This Q&A is part of the Sense the City Flickr Project. For background on this project see Sense the City – Flickr Project.

Tube story by Danielle Houghton, 2011

Tell us about the inspiration behind your photo
My inspiration behind the photograph was simply to capture the feeling and look of London.  As a visitor to London I always enjoy the vibrant diversity of people and the buzz about the place, I never tire of observing people.  I was quite taken with the ladies clearly at the beginning of their night out as they were having an animated conversation with lots of oohs and aahs.  In contrast beside them caught up in the technology we all enjoy was somebody whose look I thought was very ‘London’ I loved his ring shades and vest and I could not resist documenting that moment.

How long have you been involved with photography?
It first excited me as a teenager over 20 years ago and has remained a passion ever since.  In the years where I did not have access to a camera I immersed myself in photography books so I always stayed connected.

What equipment do you use?
At the time I took the photograph I used a Nikon D70 DSLR which alas is now in need of repair.  Currently I either use a Nikon Coolpix 5400 or a Canon EOS 1100D.

What inspires you?
In terms of who inspires me there are many photographers I follow and enjoy, to name a few – Martin Parr, William Eggleston, Stephen Gill, Rinko Kawauchi, the Street Photographers in In-Public and many contacts I have made through using flickr.

In terms of what inspires me, it is mainly the excitement I get from human observation and the thrill of trying to capture interesting people and unique, funny, or surreal moments.

What is your preferred subject matter?
Besides photographing my children my closest affiliation is to Street Photography, i.e. capturing strangers in a candid way in public places, though occasionally I am happy to shoot anything that catches my eye be it an animal or architecture etc. People in essence are unique and  provide endless opportunities to photograph. I find myself drawn to oddities and humor, connections and clichés.  I hope to reveal the fun and fascination and even sometimes sadness of life.  I try to present moments and coincidences in a visually pleasing manner.

Plans for the future?
To keep on taking photographs no matter what.  I would like to develop a few different series – for example I can’t wait to return and take more shots on the tube.  I also like the idea of taking random bus journeys and seeing what unfolds, maybe even leaning towards a social documentary series.   Ultimately I would like to build up a strong portfolio of Street Photographs and publish a book one day.

Describe your photography in one word.
Fun

Further information

http://www.flickr.com/photos/larking-about/

Filed under: Collections, Exhibitions, Interviews written by Anna Creedon
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This Q&A is part of the Sense the City Flickr Project. For background on this project see Sense the City – Flickr Project.

See Red by Geoff Holland, 2011

Tell us about the inspiration behind your photo
I had been at an Anti War rally which walked from Trafalgar Square to Downing St. I was on my way home.  I’d taken a lot of photos of the rally in the square and of the protest outside Downing St. Taking some photos of telephone boxes and tourists was a light relief. I took six shots in quick succession centred on the two telephone boxes. I love telephone boxes and struck lucky with the convergence of symmetry and colour.

How long have you been involved with photography?
I took my first photos with my Mum’s Ilford Box camera in the 1950′s. I learnt how to process black and white at Blandford Secondary Modern School and my summer job before starting an engineering apprenticeship in 1962, was camp photographer at Rockley Sands Caravan Holiday Camp near Pool in Dorset. Photography continued to be one of my pastimes for the next few decades and I have a lot of photos in the attic, but I only rediscovered the enthusiasm of those early years again, when I took up digital and four photogenic grandchildren came along. Shortly after I was introduced to Flickr which is a great outlet for my ego!

What equipment do you use?
I have a Nikon D40 (usually regarded as an entry level SLR). On the day I took ‘See Red’ I had bought a new lens, a Sigma 17-70mm at Spectrum on Tottenham Court Rd, one of the few real camera shops still existing. I also have a Sigma 70-300mm which I also bought at Spectrum, as I did my D40 and my first digital camera which was a Konica Minolta Z5 Dimage. I’m always thinking about ‘up-grading’ but find the D40 reliable and light and the Sigma’s extend it considerably too.

What inspires you?
I like to record things, capture moments, document what I see. To get a satisfying image, with symmetry and good proportions. Colour and light is key too and I am drawn to it. Walking home from work tonight the early evening below zero clear sky was brilliant and luminous and I thought, now if I had a tripod with me…… mind I also thought there are limits to the sacrifices I’ll make in the pursuit of my pastime, it was very cold! Flickr has also enabled me to share my photos with other enthusiasts and I like that too.

What is your preferred subject matter?
I love buildings, birds and butterflies and everything which lights up my life. To some extent it goes with the season, recently, I’ve been photographing a lot of ducks.  It also hinges on what I’m doing and where I am. I’m always on the look out for a photogenic subject. I mainly use natural light. I’ve no experience of specialist lighting and only recently learnt a bit about taking photos in low artificial light without flash.

Plans for the future?
Maybe, projects with a more focussed approach. I’m inspired by a series titled ‘faces and non faces’ by a photographer on Flickr who goes by the name of ThePhotoSchool (Natalie Clark).  In many of the shots taken in Camden Lock the main subjects are looking away from the photographer, but the excellent composition and colour and body language still makes for powerful images.  Maybe do a course or two when I have more time. Maybe a portfolio of prints……

Describe your photography in one word.
Rewarding

Further information

http://www.flickr.com/photos/mygazebo/

Filed under: Collections, Exhibitions, Interviews written by Anna Creedon
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This Q&A is part of the Sense the City Flickr Project. For background on this project see Sense the City – Flickr Project.

