Amateur Photographer – 06 July 2019

8 6 July 2019 I http://www.amateurphotographer.co.uk I subscribe 0330 333 1113

Also out now

The latest and best books and exhibitions

from the world of photography

Love Story

By John Bolloten, Fistful of Books, £8,

72 pages, fi stfulofbooks.com

LOVE STORY may have a romantic title,

but the images contained within are

far from any traditional notions of

romanticism. This 72-page zine

from Bradford-based documentary

photographer John Bolloten documents

the relationship between Gary and Maree. John spent

eight months with the couple, getting a close and

personal insight into their daily lives – one which, as

Bolloten points out, is generally hidden from public view.

While this kind of work is uncomfortable to look at

• indeed, you may very well be tempted to turn some
  of the pages as quickly as is possible – its importance
  can not be understated. Projects like this teach us
  valuable lessons in understanding and empathising
  with those left languishing on the fringes of society.
  The print run for Love Story is limited to just 200,
  so you might need to act quickly to grab the last
  remaining few copies, but you’ll be handsomely
  On at Martin Parr Foundation, Bristol, until 10 August. Entry is free. Visit http://www.martinparrfoundation.org. rewarded if you do. ★★★★★Amy Davies

I

t really is important we get this

out of the way early on. In fact, Ian

Weldon, if he were standing over

my shoulder watching me write this

review, would insist upon it – Ian Weldon

is not a wedding photographer. That may

confuse you when you look at his images.

Largely, because they are of weddings.

Ones at which Ian was not only present

but was also actively employed as the

photographer. But he’s not a wedding

photographer. This may seem like a fl ippant

introduction to Ian’s work, but it’s a

fl ippancy that Ian himself employs to

gleeful and ironic effect in his own work. It’s

also why he’s succeeded in creating one of

the most cliché-free approaches to the

genre I’ve seen in a long while.

At the heart of it, Ian is undoubtedly

a wedding photographer. But there is a

unique quality to his approach, and it’s

one that others in the fi eld could perhaps

do well to note. The fact that Ian’s

images are currently on show at the

Martin Parr Foundation in Bristol should

give you some hint as the aesthetic and

practical direction on offer. Parr himself

has commented thusly: ‘Ian plugs

this line about not being a wedding

photographer. I know what he means, but

this clever strap line is deceptive as he is

the most real wedding photographer

I have ever encountered.’

Ian follows Parr’s lead in the way that he

simply acts as an invisible documentarian.

You will fi nd no insipid and carefully

cultivated shots of rows of smiling

bridesmaids. Ian travels like a spectre

capturing the candid scenes that unfold in

and around the wedding. The images

are utterly uncontrived and as a result

always feel believable. His approach is

a genuinely fresh spin on the wedding

genre and should be applauded. But just

remember: Ian Weldon is not a wedding

photographer. Oliver Atwell

Ian Weldon’s images

are currently on

show at the Martin

Parr Foundation

BOOK

EXHIBITION

EXHIBITION

Tim Motion: An Eye for

The Sound

Lucy Bell Gallery, 46 Norman Road, St Leonards

on Sea TN38 0EJ. Visit http://www.lucy-bell.com

MUSICIAN and photographer Tim Motion has shot

portraits of some of the most infl uential jazz musicians

in the history of the genre. Chet Baker, Miles Davies

and Dizzy Gillespie are all here, each one captured ‘in

the zone’ – that unique moment when instrument and

human become one. Following the music helps Motion

to decide when to release the shutter, and looking at

the work it’s clear to see he has impeccable timing.

Motion has had many jobs, from working for the fi rst

London minicabs (during which time he frequented the

606 Club in Kings Road) to running a disco/jazz club

(hosting artists such as Ronnie Scott). His fi rst jazz

pictures date back to 1971, when a friend offered

him a photo pass to the Lisbon Jazz Festival. Since

then he has been adding to his portfolio. ‘Tim Motion:

An Eye for The Sound’ is proof that jazz music and

photography make excellent bedfellows. Tracy Calder

By Ian Weldon

This is not a wedding photograph

I Am Not a Wedding

Photographer

© IAN WELDON

© IAN WELDON

© TIM MOTION

Dizzy Gillespie

shot by

Tim Motion