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Wakefield: Unique photographic record of coal mining put online

By in Photography

Wakefield: Unique photographic record of coal mining put online
imageMartyn Pitt/NCME Workers at Wistow pitMartyn Pitt/NCME
Photographer Martyn Pitt originally worked for the National Coal Board

An exhibition of the only photographs to capture the final years of coal mining in the UK is to be shown online.

The collection at the National Coal Mining Museum, near Wakefield, celebrates the work of industry photographer Martyn Pitt.

They give an insight into the hidden underground world of deep coal mining between 1994 and 2012.

The museum said the exhibition ends on 18 February, but for the first time it was making it available online.

During his 30 years behind the lens, Pitt documented the conditions, practices, and stories of the last 20 years of coal mining.

imageMartyn Pitt/NCME Workers at HatfieldMartyn Pitt/NCME
The National Coal Mining Museum said the pictures were important historical records
imageMartyn Pitt/NCME Workers at Kellingley collieryMartyn Pitt/NCME
Mr Pitt built friendships with the miners he captured on camera

Coalfields across the country, including Kellingley in North Yorkshire and Thoresby in Nottinghamshire, are featured in the exhibition.

Kellingley was the last UK coal mine, which closed in 2015, bringing the end to the coal industry.

They reveal the working conditions of modern mining and the men who mined the coal.

The museum, which is located on the site of the former Caphouse Colliery in Wakefield, acquired Pitt’s image archive in 2014.

imageMartyn Pitt/NCME Workers in CoventryMartyn Pitt/NCME
The collection contains images spanning the period of privatisation between 1994 and 2012

They feature film negatives and digital photographs from his time at British Coal, RJB Mining, and UK Coal.

For visitors unable to see the exhibition at the museum before it closes, the pictures will be available virtually through a 3D tour.

Mark Carlyle, curator of industry at the museum, said: “The images that Martyn took are the only representation of modern 21st Century mining that we have, so they are a fantastic historical record of that period that we can’t do in any other way.”

He added: “This virtual exhibition is a great alternative to see a wide range of images from those final stages of mining that pretty much you won’t be able to see anywhere else.”

imagePresentational grey line

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Photography books for “less than the price of a London pint!”

By in Photography

Photography books for “less than the price of a London pint!”

The Photographer’s Gallery in London will display a new exhibition showcasing the impact that Café Royal Books has had on the photography community and the archive of British social documentary. 

Founded in 2005 by Craig Atkinson, Café Royal Books is a family-run independent publisher publishing weekly affordable photography books, enabling important photography work to reach more people. The work published often features previously unseen or overlooked work, with a strong focus on post-war documentary photography from the UK. Atkinson explains this in more detail in the below film with with Martin Parr. 

• See our guide to the best camera for street photography

Above: video with Cafe Royal Books founder Craig Atkinson and Martin Parr

Café Royal Books has a mission to make photography books more accessible, affordable, and no-nonsense, allowing the photography subject to be the center focus of the publication. Although the work published can span to areas overseas, the books are predominantly archives of the cultural and social change in post-war Britain and Ireland.  

Founder Craig Atkinson states, “I want them to be affordable, democratic, useful, and functional. I’m not into publishing decorative things or something so expensive that most people can’t afford them. Someone once said they’re often less than the price of a London pint, so I use that as a measure.” 

Musical Float, from Notting Hill Carnival, 1974 (Image credit: Musical Float, from Notting Hill Carnival, 1974 © Chris Miles)

From Burnley 1970s (Image credit: From Burnley 1970s © Dragan Novaković)

Café Royal Books has published works by world-renowned photographers such as Chris Killip, Martin Parr, Jo Spence, and Shirley Baker as well as lesser-known photographers – an aspect that makes the books more special as it gives previously unseen documentation of different classes and cultures in the post-war era. 

