My (Brief) Life as a Documentary Photographer

I have always been a documentary photographer, just not a paid one. That all changed in 2010, I was commissioned by a man called John Casson whom I had met at a dinner party I was hosting at a Hotel I was running. John knew of my interest in photography and had seem some of my work. He invited me to travel with him later that year for several weeks spending time travelling around Afghanistan alongside the former ITN newscaster Sandy Gall. He wanted me to photograph the people of that country for his planned book Afghan Faces. It was a seminal time for me. I was a Hotelier coming to the end of my usefulness and it cemented the growing compulsion to get away from the corporate world and to follow my heart before it got too late. I was in the lucky position at the time of being able to take time away to pursue the opportunity as I have an understanding family, worked hard, was running the company and had a very strong team, so knew I could do it.

My passion for photography was sparked by my Uncle who was an accomplished photographer as well as owner of a lovely independent camera shop in London for as many years as I could remember, called York Cameras in Waterloo and subsequently Holborn. From an early age at birthdays and Christmas I would receive some photography related presents. It was an interest that blossomed, I even put it to good use, providing the imagery for the brochures (pre internet) of the hotels I was running.

At the beginning of 2012 at the age of 53 I chose early retirement from Hotels, opting for redundancy from my role after the Hotel Company I was running was sold. I went from a successful career running Hotel companies for high profile families and individuals such as the Duke of Devonshire (11 years) and Sir John Ritblatt (8 years) to an ex Hotelier overnight! I had no desire to stay in Hotels as I had lost the drive for them, my intention being to spend a couple of years following my passion – documentary photography, whilst earning money consulting to support my family and subsidise my travel, before then settling into running a successful Hotel Interiors Photography company (www.hospitalityphotographic.com) that I had set up earlier, more of this later.

It was a fascinating period in my life, I was able to photograph some amazing people and places as well as witness some very sad scenes. I mainly focused on India, along with trips to Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Morocco, Ethiopia and Cambodia. My modus operandi was the same every time. Fly into a hub City such as Delhi (in the case of my India trips), stay at a Hotel for a couple of days, tour round the city and then travel onwards (by rail if possible) to whichever country or City was to be my main destination, often in India itself. I usually spent around four weeks on each trip.

I travelled relatively light, My camera gear was a Leica M9, two lenses a Summicron 28mm f2, and a Summilux 50mm f1.4 with four ND filters, A Rolleiflex 80mm f2.8F TLR, and an Elinchrom Quadra 400 portable light. The method I used was the same wherever in the world I was, I would spend the first day taking (usually numerous) Tuk Tuk’s or Taxis around the city I was staying in until I happened across a driver that I felt comfortable with and who spoke enough English for me to make myself understood. I then engaged that driver for the following day at double the rate they would quote me, explain what I was up to and gave them one specific instruction: Take me to the areas that no tourist ever goes, making it clear if they try and take me to a gift shop or paid for tourist attraction then that would be the end of our association. This only happened once, in Hyderabad, where my driver continually tried to take me to shops selling bangles and pearls. I always treated them with the utmost respect and friendliness and would engage them in many instances for several days, often travelling into the countryside which sometimes necessitated early starts and late finishes. I had one further request, that they occasionally hold my light for me over whatever subject I was focused on whilst at all times keep an eye out for me as to anything that was happening behind or around me that was out of my sight. This worked well. Often they found it fascinating to take this crazy Englishman to some of the ugliest and potentially dangerous areas. Such was the bond formed on occasion they would take me to their homes to meet their family. In all the trips I did, I rarely encountered any hostility or difficulty, and they all took me into some fairly dodgy locations.

Some of the images from these trips between 2010 and 2015

Reluctant Soldiers – The Kings Palace Kabul (featured at the top)

Leica M9 28mm Summicron at ISO 160, f/11, 1/80 with Elinchrom Ranger Quadra flash

On a Friday in Kabul pretty much everything is shut. We were wandering around the bombed out Kings Palace having bribed our way through the heavily guarded perimeter as there wasn’t a lot else going on. It was a very eerie place, I was nervous, a little uneasy and beginning to regret being there. These two young soldiers were detailed to keep an eye on us. I asked my interpreter if they would pose for a photograph. They were reluctant to agree as they didn’t have their boots on and would get in trouble from their superiors if they found out. Eventually after some cajoling they agreed.

The following year this image won through to the final round of the Taylor Wessing Portrait Prize in 2011, and was exhibited at the National Portrait Gallery in London for 3 months. It got a fair bit of publicity featuring in a couple of Sunday newspapers. I often wonder if somehow by chance their commander ever saw it! I do hope not but very much doubt it though.

The Road Gangs of Delhi (Finalist in the Taylor Wessing Prize in 2012 and exhibited in the National Portrait Gallery London).

