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Urban Voice

23/9/2013

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PictureHoxton, London, UK
Walking city streets, graffiti is part of the urban landscape. It’s sometimes hard to miss. As a predominantly urban photographer, my focus is often focused on the buildings and urban environment around me. However, I have become increasingly interested in photographing graffiti.

Why? What draws me to graffiti? Some find it the scourge of modern urban life. I don’t find this is the case. I have been historic palaces – like Dover Castle or even Eltham Palace – where there has been graffiti. Although this graffiti are often carvings on the walls rather than using a spray can.

Graffiti can be quite elaborate and creative, but it can also be rather dull and ugly. The built environment often lends itself rather well as a canvas for graffiti. The architecture of cities tells one story, but I don’t find it’s the full story of human experience. Graffiti challenges societal norms. It’s often seen as a nuisance by local government, and is often painted over – only to be replaced by new graffiti.

While graffiti can be an alternative conversation, I find there is a human need to say ‘I was here’. Whether this reflects the transient nature of life, and particularly of larger cities or a human desire for some semblance of permanence is open for debate. I would imagine it’s a bit of both.

What graffiti can reflect is a human voice and experience that is otherwise often shut out of mainstream society. It can be subversive. However, it can also become ‘trendy’ as it’s often seen as alternative and challenging the norm.

Whatever graffiti represents, it’s not likely to go away anytime soon, and I’m sure I’ll be photographing it for a while. 

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Passing Through

16/9/2013

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PictureOld Street Station, London, UK
My photography has been changing for much of this year. Sometimes it doesn’t seem to be all that different from the photos I have been taking.  Other times, it can be more reflective. My photography has allowed me to see things differently, and this is still the case.

I haven’t always found it easy to articulate where my photography is going, and in a way, I am enjoying the journey. It has made me more reflective, and perhaps see things around me even more deeply.

Being mindful has played an important role in this process. Although I haven’t blogged in a while, I have been taking photos, and lots of them. Trying to make sense of them isn’t always easy. Perhaps they are still too fresh. What I am enjoying, though, is seeing the results, and the places my photography is taking me. Perhaps I will never entirely make sense of my photography, apart from reflecting life unto itself.

Becoming more mindful has shown things to me that I perhaps would have missed previously. This doesn’t mean I see everything, or would want to photography everything. What it means is I am pausing more and letting life unravel in front me. Increasingly, I am not seeking perfection or the perfect image. What I am wanting to capture is a world that is around me – in it’s busy-ness as well as it’s quiet(er) moments.

The image above is of Old Street Station. The straight lines and the curves play against each other. I could have left the pedestrians out of the image, but the image would have been a bit soulless without them. I may have missed the image if I hadn’t turned around, paused, had a look and put the camera to my eye. 

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    Author

    Heather Martin is a London based photographer who specialises in architectural, event and B&W film photography.

    For more info, please to the About page.

    **Heather Martin owns the copyright to all the photographs and text within this blog, unless otherwise stated.

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