BLOG 2020

CASE STUDY: CANTERBURY CATHEDRAL PHOTOGRAPHY

21/04/2020
I had an idea to link in a photography project with Canterbury Cathedral to highlight their fund raising campaign alongside photographing the staff and volunteers behind the scenes, this included cooks, mailman, security guards and some of the more famous faces, including the Dean. I keep the photography kit to a minimum, my Canon EOS 30D, a 50mm prime lens and all shot in black and white. I didn't use any lighting or reflectors just natural light.

It was a real juggling act at the time as only certain volunteers worked particular days so a schedule was put together over the next part of ten months, my aim was to have an exhibition of my work, and possibly a book on the project. I also coved some detailed photographs which would be fillers for the book and also the Cathedral could use to show archives, stained glass and other areas that the volunteers helped out with, back in 2008-2009 they had around 350 volunteers.

Once the images had been taken the Cathedral had given the green light to produce a book, this was designed by Martin Jewiss of The Familiar and printed locally by Broad Oak colour in Canterbury. We went for a limited run of 500 editions that were sold exclusively by Waterstone's, to promote the book we had an exhibition in the Cathedral where myself and the Dean signed copies, one which was for patron Joanna Lumley! The exposure for the book was national, photography magazines, BBC South East and even the Church Times!

Looking back at the work i'm really proud of the content and the simplicity of just turning up and taking a handful of images off the cuff, with this downtime i'm looking in to doing an automotive book, but with a portrait twist to it. Watch this space.