Leica M9 28mm Summicron at ISO 400, f/6.7, 1/180, exposure compensation +1.0 with Elinchrom Quadra Ranger Flash

This image was taken early one evening on my way back from visiting the local spice market. It gets dark in Delhi quickly at around 6pm. I had detoured around the Red Fort to see what I could see, and stumbled across this scene just off the main highway. It was a hot evening. The temperature was already in the low 30’s celsius, as I got closer to the workers I could hardly bear the stifling heat coming from the furnaces, how the man standing on it was able to was beyond me, but I knew I had come across something special. I was quick (I always found speed was of the essence once I had determined the shot), lit the subject from the side with my pal holding a light, and took three images. The worker never even looked up, nor did his colleagues even notice me.

This image was my second image to be exhibited in the National Portrait Gallery via the Taylor Wessing Portrait Prize in 2012.

The Boat Restorer in Keranigan, Dhaka

Leica M9 28mm Summicron at ISO 400 f9.5 1/180 exposure compensation +1.3

Whilst I am always quick when taking an image, I often spend long periods just sat patiently in one place watching the scene or my intended subject until I feel I am no longer noticeable. This is of course never completely possible but it usually does lessen my ‘threat’ perception. Whilst wandering around the ship breaking yards in South Keranigan in Dhaka I walked past this old man toiling away on his boat. He was engaged in what seemed like a colossal task, he didn’t seem to be enjoying it either. I doubled back and sat about 20 feet away with my back to him, occasionally checking on his progress. He knew I was there and apparently was throwing the odd curse at me from time to time. After a while he ignored me and carried on with the task in hand. For what seemed like an eternity of settling into my surroundings I eventually readied myself, stood up and span round at the same time he looked up at me. I pressed the trigger on and scurried off.

Station Beggar, Jodhpur

Leica M9 50mm Summilux at ISO 800 f/2.8 1/640

When visiting India’s usually busy railway stations beggars are a fairly common site, but this boy was on his own in an unusually quiet station and it bothered me. He was in a bad state and I felt terrible for him. I realise that these boys are often sent out by their gang masters to seek money from gullible western tourists but this time something felt wrong. I was uncomfortable taking this image, which is unusual for me. I never paid anyone to take their photograph, it’s a very dangerous precedent to set, I have seen people get into difficulty for innocently offering to pay money for a photograph. But I wanted to give him some money to supplement the single coin he was brandishing. My guide chastised me for even considering it (probably correctly), so when we went to leave and without my guide knowing I held some notes in my hand behind my back as I walked away hoping this boy would see them. I smiled inwardly as I felt him gently take them from my hand.

Resting Respectfully, New Delhi

Leica M9 28mm Summicron at ISO 160, f/9.5, 1/45

I was wandering round a hospital in Delhi. Markets, hospitals and bus stations are always interesting places to be when you want to see every day life in action, particularly around the adjacent areas. I stumbled upon this man in a side street making use of an abandoned settee as he likely waited for his family who were probably otherwise engaged in the Hospital. To be fair people sleeping in odd places is hardly unusual in India but it was the way he fitted so perfectly into it and had positioned his shoes neatly in the centre of the settee whilst he dozed that caught my eye.

Homage to Don McCullin, Glastonbury

Rolleiflex TLR 75mm 3.5F using Ilford XP2 400 at ISO 400, f/4, 1/125

I went to Glastonbury with a few friends in 2013 to see the Rolling Stones. I was shooting film using my favourite black and white emulsion Ilford’s XP2 Super 200 a film stock that is vastly underrated in my opinion. I knew the day would be rich with characters that would all likely be fairly mellow when I started waving my camera around. We had staked our place early in the day waiting for the fun to start so I started with my best friend first to get my eye in. As I looked at him I immediately saw a passing similarity in the famous shell shocked soldier image that Don McCullin took in the Vietnam War, an image I have loved since I first saw it. The main difference being my friend was far from shell shocked and far closer to ‘Stone’d.

The Kiss, Glastonbury

Leica M8 Voigtlander 35mm Ultron at ISO 160 f7 1/250

As I wandered through the crowd of the ‘Shakin’ Stevens set on the Pyramid Stage (a big disappointment, all he wanted to do was perform songs from his latest album when all the crowd wanted to hear were his bangers!) I knew it would attract the gentler side of Glastonbury. This shot opened up in front of me. So much of this scene made me smile, the positioning of the flag at the exact moment was beyond lucky but I had a keeper.

The Crack Addict, New Delhi

Leica M9 28mm Summicron at ISO 640, f/4.8, 1/180, exposure compensation +0.3 with Elinchrom Quadra Ranger Flash

Late one night in Delhi heading home in a Tuk-Tuk I noticed this young man crouching down on the pavement. Delhi’s drug community comes alive soon after dark like most cities. I knew immediately what he was up to. I asked my driver to stop and ran back up towards him. He totally ignored me as I got the shot with my tuk tuk driver holding a light over him.

