London was heavily bombed during the Blitz - World War era bombing raids. London has also burnt down more than once in the historical past. Even though there's still plenty to see, a lot of the city's ancient architecture has actually either been completely lost, or reduced to ruins.
As such, old London is often perceived as "less impressive" than, say, old Prague or old Paris.
I think it also gives London a kind of interesting look. There's a big contrast between the very old and the very new.
In my attempt to photograph London, I often try to create timeless photographs. That means making it hard to pinpoint when in time the photo was taken. I often use black and white film, such as in the above photo of St. Paul's Cathedral.
I am often betrayed, however, by the ever present ultra-modern edifices like the sheets of steel and glass in the above photograph, dating the photo firmly in the current era.
We need to photograph the now.
A lot of photography, particularly street photography, has a habit of romanticising the past. This is likely due to the fact that many of its heroes, such as the great Henri Cartier-Bresson created their vast bodies of work during the 40's - 60's. Those photographs we have of the past serve as inspiration, and we do aspire to them, so they do influence what we try to create now.
The thing is, when HCB, and co., were creating their work, they were just photographing what was around them at the time, using the tools they had. All those classic cars, vintage clothes and architecture were simply contemporary things to them.
For some reason, a classic Riley or Cardiac just looks better than a Golf GTi in a photograph. Yes, I think objectively the old cars were more artistically designed, while the modern ones are more technologically optimised. That can probably be said for most things; architecture, fashion, e.t.c.
We must not shy away from photographing our now though, because that is our reality. Photography, especially street photography, also serves as a documentary of our current life to be preserved for generations to come.
That Golf GTi is going to look like a "classic" in the not so distant future
London's changing rapidly.
One thing I find exciting is picking a theme before heading out to photograph the same place over and over again. It keeps me from being bored, and gives me a purpose. About 6 years ago I set out to photograph lines. That was it, lines. I did get a few interesting shots, but what is wonderful is how I fee about the phots now 6 years later.
See, the above photograph was taken in the Liverpool Street area of London. This is an area within what is called the "Square Mile", or the financial district of London, or simply "The City".
It is one of the fastest changing parts of the country. In just 6 years, or even less, there have been 4 skyscrapers erected along this road, including behind the temporary wall in the photograph above. What I caught there was the initial laying of the foundation, and what the place used to look like before the towers went up.
This is a kind of document that could be interesting to someone in the future, and we're only 6 years along. This is what I mean by documenting the now for future generations.
Photographing minute, apparently pointless, detail of the fabric of the city could also prove to be something of value in the future. While the old folk built with wood, brick and mortar, the modern folk build with concrete, steel and glass.
Photographing the little statues and artwork on the ancient buildings is popular - and I do it too. We should perhaps do it more for the modern times as well. Yes they may seem boring to us, for now, but how long before these lines and shapes become historical in the new world of flat and smooth steel-glass panes to come?
Thank you for your time.
A Palnet original