Brighton is well known for its iconic attractions: the Dome, the Pavilion, the Lanes, North Laine, the Theatre Royal, one and a half piers and the sea. All are regularly visited by local residents, tourists and photographers.
London Road, however, is rarely if ever visited by tourists even if, as part of a recent regeneration project, it has become a vibrant, diverse and constantly evolving community. North of the usual attractions, it has been my route in and out of central Brighton for 30 years and as a local GP, I was very aware of the differing views on its merits, or otherwise. All sorts of people from the various communities there came my way.
Well-served by buses, the road is used by shoppers from across the city. The mix of students, long-term local residents and new arrivals gives the area its unmistakable energy.
Recently, student accommodation has replaced the Co-Op Department Store, preserving the 1930s facade, but with students now very much part of the community. The bars, restaurants, pubs, shops and, above all, people, with their stories, contribute to making this one of the city’s lesser-known, if embryonic, successes.
Barometers of high street change
Alongside the success stories sit the perhaps inevitable features of social pressures and inequality. Street sleepers and other potentially vulnerable groups are juxtaposed with new up-and-coming outlets. Few of the original independent traders remain, replaced by vape, charity, and pawn shops. But they all contribute to the dynamic mix of the street so it was not a total surprise when Timeout magazine awarded London Road and its community, 4th place in its national ‘Cool Streets’ award. The diverse mix of cultures was highlighted as were the bars, cafes and restaurants, and the adjacent Open Market.
Gadget Acquisition Syndrome (GAS)
I’ve come back to photography after retiring, blessed with adult children and a supportive partner. In the past, family holidays were a challenge with agonising times over film choice as well as tension between roles as parent and photographer. With the advent of phone cameras, as everyone has experienced, I abandoned my camera for a while. But now new equipment has been acquired, workshops attended, clubs and groups joined, and there are days spent pacing the streets.
Street photography is time consuming and compared to other genres, less dependent on technology. Fine art and wildlife photography have definite equipment needs but, with street photography, spotting the potential image (especially if transient) trumps all else, including lighting, pixels and even, potentially, focus.
Having said that, the street photography community regularly discuss equipment as digital cameras that look and feel analogue are in demand, while the various views on zoom vs prime lenses differ. Perversely, costly digital models without a screen that only shoot monochrome have become the ultimate status symbol.
Where does Street Photography sit?
Street Photography has been recognised as a genre since the first images of Parisian streets were documented with a large format camera (and very long exposure) in the late 19th century.
Since those days, the ubiquity of camera phones and social media has changed the whole relationship of the photographer to the subject, just as happened when 35mm cameras, autofocus and then digital images became widely available. Processing platforms have also become increasingly sophisticated with AI providing powerful options for manipulating images.
It is worth remembering that manipulation was possible in the pre-digital era, even if time consuming and usually easier to detect. One way or another, the pros and cons of these developments are vigorously debated. Most enthusiasts feel that painstaking definitions are not required. However, as Graham Wilson writes, a ‘moral framework’ is needed that includes ‘honesty, context and consequence’.
My aim for this photography project was to give a balanced representation of a community that has much to celebrate as well as significant challenges, but not at the expense of patronising or exploitative images. Given my relationship to the community, I feel a significantly stronger bond than I do with other potential photographic projects.
UK legislation allows the taking of images, without consent, of people in a ‘public area’. Most street photographers, however, operate within an appropriate moral framework and avoid potentially exploitative images. This again raises the definition of ‘street photography’ as well as its relationship to photojournalism and documentary photography.
Documentary photography may include images that in isolation could cause ethical concerns but, in context, can be perceived as a force for good and while traditional street photography is based on candid images of people in public places, I would include portraits, images without people and even staged photos in the genre.
Ongoing communication
Robert Frank, whose 1959 book The Americans was referred to in his New Yorker obituary as having ‘captured bleedingly raw images of postwar America’, wrote: “I have been frequently accused of deliberately twisting subject matter to my point of view. Above all, I know that life for a photographer cannot be a matter of indifference.”
For me, street portraiture is rewarding given the dialogue involved before, during and after taking the images as well as ongoing communication. An initial genuine compliment about an aspect of a stranger’s appearance or comment on the immediate environment, including an offer to forward images, usually establishes a good rapport. Occasionally someone will decline but almost never with hostility.
Putting aside the visceral documentary work of Robert Franks and others, one appreciates that, in addition to the aesthetics, a degree of mystery often contributes to a ‘street’ photo, sometimes with humour.
In addition to portraits and candid images, images without people allow others to fill in the gaps and consider possible backstories such as why abandon the trainers with such care?
I hope my project, although not explicitly intending to inform change, will contribute to increased understanding of the community, empowerment and potentially progress for the local community and all its people.
The London Road photos form part of David’s first project and have been combined as a ‘zine’ that has been circulated where possible to those featured as well as to the Chair of the community group. Further images from the project can be accessed online via David’s website: www.davidsupplestreetphotography.com
David is exploring possible future local projects and is keen to be contacted to discuss possible joint initiatives: ds@davidsupplestreetphotopgraphy.com
Instagram: @brightondavephotos
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