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One the very best things I do, and have done for a couple of years is go searching for original old skool graffiti. Im privileged that I get the opportunity to do that with some of the original people who either did it or were there at the time. This makes the adventure a damn sight more interesting and special because its like they are showing me one of their oldest friends.

I recently went on a such a trek with a writer, who gave up his time to take me to several spots in the Midlands and this is a selection of just a few of them.

Whats really interesting to me particularly on the one above is the full date. May 22nd 1991. Thats the first time I have seen an actual full date on any piece anywhere.

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What might seem like some nice red bricks to a general passerby holds treasures for my eyes.

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And this is where the old and the new collide. Thanks to the internet I am not only able to have these connections with people but then I can share the finds back with the original writers. And thats a bit mind blowing. The debate about what the internet has done – be it a good or a bad thing – to the graffiti culture – is one which takes place pretty much every day.… Read the rest

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Graffiti has given me a whole lot of experiences both good and bad. Its given me the opportunity to look at the world in a very different way. Ive made many amazing friends and I have been welcomed in every country Ive travelled to to shoot their graffiti. But its the really secret stuff Ive done when Ive travelled, that has only been made possible by, in most cases,  complete strangers who have trusted me and me conversely trusted them – where my real adventures have come from.

In Milan I was really made to feel at home. Im always amazed that when I travel that local contacts take time out of their lives to take me all over their hometowns to share many of their secrets. This particular adventure involved a bit of climbing, a watchman, a whole lot of nettles and the results are below. I said it back then but I will say it again – Milan (and in particular my very lovely hosts)  – you are truly amazing – thankyou xx

Day of the Dead Trams……

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Little Wing Lost, Milan, 2016

 … Read the rest

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Back in the tail end of 2013, whilst up a ladder, a conversation with a writer about the possibility of shooting a celebrity in front of a wall of graffiti came about. It was sort of a dream of theirs. And it started me off to try and make that happen. As a Blues fan we talked about a ‘Zulu’ wall. As in – wouldn’t it be ace if they did a massive wall that said Zulu and then we got loads of original Zulus in front of it. Within a couple of weeks I visited a small shop in Brum having found out through the internet that this was where I could meet a proper old skool Brum lad. What I didn’t know until then was that I was about to meet a bloke who I had actually ‘nearly been mates with’ for thirty years. His name was Todd and between him and me we spent a long time after that first meeting many weeks talking to various other mates collecting what would be one of the largest gatherings of original Zulus in front of a graffiti piece painted specifically for them.

Todd and I came to realise that we had been ‘nearly mates’ because he went to school with my best mate Brett who also went to school with many of the Zulus who I did know but also many of my other school mates who had hung around with all the same people.… Read the rest

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I firmly believe that Birmingham is the greatest of Cities. Of course the bias is completely there as I am from here, however, even though I have always felt that way, the travelling I have done over the last few years (which stepped up majorly over the last two years) has only confirmed that to me. We have a soul here. There is just something about Brummies that makes us really humble but really gobby at the same time. We don’t bang on about how great we are – but we are a City which has produced legends. And then (and I will come back to my thoughts on legends from this City in future blogs – as I have much to say about that hahaha) we have our beloved canals.

Now as  a very happy little Brummie – I can remember long long ago when the canals – or the cut as I prefer to call them – weren’t anywhere near as ‘trendy’ as they have become now. Its all very delightful seeing these new paths – all smooth and lovely for cyclists – but I remember when you used to have hack your way through brambles..dodge empty Corona bottles and pretty much accept that your legs were going to be covered to nettles (and I COULD NEVER FIND A HOCK LEAF) if you dared to venture along the sides of any path by the cut.… Read the rest

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I spend a great deal of my time researching these days. Im always reading something, talking to someone about something, travelling to look and photography something or writing about something. Its part and parcel of doing a PhD on a part time basis and its very very often a lonely road because I have to do all of this away from my main full time job. But I believe that if you are passionate about something then you should behave passionately about it. This was my bedroom in 1983. This wall was completed by me and my best pal at the time Suzanne – she was an amazing portrait artist and unlike me also did art at school (which by this time I wasn’t attending all that much). I was a nightmare at this time in my life. I was rebelling against everything and everyone and I was also suffering/hiding the beginnings of what was possibly early signs of an eating disorder. But apart from the eating disorder bit – an explanation of which I fully intend to return back to at some point on this blog – I was – quite honestly – having the greatest days of my life.… Read the rest

This was such a beautiful day. A real privilege to be asked to be the wedding photographer for a couple that I genuinely admire. I actually get asked a fair bit if I do weddings. I sort of do but sort of don’t. I don’t like wedding photographers as I don’t think they take any risks with the style of photographs they generally produce and I think you should really try and take photographs which are very individual to the personality of the couple you are shooting. So I will, but I’m not your ‘standard’ wedding photographer….

A very beautiful day and a very special couple

 

I will come back to photographs of this day at some point in the future – but when I was trawling through my archives of photos I found this one. Check the sheer shock (and horror in some cases) of the guests as I climbed my trusty ladders in my favourite boots to shout out my instructions to them all.

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On this particular day I arrived at the church and managed to fall out of my car breaking my finger, severely spraining my wrist and ripping both my knees to shreds. I have absolutely no idea how but I managed to shoot the entire wedding even though I did feel like I was going to faint with the pain in my hand several times.… Read the rest

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