A Year In Images

My most significant images from 2016, each with a story to tell

Gary Marlowe
Festival Peak

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When you take as many photos as I do, the ones that tend to stand out are those that have something a little different about them, those that for some reason or another are out of the ordinary.

Usually, one sees an image in isolation, left to be judged only by what information is contained within the frame. But photos are more than just a moment in time. In most cases the end result is governed by the circumstances presented to the photographer, meaning there’s often an untold story behind them, one that can make them more interesting than just being another nice picture.

During 2016 I’ve probably taken more photos than any previous year, but while quantity is ubiquitous, quality is elusive, especially when you’re continually raising your own bar. Like many creatives, my focus is habitually on the here and now, rather than the past, so I’m always more excited about the results I’ll see from my next shoot, than the images I’ve already created. Even so, I recognise it’s good to pause and reflect, to look back and take stock.

In the past, I’ve organised my retrospectives in various ways: around subject matter, in chronological order by month and I’ve even grouped images by colour. This time I wanted to do something different and at the same time force myself to pick a really small number of images.

Being that it was 2016, I plumped for sixteen and decided each had to fulfil a particular criteria. This wasn’t just about selecting a few great images because each one had to have an equally interesting story to tell. What’s more, together they needed to represent me as an image maker.

I’ve always aimed at creating images that are inventive, a little different from the norm. Whether that’s in the content or the execution, for me, that’s all about being out of the ordinary. Since day dot I’ve never been content for my images to be restricted to what can be achieved in the camera and have continually experimented with different looks and treatments to find my own individual aesthetic.

I only got into photography with the advent of digital cameras and the biggest creative element of what I do is what I do in post production. I’m also a perfectionist and want every image to be as flawless as I can make it. For portraits that means removing any blemish, or at least it did until I started taking more shots of older people where their lines and flaws are their character.

When it comes to what I do with my images, I don’t have a one-size-fits-all approach to processing. Instead I aim to create a look that works best for the subject matter. Most often I’m working on a set of images (from a concert for example) and will want them all to share the same aesthetic, one that — to my eyes at least — works best for what the image is of. I want them to be distinctive and I want them to be — in one way or another — immediately discernible as my work.

One of the ways I do this is that virtually everyone of my images carries some kind of text within the frame. The visual consistency comes from the use of just two fonts (one for the title, the other essentially being my signature) and over the years I’ve experimented with numerous ways of executing this, again entirely dependent on what works best for the individual image.

For me, continual experimentation is all about challenging myself creatively. But while I’m all for doing a lot in post, what’s most important is having an interesting image in the first place. Of course defining ‘interesting’ is entirely subjective, but the more you shoot, the more you look at what other people are doing, the more you start to realise how you define the notion of ‘interesting’.

And while I’m on the subject, I’ll share one of the best tips on photography that I know and it’s this: If you want your photographs to be more interesting, go stand in front of something more interesting!

To me, that’s what it’s all about, creating those opportunities where you get to stand in front of something interesting, whether that be seeking it out or manoeuvring yourself so that you’re in a better position to get the shot than anyone else.

Choosing just sixteen images was never going to be easy. Deciding which ones would make the cut meant having to leave out a lot of personal favourites, including some which in isolation may well be some of the best shots of the year. So, after much procrastination, I decided to do something I hate doing: compromise — just a little. Instead of one image per ‘story’ I allowed myself to pick two. The key though was both had to enhance each other’s ability to tell the story.

These then are the stories behind sixteen of my favourite shoots from 2016.

1: Wolf Alice

Ellie Rowsell | Brighton Dome | March 2016

I’d shot Wolf Alice a few months earlier in Southampton before they headlined the Brighton Dome. When you’ve shot a band before you at least have some idea of what to expect. Of course you don’t want to repeat yourself and get similar shots to the previous time. For me shooting musicians is all about capturing the personality of the performer and the emotion of the performance and, on top of that, getting an interesting shot. Ellie Rowsell rarely smiles onstage and can often come across looking grumpy. When photographing her, the focus for me was all about her expression and her hair. This time, she wore her blonde tresses differently, rather than free flowing, her hair was dampened down. Outfits can often make a huge difference to a portrait and I think Ellie’s fishnet top really enhances these two shots. They were both taken from a similar vantage point and, arguably, it’s the second one that’s the most interesting. Usually, you try and avoid anything obscuring someone’s face (a microphone, a stand or an instrument) but this one works because you can still see both her eyes, locked in concentration. It goes to show that breaking the rules can often produce a much more interesting image. The look I chose for the shots reflected the gold and black colour scheme of the show.

