London in Puddles
Gavin Hammond is a writer, producer, musician, Lomo photographer, cartoonist, lo-fi filmmaker, poem-maker, internet junkie and Londoner. He is also the winner of our “Rule Britannia” Photo Competition!
He began taking photos when travelling the world as a musician (with a Nikon FM) and now captures the world as if he were creating the soundtrack for a traveller (with an internet connection).
He shoots in black and white (film) and predominantly uses a Lomo LC-A+, so he can concentrate on framing, lighting and mood, rather than digital tricks. He never Photoshops or crops his images (other than to flip them) and aims to create distinctively timeless work. He began taking Lomos in order to create some visuals for Sweet Tooth (London-based noir pop group that he is music and film producer for), but his work has swiftly gained a following all of its own.
“I love using a Lomo because it’s literally one click and you’re done – and it looks like a toy, so people are very relaxed about having you point a camera at them – or their feet in this case. Whereas making an album takes months and costs thousands. However, with a Lomo and a Tumblr page, you’re in front of your audience as fast as you can develop the film.
“Yet, I think recording has influenced my photography: because the romance of audio is all about capturing that one, perfect moment in sound and performance forever; and my photos are definitely about capturing a timeless moment of light and movement in a similar way. And because I’m seeing our town like an itinerant artist, not a documentary photographer, I seem to have made tourists out of Londoners in the process, which has got to be a good thing!”
The London In Puddles series (that the winning image is part of) has been a global hit on the internet and was recently featured in The Telegraph, Daily Mail, Mirror, Evening Standard, Metro, The Stylist and more.
A range of postcards of the series is now in production, and a book is in the pipeline. An exhibition in Soho and Singapore is planned thanks to the support of The Reading Room (a leading London digital agency). Hammond’s very first Lomo image is to be featured in the official Lomography book of London, which is currently in production.
The London Eye in a puddle:
“This was the very first London In Puddles image I took. My bike had been stolen and I was walking into town in the rain along the Southbank, when suddenly this image emerged from the pavement like a window into another world. Suddenly, I was hooked and spent two months cycling across our capital capturing all our landmarks in a magically new way (to me).”
Oxford Street in a puddle:
“Normally an annoyance, suddenly tourists on Oxford Street were a source of fascination to me. And having me crouching at their feet photographing the sidewalk with a toy camera seems like the perfectly eccentric English education for them.”
Buckingham Palace in a puddle:
“Yeah, come on! Let’s make the Queen’s gaff look like the cover of a dubstep album.”
St Paul’s in a puddle:
“This is the saddest of the images I took – and the only man-made puddle. This is St Paul’s reflected in the water they used to wash away the Occupy London protesters’ camp after they were evicted.”
To see more of Gavin’s work, and take a look at all of the other things he does, just visit his website.
(4 votes, average: 5.00 out of 5)
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Beautiful
Really great shots – different take on frequently photographed scenes. Great to see you used B&W.