On assignment photographing a teddy bear in sunglasses, while covering the Walkie Scorchie building story. Picture: Richard Baker / In Pictures

On assignment photographing a teddy bear in sunglasses, while covering the Walkie Scorchie building story. Picture: Richard Baker / In Pictures

I’d say I am a photographer first and foremost, using different approaches for each project as I go, as opposed to one who is categorised into a sub-category under the term ‘photographer’.

My personal work stems from a fascination with industrial landscape and in particular where it interacts with nature. Having spent a childhood playing on common land and around derelict buildings, this seems to have continued into adult life, and through this personal work I have learned to look closer, finding scenes which have a limited lifespan.

I am heavily influenced by abstract expressionism, and in particular the more controlled, grid-like works. In working towards making angular pictures myself, I have used architectural photographic techniques to arrive at the end result, and, following much trial and error began focussing on surface and textural elements which also play with scale. Researching everyday environments, often in some pretty unexpected corners, I carefully compose them as photographs removing them from their original context, as if abstract paintings. These ‘found works’ examine the accidental products of our environment. Details removed from normal perspective, the subject is often unclear. From miniature to massive, they display beauty in simplicity, repetition and decay.

The common theme of transience comes in different forms in my work, from how environments around us undergo irreversible change over time, or how the lives of people leave their mark. Transience touches all of our lives and is often, in it’s detail, very beautiful if we examine it closely or on a grand scale. My work celebrates this in it’s great structures, and in it’s most insignificant marks.

With each project I work on I take a different approach, so as a whole I do not limit myself to a single subject or style. Some projects lend themselves to a purely abstract approach, while others are architectural or purely documentary.

For all of my working life, I have made my living in the world of photojournalism and documentary stills, and have been influenced by both photographers I have worked with directly or admired from afar. It seemed inevitable then, that this would seep into my personal work to varying degrees, and with the representation of people or actual people present in the pictures, a layer of interaction is added to the story of transience.

With my abstract works, I use a digital process as a research tool, then large format film to make the final frames, which is currently a wooden 5x4 field camera with a couple of old lenses. In terms of the projects which lean towards documentary, I use a digital process, always using a single technical approach throughout each project.

Being out and about, wandering the streets shooting is when I come alive. But it’s not all just for fun, so my work is used in commercial and editorial sectors, and has been published widely, including by The Washington Post, Time, Newsweek, The Sunday Times, The Guardian and Die Zeit, and for The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. See: Commissioned.

So, while you’re here, if you want to know a bit more. I’ve been an editor for over 20 years, including for the legendary Network Photographers. I did a long stint as Features Editor for Corbis, before setting up my own agency In Pictures, with distribution via Getty Images. I’ve lived in China, and grown up in London, studied at art school and been a regular at the London College of Communication as an advisor and assessor of portfolios. When I am not working, I can be found cooking spicy food from all over Asia, eating, then cycling it off. I remain mildly obsessive about alternative music.

Here’s some links:

To search my archives go to:

In Pictures

and:

Getty Images

 

General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) statement

In the context of journalism and the freedom of expression, I have a large collection of individuals' pictures on this website - some with and, some without their knowledge as they were recorded (generally) in public places. Some have made contact asking for copies and I have obliged. I have archived these photographs along with their embedded captions and what descriptive metadata I can establish in the public interest.

While I do not use marketing email systems or databases, I may have saved your contact details on my Gmail contacts, and on occasion added your name to my captions or friends name for example. I do not view or retain the personal details of those browsing this website and any Google traffic Analytics is, to my knowledge, unspecific.

I will always endeavour to protect the privacy of your information and your GDPR will not be used for any other purpose - nor will they be made available to anyone else without your consent.

Don't hesitate to get in touch with any queries.

Mike Kemp Director, In Pictures Ltd

Mike Kemp