Happiness’s Theory of Relativity, Dhaka Bangladesh

Leica M9 28mm Summicron at ISO 400, f2, 1/500, exposure compensation +1.7

I took a detour on foot through the desparately impoverished Madiripur district of Dhaka on my way to the River Buriganga and the ship breaking yards. As I wandered through the close knit shanty houses I encountered this beautiful girl. She was cooking a meal and saw me straight away, laughed at me and carried on with her tasks. She was happy and content and held no curiosity for my presence. It taught me that just because people may live in conditions westerners may judge, it doesn’t always mean they are unhappy.

I can’t stand the rain, Dhaka, Bangladesh

Leica M9 28mm Summicron, at ISO 320, f/8, 1/45

Bangladesh suffers from torrential storms that flood the back streets in no time at all. This coupled with the intense heat makes for a deceptive atmosphere to the unwary. Whilst walking around the slums in the middle of one of these storms I sought shelter and came across this little boy sheltering by putting a scarf over his head. If it weren’t so tragic it would have been funny.

All Clear, Near Jalalabad Afghanistan

Leica M9 28mm Summicron at ISO 320, f/8, 1/750

We were travelling to Jalalabad in the east of Afghanistan bordering Pakistan. This area was a hotbed of Taliban activity and the journey was dangerous. On our way we stopped at a village for a break from our journey. It turns out the village had received a visit from Taliban fighters only hours before and the villagers were nervous. This little girl behind our guard was peering past him to see if the area was clear.

Only Fools and Horses, Bamyan, Afghanistan

Leica M9 Summicrom 28mm at ISO 160, f/3.5, 1/2000

In Bamyan Northern Afghanistan I was causally walking down the main street when I saw this man in the middle of the road pulling a cart with Gas bottles on it. It was so bizarre that I ran towards him to get the picture. I was the only person interested, It was like he did it every day

Military Police on Reconnaissance, Kolkata

Leica M9 Summicron 28mm at ISO 500, f/2, 1/30, exposure compensation -1.3

On one of my night time sorties in Kolkata I came across this Military Police Colonel and his colleague sitting in a recess watching the world go by. I wasn’t sure if they would appreciate my presence at first but I need not have worried, They thought it quite amusing that I wanted to photograph them so they fussed around for a second or two making sure they looked their best and struck their pose.

The Geordie Charmer, Brittania Stadium Stoke-on-Trent

Nikon D3, 70-200mm AFS- 2.8G IF ED VR lens at 200mm, ISO 500, f/2.8, 1/800 exposre compensation -0.3

I was lucky enough to get a license for 8 seasons from 2007 to shoot Premier League football as well as International Rugby Union and Rugby League. It was a fun time, I was running Hotels during the day and scuttling off to various mid week evening and weekend sporting events. I am a big sports fan and found it exhilarating.

I have too many images for this article but this one image always stands out to me. It was in the season that Alan Shearer was temporarily managing Newcastle United, which ultimately led to their relegation. This was taken at the Britannia Stadium when they were playing Stoke City in a must win match. I had chosen to station myself at the away end (It is quite normal to switch ends at half time if you are tracking the team most likely to score) as I knew that if Newcastle scored I had a shot and if they didn’t the fans reaction would also mean I had a shot. I wasn’t wrong! Stoke scored in the first half and all hell let loose. I turned around and saw this man going wild with anger, He immediately saw me and focused that anger on me. I didn’t care, I had my shot. At half time I was pelted with all sorts of things and roundly abused to the extent that the police advised me to move, but I stay put as I knew I had  another shot if they scored. They did just that! Andy Carroll scored very late on into the game, I turned round to see if I could get his reaction but he had gone.

In Summation

I have had great fun photographing people in various different scenarios. I found it cathartic and challenging in equal measure, depending on what was happening in my life at the time. I have no regrets leaving an industry I was successful and established in to pick up my camera and try and make it work for me. I never got another commission like the Afghan Faces one but by and large I have managed it. I did talk to a couple of publishers about a book of my travels but it never materialised, I think my story and imagery wasn’t compelling enough for them. One day maybe.

I had launched Hospitality Photographic around the time I left Hotels so mined my extensive contacts for work! I was never too proud. Fortunately it has gone from strength to strength and I now have many of the UK’s top Hotels as clients. It had a blip (along with may business at the time) in 2020 when the Covid Lockdowns came, all my commissions (temporarily) disappeared overnight and I was back to square one! It was a worrying time.

A few weeks prior to lockdown I had bought myself a Rollei 35 for some future trip, I had always wanted one. It was an eBay purchase so as is often the case riven with faults! I had just got it back from the man who services my Rolleiflexes when lockdown struck, he had repaired it for me but I was regretting the expense. I was pondering selling it as I didn’t think I could afford to keep it. Whilst sat around my kitchen table with it in my hands, talking to my eldest daughter about what challenges lay ahead for us all, in some flash of inspiration, I decided I was going to use some of the furlough money coming my way to buy 6 of them and launch a website to see if I could sell refurbished versions to people like me with time on their hands. My daughter and I debated many names for this venture but settled on FilmFurbish! (www.filmfurbish.com).

And then another journey begun….

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