graphics, graffiti, nyc and nigel sylvester

collating my images for a self published book of nyc urban portraits and couldn’t resist posting these – one of which includes bmx legend Nigel Sylvester
Took some action shots as well but I just preferred the graphics of this simple straight on – even if it was a bugger of a shot to compose!!!

the challenge

I actually started out as a photojournalist with a Canon AE1 and a selection of fixed wide angle lenses that I still have to this day. My heroes were ( and still are) Don McCullin, Bruce Davidson and Josef Koudelka among others and I loved the high contrast, black and white worlds of Bill Brandt, David Bailey and Richard Avedon.
My own personal journey took me on the road to exploring other avenues of photography like sports, fashion, and advertising but I’ve always loved portraiture and the telling of a story.
In September 2010 I photographed quad amputee Ray Edwards on assignment for The Guardian.
We got on great and I was fortunate enough to be asked to document his incredible attempt to summit the highest freestanding mountain in the world Mount Kilimanjaro with Charity Challenge.
These images say it better than I ever could….
I’m indebted to Ray for his courage, lack of vanity and dedication to this project and also to the porters and guides of Kilimanjaro who made this such a humbling and memorable trip for me.

jade and joe

I shot this footage with the manual in one hand and the camera in the other!!! I didn’t have a clue what I was doing.
Going from stills to motion I didn’t even know what shutter speed to set the camera on for video…Still, for all its technical ‘mistakes’ I like this little black and white film.

While I was filming Jade I came across Joe – who’d swim the English Channel more times than he could remember.
There’s something about the self deprecating, stiff upper lip, stoicism of the Brits that’s difficult to find elsewhere……….it’s what I love about the culture and the way it celebrates the individuals among us.