Two Saints Way

Horse nr Bunbury: Spirit of Travel and Independence

Two Saints Way is an approximately 90 mile pilgrimage route linking Saints Werburgh (Chester) and  Chad (Lichfield). The route takes in Chester, Waverton, Bunbury, Nantwich, Wybunbury, Bartomley, Audley, Stoke-on-Trent, Trentham, Stone, Stafford, Milford, Cannock Wood and Lichfield. An inaugural pilgrimage commenced on 25th March from Chester Cathedral and ended on 1st April at St Chad's Church, Lichfield. I was asked by Project Leader, David Pott, if I would join the pilgrimage as a photographer and document the route. As someone who likes a bit of a challenge I said yes.

I spent the week with a core group of 10 other pilgrims. It was lovely to spend time with a group of really nice people. The weather was also on our side. For most of the walk we had glorious sunshine, so I was able to get a tan along the way. The hospitality from churches we stopped at was simply amazing. We were provided with either lunch, tea or an evening meal. They also arranged for some of their congregation to be hosts, so we all had a bed for the night and breakfast.

The route is very scenic with plenty of places for quiet reflection and contemplation, but it also has an historical element with some Saxon fodder en route. We had a real treat when we began our walk from Stoke Minster on the 29th, where we were accompanied on our walk by two Saxon pilgrims from a local reenactment group. They were brilliant!

On a personal level I was very much out of my comfort zone. Not only did a spend a week with a group of strangers but I was also staying in strangers homes. I think I handled it better than I thought I would. As someone whose fitness level is zero and is not a seasoned walker, I am amazed that (a) I managed to take any photographs at all  (b) I didn't have to be hospitalised (c) I actually made it to the end. The physical pain was a lot to endure. The lesson here is to prepare myself properly beforehand instead of thinking I'm invincible.

Here is small collection of images:

Leaving Chester Cathedral

We're up here!

It's this way!

A little time out at Llangollen canal

David preparing group for silent walking meditation

Silent meditation

At Festival Garden site, Stoke-on-Trent

At the Staffordhire Hoard, Stoke-on Trent

Prayer

Walking with the Saxon Pilgrims

David teaching at the Prayer Stone

Recounting the legend of St Chad's/David's Cave

Passing Stafford HMP

Past/Present: At the Katya Memorial, Cannock Chase

At Castle Ring. How much further to Lichfield?

Cross-in Hand Lane

Foot washing at Lichfield Cathedral

Unveiling of Interpretation Board, St Chad's Church, Lichfield

Ceremony at St Chad's well

Interpretation Board for Two Saints Way

Many thanks to David Pott for the opportunity!

Lovelorn

I have an interest in what is overlooked and what people leave behind. I find it quite fascinating. A lot of what I find for some bizarre reason involves beer/lager cans (no me neither!?!). This image was taken along a canal route in Stoke, as part of the Two Saints Way Pilgrimage (post on that coming soon). I found the whole arrangement intriguing and...well I couldn't help myself, it was too good an opportunity to miss.

Silhouette

Silhouette - Self Portrait

I decided to put the Canon through its paces and experimented with self portraiture using movement. The camera was set on a specific aperture whilst I performed the movement. I was really pleased with the outcome, with which I only had to do basic editing. I think it is the best self-portrait I have done to date.

48 Sheet & Edible Eastside

This weekend I took part in a collaborative project between 48 Sheet and Edible Eastside.

I had heard a lot about Edible Eastside but had never been there until this point. It is such a great space with so much potential.

                                        

Working with Artist-in-Residence, Cathy Wade, I took part in pasting up a container on site with old ad posters. The side of the container we were working on backs onto the canal and is public facing (no pressure then!).

The Container

Cathy Wade at work

I had no idea what sort of posters/images we'd be working with. As it was just the two of us, we were able to easily bat ideas around and work quite intuitively. I found all the pasting to be quite therapeutic, so I was able to relax into it quite well. We finished around 4pm on Saturday just before a major downpour and resumed Sunday morning.

On the Sunday we noticed that people were doing double takes whilst walking down the canal towpath. We also had a few comments about how good it looked.

I'm really glad I had the opportunity to do this. I have learnt so much over the past two days.

Many thanks to 48 Sheet, Edible Eastside, K4 Architects and to Cathy Wade for for being so brilliant to work with.

48 SHEET

48 Sheet - View from Smallbrook Queensway, Birmingham

Last September I decided that I needed to challenge myself beyond what I was doing photographically. I started submitting proposals for various projects, one of them being EC-Arts project 48 Sheet. I considered that my abstract images could work on a large scale and thought a billboard was a neat way to exhibit. To my surprise and delight I was selected for the project.

I, along with 28 other artists were selected to create work for the project around the theme of 'cultural curiosity'.

My proposal was for me to work alone in creating an abstract work for the project and I was asked to create a site specific work in and around the Birmingham Market area. I had to think about my work in a new way as I hadn't done anything site specific before. So I set about thinking about my technique and wondering whether there was another element I could add to the mix.

A moment of inspiration came in the form of a project I stumbled upon late last year. I was intrigued by Sam Underwood's Sonic Graffiti project and wondered whether using sound alongside the visual would work. I decided to go with my instincts, so after clearing the idea with EC-Arts I approached Sam; and the rest, as they say, is history.

Because our schedules clashed and Sam lives outside of Birmingham, we decided to work separately and remotely. I wanted something that was abstract and/or ambient so that the pieces complemented each other. He decided to use the way I work as the inspiration for his piece (essentially stretching and movement).

Most of my abstracts are done privately so to do it in a public arena posed a bit of a challenge. In creating any work of this type I develop a technique for each piece of equipment I use, whether that be a smartphone camera or a DSLR. By my own admission I am not as au fait with Photoshop as I should be, so I tend to do everything with my equipment in order to just undertake basic editing. In the end I developed a technique which allowed me to use the camera in a covert way by shooting from the hip whilst still maintaining the development of manipulation.

Below is the original of the final image:

Meat Counter - 48 Sheet

Meat Counter was shot inside the Indoor Market. I wasn't sure how the lighting inside the building would affect the imagery, but it ended up playing a crucial role to the overall effect. 

The billboard is now live and is located on Pershore Street (Chinese Quarter Cluster).

Billboard at Upper Dean Street/Pershore Street, Birmingham

At the time of taking the photograph yesterday the weather wasn't doing it much justice. Even so I did notice that buses were lingering a little bit longer than they normally do at the bus stop just a short distance away, and there was a bit of intrigue when I plugged my earphones into the Sonic Graffiti box.

Sam's piece is located just below and you can now listen/download it from his Sonic Graffiti site. It sounds fantastic in the space.

A very big THANK YOU to EC-Arts for this opportunity and an even bigger THANK YOU to Sam Underwood for being such an awesome collaborator.

48 Sheet runs from 2nd-29th April. Check out the website for further details.

Work in Progress

Road Works - Birmingham City Centre UK

Today it just so happens to be my birthday. As well as that there is a whole whirlwind of activity on the Photography front, hence the lack of blogging over the past couple of months. I hope to make up for that over the coming weeks with some exciting projects I've been organising, working on and participating in. I thought the image above nicely illustrated what's going on right now. The next post will be towards the end of March. So until then...(to be continued).

Reflect

@ Birmingham Markets