Amateur Photographer - UK 2019-07-12)

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

Also out now

Thelatestandbestbooksandexhibitions

from the world of photography

LoveStory

ByJohnBolloten,FistfulofBooks, £8,

72 pages,fistfulofbooks.com

LOVESTORYmayhavea romantictitle,

buttheimagescontainedwithinare

farfromanytraditionalnotionsof

romanticism.This72-pagezine

fromBradford-baseddocumentary

photographerJohnBollotendocuments

therelationshipbetweenGaryandMaree.Johnspent

eightmonthswiththecouple,gettinga closeand

personalinsightintotheirdailylives– onewhich,as

Bollotenpointsout,is generallyhiddenfrompublicview.

Whilethiskindof workis uncomfortabletolookat

• indeed,youmayverywellbetemptedtoturnsome
  of thepagesasquicklyasis possible– itsimportance
  cannotbeunderstated.Projectslikethisteachus
  valuablelessonsin understandingandempathising
  withthoseleftlanguishingonthefringesof society.
  TheprintrunforLoveStoryis limitedtojust200,
  soyoumightneedtoactquicklytograbthelast
  remainingfewcopies,butyou’llbehandsomely
  Onat MartinParrFoundation,Bristol,until 10 August. Entryis free.Visitwww.martinparrfoundation.org. rewarded if you do.★★★★★Amy Davies

I

treallyis importantwegetthis

outof thewayearlyon.In fact,Ian

Weldon,if hewerestandingover

myshoulderwatchingmewritethis

review,wouldinsistuponit – IanWeldon

isnota weddingphotographer.Thatmay

confuseyouwhenyoulookat hisimages.

Largely,becausetheyareof weddings.

Onesat whichIanwasnotonlypresent

butwasalsoactivelyemployedasthe

photographer.Buthe’snota wedding

photographer.Thismayseemlikea flippant

introductionto Ian’swork,butit’sa

flippancythatIanhimselfemploysto

gleefulandironiceffectin hisownwork.It’s

alsowhyhe’ssucceededin creatingoneof

themost cliché-free approaches to the

genreI’veseenin a longwhile.

Attheheartof it, Ianis undoubtedly

a weddingphotographer.Butthereis a

uniquequalitytohisapproach,andit’s

onethatothersin thefieldcouldperhaps

dowelltonote.ThefactthatIan’s

imagesarecurrentlyonshowat the

MartinParrFoundationin Bristolshould

giveyousomehintastheaestheticand

practicaldirectiononoffer.Parrhimself

hascommentedthusly:‘Ianplugs

thislineaboutnotbeinga wedding

photographer.I knowwhathemeans,but

thiscleverstraplineis deceptiveasheis

themostrealweddingphotographer

I haveeverencountered.’

IanfollowsParr’sleadin thewaythathe

simplyactsasaninvisibledocumentarian.

Youwillfindnoinsipidandcarefully

cultivatedshotsof rowsof smiling

bridesmaids.Iantravelslikea spectre

capturingthecandidscenesthatunfoldin

andaroundthewedding.Theimages

areutterlyuncontrivedandasa result

alwaysfeelbelievable.Hisapproachis

a genuinelyfreshspinonthewedding

genreandshouldbeapplauded.Butjust

remember:IanWeldonis nota wedding

photographer.Oliver Atwell

IanWeldon’simages

arecurrentlyon

showattheMartin

Parr Foundation

BOOK

EXHIBITION

EXHIBITION

TimMotion:An Eye for

TheSound

LucyBellGallery, 46 NormanRoad,St Leonards

onSeaTN380EJ.Visitwww.lucy-bell.com

MUSICIANandphotographerTimMotionhasshot

portraitsof someof themostinfluentialjazzmusicians

in thehistoryof thegenre.ChetBaker,MilesDavies

andDizzyGillespieareallhere,eachonecaptured‘in

thezone’– thatuniquemomentwheninstrumentand

humanbecomeone.FollowingthemusichelpsMotion

todecidewhentoreleasetheshutter,andlookingat

theworkit’scleartoseehehasimpeccabletiming.

Motionhashadmanyjobs,fromworkingforthefirst

Londonminicabs(duringwhichtimehefrequentedthe

606 Clubin KingsRoad)to runninga disco/jazzclub

(hostingartistssuchasRonnieScott).Hisfirstjazz

picturesdatebackto1971,whena friendoffered

hima photopasstotheLisbonJazzFestival.Since

thenhehasbeenaddingtohisportfolio.‘TimMotion:

AnEyeforTheSound’is proofthatjazzmusicand

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

DizzyGillespie

shotby

Tim Motion