Read my review of the gig here

Ellie Rowsell | Brighton Dome | March 2016

2: Brighton Tattoo Convention

Native Child | Brighton | April 2016

I’ve photographed the Brighton Tattoo Convention every year for the past six years. As it attracts so many inked up people, the challenge is always to hunt out those that are the most interesting. The other challenge is even when you find interesting subjects, it’s never easy to find somewhere good to photograph them. This year, the event moved to the Brighton Centre and as a result was a lot more spacious than previous years. The first few times I shot the Convention I took a few shots of lots of people, now I’m much more selective and prefer to take a lot of portraits of just a few individuals, subjects that immediately stand out to me among the thousands of artists and attendees. And there was absolutely no doubt who stood out most: a tattoo artist I’d not seen before called Native Child. With a little bit of everything going on, he had the most extraordinary look. I’m really pleased with these portraits, especially as I only had a minute or two to shoot them and that they were shot with available light only on the Convention floor.

Read my review of the 2016 Brighton Tattoo Convention here

Native Child | Brighton | April 2016

3: Arundel Castle Tulip Festival

Arundel Castle Tulip Festival | May 2016

Tulips have long been my favourite flowers to shoot and I’m fortunate that each year Arundel Castle, which is just up the road from me, holds a spectacular tulip festival. This year was their biggest yet, with over 32,000 blooms planted in the castle grounds. In the Earl’s Garden they are formally planted, but I preferred the more naturalistic way they were growing around the castle’s trees and beneath its walls. Knowing when to shoot tulips is a tricky affair as they are only at their peak for a short time and look best when the sun is shining bright. Fortunately, I got my timings spot on this year and being there in early May meant they were looking especially vibrant. I particular like these images as they have a painterly quality to them.

Read my review of the 2016 Arundel Castle Tulip Festival here

Arundel Castle Tulip Festival | May 2016

4: Bosham

The village of Bosham | May 2016

The coastal village of Bosham is one of the most picturesque places in Sussex and one of my favourite locations to shoot. Being so photogenic means one sees lots of photos, most of which are quite similar. I’ve shot there quite a few times, but always when the Sound, the channel of water in front of the village, is at high tide. That gives the classic Bosham shot of the village reflected in the water. On this particular visit, I arrived at low tide which creates a totally different look. Indeed, the tide was so low you could actually walk across the Sound. The afternoon light was superb and really brought out the green seaweed on the mudbanks. Holding the camera almost at ground level really accentuated the drama of my images.

Read my account of the Bosham shoot here

The village of Bosham | May 2016

5: The Telegraph Garden

The Telegraphy Garden | Chelsea Flower Show | May 2016

I’ve photographed Press Day at Chelsea Flower Show for the past five years. As it’s the world’s biggest and most prestigious flower show, Press Day is the only day when you can get great shots. Not only are the flowers at the very best (it’s also judging day) but it’s the only opportunity to shoot before the crowds descend. That said, there’s only a short window of opportunity as press hours are restricted. Over the years, my approach to shooting Chelsea has changed. In the past I would run around trying to shoot anything and everything that caught my eye. Now, I’m much more selective and prefer to cover fewer things much more extensively. More than anything, I’m interested in the gardens and their designers and this year one of them stood out among all the others. The Telegraph Garden was designed by Andy Sturgeon, who just happens to be based in Brighton. His was a visually stunning, contemporary garden that featured huge panels of bronzed metal fins, a water feature and some particularly minimal planting. I was fortunate to be able to shoot on the garden itself (a rare privilege even for press photographers) and take some portraits of Andy. The garden deservedly won him his sixth Gold-medal at Chelsea and was also awarded Best Show Garden, the highest accolade the RHS can give.

Read my review of the Telegraph Garden here

Andy Sturgeon | Chelsea Flower Show | May 2016

6: Maisie Trollette

Maisie Trollette | Brighton Pride | August 2016

Whenever I’m at Brighton Pride the drag queens are one of my favourite things to shoot. This year the challenge was the drag queen tent was quite some distance from the mainstage where I was shooting musicians and both were on at the same time. It meant I only caught a few queens, but luckily I managed to be there to shoot Maisie Trollette, who at 83 is probably the oldest drag queen still performing in the UK. Normally, I’m drawn to beautiful people, the more beautiful the better, but there is something I find fascinating about drag queens. I don’t know whether it’s the terrible makeup, the awful wigs or the double chins, although I suspect it’s all of the above.

