Campaign Photography:
Capturing street life of Northern England
For my photography exam I have chosen to focus on 'Campaign Photography'. A campaign is defined as 'work in an organised and active way towards a goal'. With this in mind, I visited the 'Strange and Familiar' photography exhibition in the Manchester Art Gallery in February, curated by Martin Parr to consider how international photographers from the 1930s to present day have captured the social, cultural and political identity of the UK. While 'Strange and Familiar' presents a vibrant portrait of modern Britain, the city of Manchester is absent. Instead, its presence is revealed through a series of specially commissioned photographs by Romanian photographer Alex Beldea. Beldea captures contemporary Manchester as it is perceived by everyday people who send in photographs that they have taken throughout the city . Each has chosen a place where they feel a strong connection. I have taken inspiration from this campaign for my own project, where I will intend to create a portrait of contemporary life of Northern England, focusing on the towns/cities of Bolton, Manchester, and Liverpool. While I have not specifically focused on capturing campaigns, I did come across a few protests on the streets which I have included in my project.
Initial Photographs AO2