Favourites.

This is a piece of work that I did this summer as part of my final piece journalism. Although this didn’t get the best mark I was ever awarded, it is probably my favourite – I enjoyed every single bit of interviewing, writing and researching this article, which is probably largely to do with the subject. It made me a bit sad to think that this might never see the light of day again, so I am posting it here. If you can’t be bothered to read it, please just scroll to the link at the end and at the very least.

As my shoes click along the flagstone flooring of the narrow hallway towards the bar, I notice that among the sepia toned photographs and vintage adverts there are signs warning customers that there is a mobile phone bar in effect and anybody caught using one will be asked to put £1 in the charity pot. The smell of ale is overwhelming, and although I don’t live far from the area I feel that my accent isn’t strong enough to grant me entry into the Digby Tap. Everybody seems to know everybody else, and even before we’ve bought our drinks Phil Simpson has been greeted several times – he lives in Manchester now, but people still remember him from his college days when this was his local.

Phil Simpson is only twenty two, but already making waves in the world of photography. He gained his first award in 2011 for the M.E.N arena photography competition and  was also a finalist in Eden’s World Tour photography competition. More recently in February 2012, he was short listed for Emaho Magazine’s POST exhibition in Singapore & New Delhi, where his work was shown. He got his first camera aged 13, as his father is a keen photographer and  it was only at A Level that he really realised his full potential – up until that point it had mostly just been a hobby. “I had to make a decision between photography and drama, which was something I also really enjoyed. I’m so glad I chose photography now, looking at the possibilities and opportunities this has opened up for me.”  After spending a year travelling Asia, teaching English and taking photographs along the way, Phil moved to Manchester to study photography at university, where he became much more involved with the arts world.

As Phil speaks about his adventures and experiences abroad, he stops to inform me that Manchester is still his favourite place to take photographs. “I see photography as something that is about the moment in which you take a photo, and the preservation of personal experiences.” To him, Manchester will always be the place in which he started his career. “I like the grim,” he laughs, as he explains how he sees the city as a raw and industrial environment, a theme which is recurrent amongst his work. “The whether is almost a characterisation of the people,” he adds. When Phil arrived in Manchester, he felt like the world was his for the taking and feels that it only did good things for him. He has transformed into a professional representation of the person he wishes to become, which although intimidating to begin with helped cement the conclusion that he could never live in a small town again.

One of his biggest and most interesting projects was based on derelict housing in Manchester. This was used as part of an exhibit in the city centre, to raise awareness for reusing space and also exposed parts of the city that would otherwise go unnoticed. “I was really exciting, knowing that I was somewhere I perhaps shouldn’t have been. Breaking into abandoned buildings is a bit of an adrenaline rush,” he tells me, although he did add that being a part of a big exhibit was also pretty good too. “Photography is something that isn’t hugely rewarding as a practice, so it’s nice to get some recognition sometimes. You can go out all day and take thousands of photos, all of which will sit on your laptop until you maybe decide that you like one enough to get it printed.”  He talks about how he is constantly developing, as this is such a subjective practice you are always being judged. He says that you need to have a thick skin to deal with the constant criticism, however constructive it might be.

Phil’s first paid job was taking stock images for a news company called the Manchester Mule, which is a webzine.

One of the best things about it he feels is the publicity he gets. “My photos are used on a daily basis, so I get quite a bit of exposure.” The biggest downfall, however, was the amount it restricted his creativity, although he did add that it taught him a valuable lesson because sometimes you just have to do these things regardless of how enjoyable they are and eventually you will get noticed. And for Phil, getting noticed is happening more and more. After a small break to get another pint from the bar, we start to talk about his favourite photograph, a piece entitled “A Vibrant City” which is a stunning shot taken of thousands of colourful rooftops in Barcelona. This is the photograph that has generated the most public interest, and Phil is in the process of scaling it up so it can be printed as a 5m mural for a hotel lobby in Barcelona.

As he approaches his graduation this summer, Phil is looking forward to developing his career. “I want to travel some more as soon as I can really, South East Asia and Australia for a year or so just to build up my portfolio.” He tells me that in the future, when he decides to move back to the UK he would like to develop a freelance career, but won’t rule out working commercially, as he says, “I need to keep my options open in order to be employable.”  Australia is already in the process of being planned out, and Phil tells me he wants to focus on farm work, and the isolation it can bring to the people there. As much of his focus has previously been on landscapes, I look forward to seeing this set as it will be interesting to see his take on portraits.

Phil’s work can be seen here: http://simpsonphotographics.tumblr.com/ and here: http://philsimpson.carbonmade.com/