glasshouse19 | images of crystal palace and london logo

 

  
FAQs home  
 
Q Why focus on SE19?
A. Anyone who has lived there (or visited) will know that Crystal Palace is a unique area of London; known for its elevated views, open spaces, contemporary diversity and long history going back to the Great Exhibition era. Photographically, the many traces of the past - especially in the park - made a fascinating first subject. The Glasshouse19 project developed from those first (infrared) images, taken for a college landscape portfolio. I like the idea of photographing and understanding your local environment, and was inspired by a photography show I saw in Queens Park (West London), in which all the exhibited images were taken within a one mile radius of the gallery. The birth of my son, and spending a lot of time with him in the park and surrounding areas was also important. As was a desire to support the local community (especially the library) and finally, I guess, to leave some trace of my own on SE19.
 
Q How do you approach photographing Crystal Palace?
A. To varying degrees, the emphasis of my photography is on form and structure (rather than a more traditional landscape or documentary approach). You could say that a few of my images present an idealised or romantic view of Crystal Palace. That’s because there were places or scenes which I wanted to present as beautiful, as that’s how I encountered them. Other subjects - especially the NSC and urban portfolios - reflect a more abstract, contemporary approach. In addition to enjoying the website, I hope these pictures change, to some degree, the way the viewer sees and experiences Crystal Palace.
 
Q. Why supply prints on-line, rather than through a shop or gallery?
A. The website allows us to supply fine art prints at affordable prices and, most importantly, provides complete creative and editorial freedom. The pictures presented here are freely selected, independent from commercial pressures. Unfortunately, no permanent gallery space yet exists in Crystal Palace; though hopefully this will change as the park is developed. You can currently see an exhibition of images at Upper Norwood Library.
 
Q. Can I submit images or link to the website?

A. Yes. We’ll happily link to other reflections on Crystal Palace and feature work from other photographers (professional or enthusiast).
 
Q. Film or digital?
A. Both. But as rule, most of my work is shot on film. It's the photograph rather than the medium that matters. This said, everybody seems to be into photography now - using anything from camera phones to the latest DSLR - so film can help differentiate the ‘photographer’ from everybody else. There’s something meretricious about digital images, while different films have their own visual language and rich character. Medium format cameras also have a distinct perspective you can't reproduce with smaller 35mm formats (whether film or digital). Digital is quick, convenient, great for experimenting and useful as a virtual polaroid (to preview composition, lighting, exposure etc).
   
Q. What's in the kit bag?  
Note: a good photographer can take a great picture with any camera - it's the idea and composition that counts.  
Hassleblad Xpan: Compact rangefinder camera, used to take medium format panoramics. Superb lenses and handling, the Xpan was widely used by photo journalists, as well as landscape photographers.  
Mamiya 7: Medium format 6x7 rangefinder system. If I could use only one camera, it would be this one. It offers image quality beyond any other camera - film or digital - aside from large format. It's also relatively small, light enough to carry all day and easy to shoot handheld.  

Mamiya Pro Tl: 645 medium format SLR + shift lens for architecture and landscape. Rangefinder lenses are remarkable, but sometimes it's good to enjoy the large bright viewfinder of an SLR.

  
Nikon DSLR or high-end compact for digital shots.  
Film: Fuji Velvia and Provia 400x slide film. Kodak Ektar 100 and Portra 400 for colour negative. The fine grain of all these films makes them ideal for scanning and (large) enlargements.  
Top gadget: Kenko polariser system. Allows straightforward use of polarisering filters on all rangefinders.  
Other recommended film cameras: Nikon F100, semi-professional 35mm camera, accepting a vast array of Nikon lenses, old and new; Pentax 645 AF medium format camera, great viewfinder, easy to use and better wideangle glass than the Mamiya equivalent (if you don't need the excellent shift lens, interchangable backs etc).  
 
SMB
 
© All image rights reserved.