The[ED]it

Share this post

// Edition 019. REFORMAT

theeditphoto.substack.com

Discover more from The[ED]it

Notes on photography. It's in the edit.
Continue reading
Sign in

// Edition 019. REFORMAT

Unlocking some changes, from quarry to coast in North Wales, news and endnotes.

Ed Brydon
May 31, 2023
5
Share this post

// Edition 019. REFORMAT

theeditphoto.substack.com
1
Share

A re-evaluation and reformat

Black and white photograph of a jagged rocky mountain towering over white houses
Blaenau Ffestiniong, North Wales

I’m less interested these days in marking the turn of the calendar year, instead I find myself drawn more to seasonal changes and the re-birth or ‘unlocking’1 that comes just before spring.

It’s been a couple of months since my last newsletter and that’s mainly because I have been busy spring cleaning, as it were. In this time of renewal and rebirth I am embarking on an re-evaluation of my practice, including my portfolio. This will bring some changes, such as a reformat for my website.

All this is going on ‘behind the scenes’ and the process has started with delving into my archive. I’m asking myself what work in my archive is still relevant or not to my current direction, and what previous projects have become more relevant and deserve to be worked and shaped into something more.

Do you also find yourself more in tune with the seasons than the calendar year?

Is spring a time or revaluation and renewal for you? How so?

Let me know in the comments.

Leave a comment

Or email me, I’m always happy to hear from readers and supporters of my work.

Of course, current project work doesn’t stop and I have a few pieces of exciting news to share with you below. Subscribers to this newsletter will always get this news first.

One of the best ways to keep up to date and support my work is to subscribe or forward this newsletter on to someone who you think would enjoy it. Just hit the buttons below:

Share The[ED]it


// Notes from The Singing Hills

Black and white photograph of a street scene featuring a bus shelter, telegraph pole and wires in front of a former chapel and a pub on the right called Y Goron
Former chapel and Y Goron (The Crown) pub in Aberffraw, Ynys Mon

In March I made the trip up to North Wales to visit some places that are connected to people I have photographed in New York and Vermont. Looking at my list I narrowed it down to the slate quarry town of Blaenau Ffestiniog2 and a couple of locations on Ynys Môn, a small ruined coal mine and the coastal town of Aberffraw.

It was very productive and I had some interesting conversations with people in Blaenau Ffestiniog. I was also invited to place an ad in the local Welsh language paper Llafar Bro for anyone who may be have family that emigrated to America. This has resulted in a few more leads and potential people to talk to and photograph.


// News

Artist talk

Black and white photograph of a couple walking hand-in-hand on a cobblestone promenade next to a river. They are walking towards the arches of a bridge and away from the prow of a boat

I’ve developed a very nice relationship with Marc, the owner of Barista Lounge coffee shop here in Farnham. As mentioned in my last newsletter, I have swapped out a previous series of images I hung on the walls there for a set of darkroom prints that evoke the touristic romance and ‘joie de vivre’ of Paris.

I’m currently talking to Marc about organising an artist’s talk there around Bastille Day in July – an appropriately French celebration. More details and exact date and time to come in my next newsletter, where I’ll also be able to share some exciting news to coincide with the talk.

Exhibition at Farnham Maltings

Black and white square photograph of a bearded man holding a recently harvested bine of hops.
Rob harvesting fuggles hops in the Hampton Estate fields in Puttenham, Surrey.

I’m delighted to announce an exhibition at Farnham Maltings from mid-August to mid-September in the Riverside café. I will be showing a series of photographs taken from a year of following the hop preparation, growing and harvest at Surrey’s last remaining commercial hop grower3, Hampton Estate. I think it’s a very appropriate location for the photographs to be shown. Exact dates as well as events connected to the exhibition will be announced in future newsletters.


// Endnotes

  1. Unlocking is one of the six seasons that writer Kurt Vonnegut rationalised in his book Palm Sunday and various speeches. I was first drawn into the concept of there being six seasons in the temperate, northern hemisphere typical of the UK and Northeast US through the excellent seasonal cooking book by Joshua McFadden (of Brooklyn pizzeria Franny’s and ‘the’ kale salad fame - IYKYK).

  2. The drive to Blaenau Ffestiniog takes you on the A470. Whenever I know I’ll be driving that road I listen to Cerys Matthews talk about the history and experience of driving it in a programme produced for BBC Radio 4 (available in UK only).

  3. There are, of course, still other hop growers in Surrey. The Hogs Back Brewery grows their own, and many smaller plots exist. But Hampton Estate claim to be the only one in Surrey selling hops to other breweries. Farnham was famous for its white bine hops, and at one time considered a bigger and better producer of hops than anywhere even in Kent.

As always, thank you for reading The [ED]it, I hope you enjoyed it, please do forward this on to anyone else you think might enjoy it.

Share

If you have questions, comments, ideas, projects, sponsorship or anything else stimulated by this edition, you can reply to this email, or get in touch by leaving your thoughts in the comments or contacting me via email at edbrydon@gmail.com

Leave a comment

Take care,

Ed


If you are a new subscriber, please browse the archive for previous newsletter editions.

I was not paid for any content in this newsletter.

You can find out more me and my work on my website here.

Support my work

You can also support me for free by sharing this newsletter or my website with others. Word of mouth recommendations are the best recommendations.

Thank you!

Share The[ED]it

5
Share this post

// Edition 019. REFORMAT

theeditphoto.substack.com
1
Share
1 Comment
Share this discussion

// Edition 019. REFORMAT

theeditphoto.substack.com
Ken Udle
Jun 2

I had an interesting comment all typed out but had to verify something when I came back everything was gone. The short version is mostly I follow the changing of the months because I'm retired and thant's when the pension cheque arrives.

Expand full comment
Reply
Share
Top
New
Community

No posts

Ready for more?

© 2023 Ed Brydon
Privacy ∙ Terms ∙ Collection notice
Start WritingGet the app
Substack is the home for great writing