Better to just ignore him..., by Stephen Banks, 2011

Tell us about the inspiration behind your photo
I visited London back in December, partly to do a tour of the galleries and museums, but also partly to expose myself to better street photography opportunities. My home town in a place called Bridport, in West Dorset. Although it is a lovely place to live, it doesn’t have anywhere near the kind of buzz and spontaneity of a city like London.

How long have you been involved with photography?
Pretty much all my life (all 22 years of it so far). I had always been fascinated with whatever camera my mum or nan had, but never really got taking photographs until I was in my teens. My passion for photography came about during one general studies lesson in the first year of Sixth Form at The Blue Coat School in Liverpool. We were told to go out and take macro photographs and whoever came back with the best one won a prize. I hadn’t chosen art for either GCSE or A Level, so my result wasn’t very good. Needless to say, I didn’t win. But I was inspired. I could do something so fun and it was considered as work!

What equipment do you use?
The majority of my professional work at Watershed PR is done on a Nikon D7000 dSLR with a variety of prime lenses. I also do a fair amount of video work with this. Street photography is handled with my little Panasonic Lumix GF2 and 14mm pancake lens, although I have until recently ventured out with cameras such as a Lomo LC-A and my beloved Leica M3. The film cameras don’t see the light of day much any more, but I still keep a fair collection of them.

What inspires you?
Young people getting out there and giving it a fair crack. There’s plenty of creative kids around here in Bridport, but they either don’t have the drive to push themselves, or they succeed and leave the area because of the lack of jobs. I’m sure it’s different in the city, but with the job market as it is at the moment, I know I’m extremely lucky to be in a job I enjoy so much.

I also subscribe to around 50 creative website RSS feeds, so that keeps my creative brain ticking over in my spare time. Beats sitting in front of the television all night!

What is your preferred subject matter?
Candid street photography. I love seeing how people act on the street and I react accordingly with my street photography. Oddities in behaviour, juxtapositions, visual puns, all that jazz

Plans for the future?
Get a car and a house. Oh, in terms of my photography? Well I’ve just completed a time lapse starscape project in the local area called Bridport by Night: youtu.be/cbjeXWMNZ5s – as much as a video can do around here, it’s gone viral. So, once the buzz dies down about that (I set a target of matching the number of views with Wikipedia’s population count of 12,977 for Bridport), I will be working on a series of short films and trying to improve the first version of Bridport by Night with some new shots.

Describe your photography in one word.
Spontaneous

Further Information

Stephen Banks Website: http://scousebysouthwest.com
Stephen Banks Flickr Photostream: http://www.flickr.com/photos/23048898@N06/
Stephen Banks on Twitter: @DorsetScouser

Filed under: Collections, Exhibitions, Interviews written by Anna Creedon
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In January 2010, Heatherwick Studio joined the team leading the design of a New Bus for London. The project marks the first time in more than 50 years that TfL has commissioned and overseen the development of a bus built specifically for the capital. Read More…

Thomas Heatherwick established Heatherwick Studio in 1994. Thomas is an Honorary Fellow of the RIBA and a Senior Fellow at the Royal College of Art. He is the recipient of honorary doctorates from four British universities – Sheffield Hallam, Brighton, Dundee and Manchester Metropolitan. He has won the Prince Philip Designers Prize and in 2006 was the youngest practitioner to be appointed a Royal Designer for Industry.

Here we talk with Heatherwick Studio about their work on the New Bus for London.

What inspired the design of the New Bus for London?
It has been more than fifty years since someone was last commissioned to look in a comprehensive way at the design of London buses. Heatherwick Studio has been given this task and has developed a new design that reflects the functional requirements and challenges of making a new better bus for London. The bus is particularly special because the design is specific to London. For the first time the ‘look, feel and styling’ of the bus has been designed holistically.  Some of the refinements of the design have resulted in the softening of the form, a return to a more calm and naturalistic usage of materials that echo qualities also identified with the Routemaster. The studio has also been keen to retain a sense of heritage in the design.

What was your biggest challenge in designing the New Bus for London?
The requirements of the new bus make for a slightly longer vehicle than current double deck buses. The studio’s main challenge was how to balance the design requirements with the practical and functional needs. To do this, the exterior form was carefully shaped to make a less box-like object.  The most distinctive aspect of the design is the asymmetric ribbon window with its glass that wraps around the vehicle, expanding at the front to provide the driver with clear kerbside views, and following the two staircases as they rise upward to follow movements of a passenger.

What is your favourite aspect of the bus?
The studio has been keen to ensure that the new bus would be an integrated piece of design with exterior and interior working harmoniously. As a result, there are many details which we took a lot of time getting right. For example, we designed a ‘New Bus for London’ moquette. The pattern is derived from the sculpted typography of the seat, a bit like a map; the contour lines are derived from the undulating shape of the seat.  The resulting rich pattern clearly denotes the individual seating positions whilst effectively masking day-to-day wear and tear. We also paid a lot of attention to the cab, and the driver experience too.  We have tried to give the cab a sense of specialness whilst also providing a highly functional working environment.

The old Routemaster was on the road for 60 years. How do you envision bus design in the next 60 years?
The studio wouldn’t want to begin to predict how a bus might look in 60 years time bearing in mind the technological advancements of the last 60 years. However, it would be safe to say that future technology will impact on any future aesthetic design in the same way the most innovative, latest hybrid and environmentally friendly technology has been taken into account in the current design which will be of great benefit to all in London.

Filed under: Interviews written by Kirsten Riley
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