Ian Harrop
© Ian Harrop
Ian has been taking photos for over forty years and takes images of subjects that attract his eye, be it landscape, travel, family, or detail. He always strives to find a different take on a photo, but only started with Street photography after seeing the Streetsnappers/Urban Photographers Club group posts on Facebook at the start of 2020 and he has been improving his Street images ever since. A first zine was published after a Street photo workshop in Venice, but it certainly won’t be the last zine he puts together.
London Photo Show Exhibition
What inspired you to curate this particular collection of photographs for your exhibition?
I find that shooting from a low angle gives me some exciting pictures, and I wanted to share some of the more successful images. Not all shots turn out as you expect, and some of these were initially rejected as being a bit plain. A second look at them showed what could be achieved, and this compilation is the result.
Could you share some insights into the creative process behind these photographs?
I used Brian Lloyd-Duckett’s book “52 Assignments Street Photography” for my initial guidance, but have since developed my own interpretation of the styles that he proposed. I tend to use whatever I have to hand to capture the images, be it Ricoh GR111, Canon EOS 600D, or my smart phone. Searching for the right camera for each individual image will guarantee missing the moment. Artistically I try to look at the edges of the shot and the backgrounds to make sure that all of the clutter is removed, though this is not always possible. Lighting, cropping and straightening can all be corrected afterwards, but I essentially leave the shot as taken with little or no manipulation.
What emotions or messages do you hope viewers will take away from experiencing your exhibition?
I want the viewers to get a feel for low level photography, and to perhaps experiment with the technique themselves. It is a dramatic way of viewing the world and can be quite liberating.
Are there any specific stories or moments from your photography that you would like to highlight in this exhibition?
Street photography in Japan can be a difficult subject, as the social rules are different to the more understood European rules. There is no assumed right to take pictures of people on the street, though the younger generation are more accepting. I occasionally got disapproving looks, or people trying to spoil my pictures by standing in the way. But if you accept these ‘rules’ then moving on to look for another shot is easily done.
Lisbon was done as a photowalk by UPC, and I have been fortunate to have been able to go back on other occasions. There are always great views to photograph all round the city, and I have had images on display there. The low level shots taken there inspired the selection of shots that I made for the exhibition..
How do you see your photography evolving in the future, and how might that influence your future exhibitions?
Artificial Intelligence (AI) is here to stay and how we deal with it as photographers is a big question. Much of the photographic software that is available now has AI in it, and images can be created without leaving your editing chair. I don’t subscribe to that school of thought and won’t be consciously using AI for my work.
My plan for future work is pretty much ‘carry on as you are, just get better’, and that is with spotting the opportunities and taking better pictures. As part of this, feedback is always interesting.
What has been your experience with UPC in regards to this exhibition?
UPC is a fantastic group of talented people who take photographs out on the street. I get just as much satisfaction from being with other like minded photographers as taking images myself. UPC organise some great events and photowalks to allow people to chat and share knowledge.