Photography News Issue 53

Photography News | Issue 53 | photographynews.co.uk

Interview

See the showand buy the book

The Remarkable Characters of Tunbridge Wells exhibition will take place from 16 March to 9 September 2018 at Woods Restaurant and Bars, 62 & 64 The Pantiles, Tunbridge Wells, Kent TN2 5TN. Opening times: Monday to Friday 8am to 4pm (extending to 5pm after Easter), Saturday 8am to 5pm and Sunday 8.30am to 5pm. The show includes 40 individual portraits togetherwithabrief description of why or how the subjects have come to do what they do. The exhibition will be accompanied by a book available for purchase. The project will raise funds for local charity Fegans, a children’s counselling service (fegans.org.uk). Fegans cares holistically for thewhole family, through counselling children and supporting parents. Books cost £18 and details can be found on the website. remarkablecharacterstw.com

Below Mark Wilkinson, the photographer behind the project, and Anne Wagstaff, the book’s writer.

the other exhibition images before selecting a final image.

Do you have a picture you are most pleased with? Taking the portrait of Yvonne Vinall was a terrific challenge and I am delighted with the portrait. She is very used to modelling, being a life-model, but I am less used to taking pictures of an 80-something year old naked. The lighting was ambient, rather than natural, which added complexity. I enjoyed staging the portraits of her drawn and painted through her career around her. Working with her was an amazing experience. Isaac Holman’s portrait is striking and bold. I wanted to create a slightly ‘aggressive in Tunbridge Wells’ look for the punk rock drummer and vocalist from Slaves. The play of angles and leading lines, together with the large ring, newspaper and tattoos in the café setting worked well I think. Are you both happy with what you achieved? And if you had your time again, what would you do differently? We are both really happy with what we have achieved. We have learnt so much about people and about ourselves through the project. It has been a privilege to have met and talked to every single person involved. It has also been a great pleasure working with

Top Yvonne Vinall is a life model photographed surrounded by portraits of herself. Above The 1748 Loggan etching that inspired the whole project.

the charity, Fegans, that all proceeds from the exhibition and book sales are supporting. It does feel good to be able to use our skills to help an organisation raise funds. What’s next for both of you? Anne will return to her studio for a period of reflection and pottery and I will be pushing on with my portrait photography, continuing to challenge myself. Both of us would like to explore new ideas and take the idea of the Remarkables even further.