Primarily street photography is not reportage, it is not a series of images displaying, together, the different facets of a subject or issue. For the street photographer there is no specific subject matter and only the issue of ‘life’ in general using the bare minimal photographic equipment that is compact, they don’t leave the house in the morning with an agenda and they don’t visualise their photographs in advance of taking them. street photography is about seeing and reacting, almost by-passing thought altogether.
For many street photographers the process does not need ‘unpacking’, It is, for them, a simple ‘Zen’ like experience, they know what it feels like to take a great shot in the same way that the archer knows they have hit the bullseye before the arrow has fully left the bow. As an archer and street photographer myself, I can testify that, in either discipline, if I think about the shot too hard, it is gone. bye.
post script Special FX blast from the classics past -
'One Second After' is one scary freakin' book. An electric magnetic EMP hit on the U.S. would devastate all of us for such a long time - highly recommend this read. Good common sense measures are included in the read. Bye.
CHISLEHURST Caves, as an underground location site, took off as a music venue in the late 1950s when the South London Jazz Club organised concerts featuring Kenny Ball, Acker Bilk and Humphrey Littleton.
But the caves really exploded in the late 1960s when rock bands such as Pink Floyd and The Jimi Hendrix Experience came onto the scene.
Andy Bown, 55, who has played keyboards in Status Quo for the past 26 years, was a member of local band The Herd which played the caves six times in 1966 and 1967 before hitting the big time.
"The caves were very white, chalky and bloody freezing unless we were leaping around on stage," he said.
"We probably sounded crap because it was like playing inside a pudding basin."
But as pioneers of camp rock, The Herd wowed crowds with their heavy make-up, wild costumes and crazy antics.
"I was poncing about with eyeliner, mascara and gold suits," said Andy.
"The caves had a certain Hallowe'eny feel and nuttiness. I used to climb a white stepladder and throw bananas to the girls."
Philip Donkin, 22, from Bromley, a Bournemouth University MA student in radio production, is making a programme about the concerts for a student-run internet radio station.
"I wanted to tell the story of the concerts through the memories of people who were there by taking them back to the caves and interviewing them," he said.
One of Philip's interviewees is commercial vehicle salesman Bryan Harvey, 55, who lived in St Mary Cray and would walk to the concerts at the weekend.
Mr Harvey, who now lives in Somerset, saw Jimi Hendrix perform at the caves in 1966 on the same day as the release of Hey Joe.
"I didn't particularly like the music but Hendrix was tremendous," he said.
"He played the guitar with his teeth and behind his back and was completely out of his head."
But Jimi Hendrix was not the only one "out of his head" at the caves.
"It was normal among one's friends in that culture and it never got out of hand."
Chislehurst resident Barry Mitchell, 53, who owns a music shop, Wing Music, in Upper Elmers End Road, Beckenham, was also
a regular partygoer at the caves.
"I probably saw some famous names but I don't remember much."
However, he does remember playing the caves with former local band The National Soul Board in 1966.
"There were a lot of sweaty bodies, a great vibe and a sea of 200 faces."
Paul Andrews, 44, of Green Acres, in Eltham, who has worked on and off as a guide at the caves since 1974, went to concerts in the 70s and saw bands such as The Primitives and The Pretty Things.
"Lots of people were rolling around in the mud," he said.
"There were all kinds of mischief going on, especially in dark corners."
The caves' acoustics meant as many as five different bands could play simultaneously in different alcoves.
But the concerts had always been illegal. They ended in the late 1970s after organisers were threatened with legal action.
Anyone with memories of concerts at the caves can call Philip Donkin on 07947 436871. bye.
NEWS REPORTER: After a gloomy day filled with the sorrowful news that Prince was found dead in his home at the too young age of 57, a giant rainbow appeared right above his mansion to let all of the mourners outside know that everything was going to be alright. Keep reading about how even mother nature gave a beautiful sendoff to the iconic singer.
