Assignment 4: A Sense of Place (Draft)

The aim of this assignment was to create images for an article in an intelligent travel magazine, giving a considered, in depth treatment of a specific area.

My early twenties were spent living in Brighton around the North Laine area of the town; a brightly coloured quarter, housing mostly independent shops giving the whole area a feeling of individuality. Many of the storefronts are adorned with graffiti art, giving the area a distinct look. I chose to spend a weekend in Brighton to capture a sense of the people and place of the area.

In order to get down to the roots of the of the North Laines, I felt that I needed to photograph the people who’s lives are centred there, which meant untangling locals from tourists. In a bid to find true residents, I decided to enlist the help of some shopkeepers.

Knowing that many shops have a no photography policy, I contacted several shops in the area to gain permission to photograph on their premises and to gather some willing models. Wells considers the most obvious test of authenticity to be ‘whether what is in front of the lens to be photographed has been tampered with, set up or altered by the photographer’. Wells 1996

I knew that by contacting shops in advance, I was compromising the authenticity of the shoots; models may choose different clothing or wear more make up than on a normal day. I felt that this was a worthwhile risk in order to gain the trust of storeowners and therefore, a more positive response.

Eve Arnold gained the trust of her subjects by treating them with courtesy and compassion.

“…what you want to do, you want to go as deeply into them as people as you can, but usually what happens, if you’re careful with people and if you respect their privacy, they will offer you part of themselves that you can use, and that is the big secret,” Arnold 2001

I felt it vital to reassure all concerned that I would aim to get the required shots as quickly as possible without disturbing their working environment. I made appointments as close to store opening times as possible in order to catch them at their least busy times. Due the quick fire nature of the shoots, I knew that I wouldn’t have time to reach into my models’ personalities, so I aimed to be as respectful and amiable as possible during the few moments in each environment. I instructed models to carry on with their working day while I captured a few shots and left, informing them that I would provide them with copies to use as they wish.

The images used were:

Gunns Florist: flower shop with a graffiti art storefront

To Be Worn Again: vintage and retro wear

Jump the Gun: Mod clothing and memorabilia

Across the Tracks: record shop selling mainly vinyl

Oddballs: skating and juggling equipment

Punktured: body piercing studio and shop

I chose to shoot a combination of indoor and outdoor for variety; indoor shots showing people in their working environment while the outdoor shots give a view of the vibrant colours of the area. While my main aim was to photograph people as they worked, in some stores this was difficult without customers to serve, so a few of the shoots include posed portraits.

The images I have chosen show some examples of the vibrant storefronts and give a feel of the nature of the area. The chosen shops are representative of the alternative fashion and music scene which is so prominent in the North Laine and other areas of Brighton.