Read about my shoot with the drag queens of Brighton Pride here

Maisie Trollette | Brighton Pride | August 2016

7: The Switch House

The Switch House | London | June 2016

I’m a sucker for interesting architecture and, as soon as I knew the date the Tate Modern’s new wing was going to open, I had to go see it for myself. Indeed, I was there the day after its launch evening. Love it or hate it, it’s definitely one of London’s most intriguing new buildings, owing its unusual pyramid shape as much to sightline restrictions of neighbouring buildings, as its architects Herzog & de Meuron. Its brick facade was interesting to photograph and I think I came away with some good shots. I also got some great images of the ever changing London skyline from Level 10, The Switch House’s viewing gallery. Shooting building exteriors is so weather dependent and although it was a grey day when I visited, I was fortunate that there was enough light to produce shadows on the sides of the building. At the end of the year, this “unsettling tower of Babel” took top place in the Guardian’s Top 10 buildings of 2016.

Read my review of The Switch House here

The Switch House | London | June 2016

8: Concours of Elegance

Disco Volante Spyder by Touring | Windsor Castle | September 2016

One of the most prestigious automotive events of the year, the Concours of Elegance is held annually at a different royal residence. This year it returned to Windsor Castle. The 60 concours cars are some of the best, rarest and most valuable automobiles in the world. Unfortunately, they are positioned very close to one another within the castle’s courtyard. That means it’s really difficult to get shots of individual cars without getting others in the frame or reflected in the bodywork. It’s also extremely popular, so the cars are usually surrounded by people. I focused my attention on just a few of them: in particular, the one-of-a-kind Hispano-Suiza H6B Dubonnet Xenia from the 30’s, one of the most amazing vehicles I’ve ever seen, and in complete contrast, yet equally curvacious, Touring’s one-off Disco Volante Spyder which was making its UK debut.

Read my review of the Concours of Elegance here

Disco Volante Spyder by Touring | Windsor Castle | September 2016

9: East Beach Cafe

East Beach Cafe | Littlehampton | May 2016

I’ve photographed Littlehampton’s East Beach Cafe more than any other building. Thomas Heatherwick’s first-ever architectural commission remains one of the most unusual and photogenic buildings anywhere. As a result, it features in many photos, most of which look pretty much the same. Most recently, I’ve focused my attention on close-ups of the metal structure, which depending on the weather conditions can look completely different from one hour to the next. Of course, the more you shoot it, the harder it becomes to end up with something different and I guess that’s the ultimate challenge: how do you photograph the same thing, yet find different ways of shooting it? Even though it is long and low, I really like seeing the building in a square format. In fact, I’m somewhat obsessed by square format images and often tend to default towards them. I think it’s all to do with my love for album cover art. Indeed, both of these would make great album covers.

East Beach Cafe | Littlehampton | July 2016

10: Revival

Liv Coppin | Goodwood Revival | September 2016

The Goodwood Revival is always one of the highlights of the year. As much as the cars, the audience are a major part of what makes the event so special. The vast majority dress for the occasion and among the thousands who throng to the old racetrack, there are some who really stand out. For me, it’s always about authenticity and I’ve captured some great portraits over the years. This year I came away with a range of shots, but my favourites were of three girls who each looked the part. I’ve chosen a couple of Liv, one of this year’s Glam Cab girls, because there was just something extra special about her look and because she’s got such fabulous eyes! Both shots may look like they were taken in a studio, but in fact Liv was sitting in a car at an extremely busy event. Both were shot handheld using natural light only.

Read my review of the 2016 Goodwood Revival here

Liv Coppin | Goodwood Revival | September 2016

11: Rowan Atkinson

Rowan Atkinson | Goodwood Revival | September 2016

I’ve shot Rowan Atkinson a few times before — at Glorious Goodwood, at the Revival and at Chelsea Flower Show, but I’ve never been that happy with any of my shots. That’s mostly because he is just so difficult to photograph. He loathes having his picture taken, refuses to pose and generally hides from anyone with a camera pointing at him. At this year’s Revival I knew he was going to be driving and in what race so it was just a matter of me being in the right place at the right time. That was where he was bringing his car back after being on the track. As soon as he parked up, a crowd swarmed around him. I had already positioned myself on the other side of his car while he was speaking with his mechanic. He was looking fed up and I was looking into the camera screen, not at him, waiting for the moment. That moment would be when he looked up and when his mechanic had moved out of the frame. I had to bide my time, but my patience was rewarded when, just for a fleeting moment, he looked up. I rapidly shot off six frames and between number four and number six his expression changed. For a split second, Rowan Atkinson transformed into Mr Bean and I knew I had my shot. It was the only good one I got of him, but it was all I needed. It proves that photography is all about decisive moments.

