Museum. So it's not just our taste, it's their taste too. The result: a celebration of London’s architecture, its icons and its geography, but also of us: Londoners at work, at play, protesting, rising to a challenge and always ready for our close-up.
With thanks to: Dorothy Bohm, Michael Hoppen, Charlie Phillips, Dennis Morris, David Chandler, Helen Trompeteler, Tina Barney, Bruce Gilden, David Campany, Nick Waplington, Wolfgang Tillmans, Rob Greig, Simon Baker, Eamonn McCabe, Jim Dow, Alona Pardo, Martin Barnes, Brett Rogers, Juergen Teller, Fariba Farshad, Michael Benson, Anna Sparham, Hilary Roberts,
By Gabriel Coxhead, Matt Breen, Phoebe Trimingham and Martin Coomer
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Discover Time Out original video
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