Risk it for The Rust...Jaywick and Krystal J

It had been a few years since I’d been to Jaywick and a few months since I’d shot with Krystal. I received a “Coming out to play?” email and fancied catching up. She’d had a challenging period in her life and wanted to shoot in part, as a creative distraction, a means of working through things. A philosophy, or mindset that resonates with me.

Jaywick is often presented as one of the most deprived areas in the UK and it’s certainly been starved of investment over the years. However, while romanticising poverty and deprivation is misguided, a palpable sense of community permeated.  

We started in a field, worked our way through to Jaywick Sands and some of the side streets. No one interfered or gave any cause for concern. Much of this is about being somewhere with a purpose, owning your space, and thus communicating that you have a right to be there.

In my experience, it’s also about being respectful and interacting graciously with those around you, while not courting attention. Arguably strong sunlight was our biggest challenge. I shot these with the A6000 and 33mm 1.8 and the A6300 with Sigma 60mm 2.8 (set to f 3.2 for most of these). 

 

Creativity despite Confinement

I haven’t shot a model, or engaged in formal portraiture since late November, primarily due to the pandemic and consequent lockdowns. However, this enforced confinement forced me along other creative avenues.  

Product-based work has always been part of my photographic diet, but I’ve always been drawn to candid social/reportage stuff. Much of this boils down to being discrete, knowing your camera/settings, shooting fast, and being attuned to your environment.  

Aside from spotting creative moments, it can avert a combative encounter. Body language is equally important. Stand with confidence, as if you belong there and most people won’t notice. Act furtively and it's game over.  

Continuing this theme, I typically alternate between primes-23, 35, and 50mm 2.0, 2.8, and 1.8, which cater for most scenarios.  When it comes to people, a decent amount of emotional intelligence is key. I may shoot a homeless person but do so in a subtle, non-invasive way. People and their stories fascinate me. I shot a few portraits with Kenny back in 2020.

  

His story and that of so many just illustrates how vulnerable we are to ourselves, the will of others, or a chain of events. The more I learn, the less I am certain, and this can lead to an acute sense of vulnerability. Akin to motorcycling, this can ensure a heightened sense of awareness and quashes complacency but left unchecked, is potentially debilitating. 

  

Growing familiarity with the Fuji X100F has confirmed what a brilliant camera it is for reportage style work. Beautiful to hold, fast lens, and easily accessible settings mean I can capture scenes while remaining under the radar. A 50mm is useful when I want to focus on something or capture a candid portrait/interaction from a discrete distance.  

Living in London’s poorer districts before gentrification swept in, coupled with experiences of civil war, were good training grounds. Subtle changes in mood can indicate the onset of danger. The young woman wandering towards a checkpoint with a blank expression... Is she seven months pregnant or packed with plastic explosives? 

These things are nuanced and often incredibly subtle. Football hooliganism-the precursor to an incident is intense, not necessarily menacing before it erupts and becomes distinctly primal.  

I’m looking forward to a staged return to socially distanced modeling-based commissions and have received a few sensible approaches, which I am following up.  

 

 

Sonya

    

Sonya is a qualified diver, who had recently discovered modeling. She’s also a part-qualified accountant and runs a successful bookkeeping business. Due to some very bad experiences, I have all but stopped working with novice models. However, there are exceptions and I am happy to make them, where I see genuine commitment, ability and professionalism.  

I’m pleased to report Sonya has all these attributes, in spades. The brief was a street lingerie theme, which had amazing potential but needed careful planning and the ability to change, pose and shoot quickly.  

We needed to start early, in order to avoid drawing unnecessary attention, inducing discomfort from passers-by. We met at 730 and commenced within 15minutes. The tide was out, which inspired us to start on the beach using some boats as a backdrop.  

I spotted what I believed was a decommissioned gunship. It was indeed a gunship, but less abandoned that I thought and by the time we’d reached it, we were also calves deep in very gloopy, tenacious mud. Not the most auspicious start, although it broke the ice and we achieved some technically pleasing results.   

Having reconvened to our vehicles for some refreshments and cleanup, we resumed shooting along Old Leigh’s cobbled streets, Sonya had already dressed in her desired lingerie from the privacy of her car, while I fed parking meters and rummaged in the KA’s boot for a suitable change of footwear. A sheer gown preserved her modesty while mitigating some of the morning chill.  

Thankfully, we had the streets, largely to ourselves. It was busier than we’d anticipated but any passing people/vehicle traffic was very respectful, meaning we could meet her exciting and potentially challenging brief with minimal fuss.  

She moved seamlessly between poses and showed an ability rivaling that of some established models I have enjoyed working with. By 945 we were finished and went our separate ways. These were shot exclusively with my Sony A6300 and 50mm 1.8 lens. 

I am relieved she is delighted with the results and would welcome the opportunity to work with her on future commissions   

Portraits From The Street

Street photography is reputedly more controversial than it once was. Discretion and the ability to read your environment are crucial but otherwise, it can be a very rewarding experience. Seaside towns have long since lost their shine. Once proud guest houses have been bought and converted into flats and bedsits.  

Lower rents have long seen Metropolitan local authorities displace ex-offenders, the economically inactive and other vulnerable adults, since housing benefits/similar costs were commensurately cheaper. There’s also something very comforting, nostalgic about the seaside.  

Then there are those who fall through the cracks. I frequently hear the mantra that if you have the skills relevant to the economy, then you will be fine. In reality, small changes in circumstance can have dramatic and unforeseen consequences. It doesn’t matter how well educated, or skilled you are. The “perfect storm” can render any of us homeless. I’ve done advice/similar work in hostels and in outreach settings. I also came precariously close to becoming a statistic. 

Southend on Sea and its peripheries are familiar territory for me. In keeping with many other towns, street homelessness has become very obvious. Loss of employment, end of a relationship, leaving care, the military are all common routes. Alcohol/similar substance misuse is another, but they are also a means of numbing the cold, fear and isolation associated with it.   

Feeding someone’s habit is not helping them, so money is a non-starter. However, I often carry snacks and will buy food/ teas/coffee, etc. There’s no secret to this. If you treat others as you’d want/expect to be treated yourself, then you’re not going to go far wrong.  

Reading people and your immediate environment is crucial. If I sense someone wishes to talk, I will engage. The woman pictured wasn’t homeless but approached me while I was capturing some footage along the seafront. She wanted to talk, and I asked if I might take her photograph, in a candid, though flattering fashion.  

She happily obliged and after a few minutes, we went our separate ways. I headed to a Turkish restaurant/café for some food and diesel strength coffee. I headed back towards Westcliff, whereupon I met this man, bedding down in a shop doorway.  

I offered him some food, which he gladly took, then seeing my camera, asked if I would take his photo. I took a few frames, wished him well and moved on before my presence drew unwelcome attention. A few minutes later, I met this extrovert busker, who was very happy to be photographed.  

Finally, there was Kenny. He initially asked for money, which I graciously declined before we began a conversation. A generalisation perhaps but he was seeking a hand up, not a hand-out. His own journey to the streets mirrored the chain of events I referred to earlier.  

I asked if I could take his photograph, explaining that I wasn’t looking to create “poverty porn”. He too readily agreed and we talked for another few minutes. By this point, natural light was fading. We wished each other well and I headed at a smart pace along the London Rd. There by the grace of God...