12: The i360

i360 | Brighton | September 2016

It’s no secret I’m no fan of the i360. I never have been. I’ve never understood why anyone would want to build an observation tower on Brighton beach where half the view is an uninteresting sea and the other half looks down on a city that looks so much better from the ground. I’ve followed its progress almost from the beginning and regularly exposed both its shortcomings and risible business case on social media. Up until its opening in August I’d only photographed it once and to date I’ve never been up it. These images were a reaction to the hundreds of me-too shots I was seeing, each almost the exact same image taken by numerous people pointing their cameras at the tower. As someone who really disliked the project, I challenged myself to photograph it and come away with some images I’d not seen anyone else take. Fortunately, the day I was there the sky was cobalt blue and cloudless and the sun was shining. Even more fortunately, I came away with a set of images that were exactly what I set out to achieve. As always, it’s about seeing the composition in your mind’s eye, then finding a way of creating that by how you position the camera.

Read my account of the i360 shoot here

i360 | Brighton | September 2016

13: Jean-Michel Jarre

Jean-Michel Jarre | Brighton Centre | October 2016

I have to confess to being surprised that Jean-Michel Jarre was even doing a show in Brighton, even more so at the Brighton Centre. With a maximum 5,000, it was about as intimate a show as he could do. Despite my concerns about what would happen in such a relatively small space, I left really impressed with the show he put on: great sound and, by far and away, the best lighting I’ve ever experienced. Capturing it in a photograph however proved quite challenging. First because of where I had to shoot the show from — sitting down, yes sitting down, behind the lighting desk at the back of the room and second, as there were three layers of moving LED curtains, a mass of moving lights and lasers, it was problematic for my camera to know what exactly to focus on. Despite this, and whilst they weren’t the kind of gig shots I normally take, I was pleased to come away with a selection of interesting images.

Read my review of the Jean-Michel Jarre gig here

Jean-Michel Jarre | Brighton Centre | October 2016

14: Donata

Donata Talesca | Hove | January 2016

I first came across Donata by chance. She was sitting huddled at a bench in Hove wearing an anorak, looking at her phone…and puffing on a pipe. Now seeing anyone smoke a pipe these days is quite a rare sight, but seeing an old woman puffing on one, well that’s something I’d never seen before. So engrossed was she, that it was a minute or two before she even became aware I was photographing her. We chatted for a few minutes and she left. I loved my portraits of her and hoped I’d see her again. That time came in January on the afternoon of a Saxon gig at the Old Market in Hove. I got to the venue early and there she was walking past with her pipe. I said hello and she agreed to stop for a photo. To be honest, these portraits weren’t as good as my original shots of her. That can happen as there are many aspects that can affect a portrait. Later in the year, whilst I was experimenting with the Prisma photo app, I became just a little obsessed by the Halloween filterwhich leant itself especially well to portraits of old people. Donata was one of four I did before finding out that the filter was only temporary and had been removed.

Read about my experimentation with Prisma here

Donata Talesca | Hove | January 2016

15: The Tubes

Fee Waybill | Concorde 2, Brighton | October 2016

I had shot The Tubes at the same venue a year earlier and got some great shots of Fee Waybill. Back then it was their 40th anniversary tour. This time round, their Mondo Pulp show at Brighton’s Concorde 2 wasn’t quite so memorable, but I still came away with some really good portraits. The best of them were of Waybill’s alter-ego Quay Lewd. With his wig, makeup and over the top performance, he’s an ideal subject for portraiture. The key as always is capturing the perfect expression, the perfect pose. I think I did just that. By the way, the second picture was taken just after he’d been chugging a bottle of beer.

Read my review of the Tubes gig here

Fee Waybill | Concorde 2, Brighton | October 2016

16: Bonfire

Bonfire | Littlehampton | October 2016

For the first time in years, like many people, I wasn’t able to get to Lewes Bonfire. A combination of no car access along with no trains stopping at Lewes all day, meant fewer than ever could witness one of England’s best traditional events. Littlehampton’s Bonfire night, held one week earlier, is a completely different event, lacking both the proper Bonfire tradition and the scale and splendour of Lewes. However, it does always have a huge pyre. Last year, I got some great shots of people silhouetted against it so I was hoping for more of the same this time. At first I focused on shooting people who were filming the pyre with their mobiles, but then I caught sight of a bald man standing on his own right in front of the flames. The searing heat was so intense it was a wonder he could stand quite so close. Despite being about ten feet behind him, I was struggling and the camera was starting to get worryingly hot. But I could see it was going to a great shot so took as many as I could as quickly as I could, assuming at any moment the man would move away. Fortunately he didn’t, and I got my shots. This is a perfect example of finding something interesting to focus on, rather than just snapping the same things as everyone else.

Bonfire | Littlehampton | October 2016

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Creator of images that are out of the ordinary, reviewer of live music and live events and interviewer of interesting people