The exhibition titled Café Royal Books will run at The Photographer’s Gallery from Feb 23 – June 2, 2024, which will give visitors the chance to browse around 250 titles from the first 600 issues. The photography on display will showcase ‘everyday scenes from cities across the UK, including Hull, Liverpool, London, Glasgow and Manchester’. 

(Image credit: Cover of Ireland 1972-73 © Markéta Luskačová / Café Royal Books)

(Image credit: Cover of Early Colour, Hulme Manchester, 1985 © Shirley Baker / Café Royal Books)

The work curated and published in the books provides an incredible window of what life was like, and not just the highlights, but what life was really like in unseen communities, captured by the people who belong to them. An example of this is Newport 1967–2008 by David Hurn. This issue documents an area of South Wales, UK that often does not get showcased as it lacks the easy-on-the-eye postcard opportunities often associated with Wales, but is where my Grandparents lived. Thanks to these books many people have a relatable document of what life was like for their communities in a time of great change – it also helps that the photography on display is fantastic! 

I would highly recommend catching this exhibition at The Photographer’s Gallery if you can, as not only will it feature great historical photography, but issues of Café Royal Books will be available to purchase from the bookshop. But don’t worry if you can’t make it to London, they are also available online – for less than the cost of a London pint!

How can photography heal past trauma? Ask a friend

By in Photography

How can photography heal past trauma? Ask a friend
All images © Sophie Russell-Jeffrey

Collaborating with her childhood friend, Sophie Russell-Jeffrey was able to access the most difficult episodes of their past – and push her portraiture into raw new territory

Sophie Russell-Jeffrey was born and raised in Towcester, a small East Midlands town of around 10,000 people where “everyone knows everyone’s business”. Growing up, she found that traumatic events would often get spun up into town gossip. “It always seemed harmless, but when you really look back at it, we had to endure a lot of assault and harassment,” she says. “As the person going through that, you’re almost more concerned about managing people’s opinions [as] you are about recovering.”

Now a 24-year-old photographer, Russell-Jeffrey’s projects are not directly about her upbringing, but they derive from an interest in stories that “sit beneath the surface”. Intimate and diaristic, these are narratives about recuperating from experiences with addiction, disordered eating, or sexual trauma.

 “I went into this expecting to come out with a project about what recovery looks like… What I found was not a recovered woman, but someone who was still in the midst of dealing with these disorders”

Last month, one of Russell-Jeffrey’s photographs – from her 2021 photobook You Will Always Be Loved Even When You Feel Alone – was selected for this year’s Portrait of Britain award. The image is of Xanthe, the protagonist of the series and one of Russell-Jeffrey’s closest friends. Growing up, Xanthe struggled with disordered eating. “[Back then,] I didn’t quite understand it with great depth, or interrogate it in any capacity,” the photographer says. 

In 2021, while studying photography at Oxford Brookes University, Russell-Jeffrey decided to move in with Xanthe for two months. She wanted to capture how her friend was healing from adolescent trauma. “Naively, I went into this expecting to come out with a project about what recovery looks like… What I found was not a recovered woman, but someone who was still in the midst of dealing with these disorders,” Russell-Jeffrey says.

The pair spent two months together – day-in, day-out – and Russell-Jeffrey became aware of an “immense loneliness” that consumed Xanthe. This was surprising. “Xanthe is very outspoken, driven, and successful,” Russell-Jeffrey explains. They had grown up together as girls, but this was the first time they had spent a prolonged period of time together as adults. While they were living together, Xanthe experienced a bulimia relapse. “She’s not someone who welcomes pity, but I’d never seen her so defeated,” says Russell-Jeffrey. “I noticed that the problems she grappled with when she was 14 are just as prevalent today.”

The sequencing of You Will Always Be Loved Even When You Feel Alone echoes the reality of living with an eating disorder – moving through periods of binge eating, relapse, and healing. “Then the cycle begins again, of trying to stay in recovery, and this immense fatigue around that, because you’re never entirely free of it,” Russell-Jeffrey reflects. Alongside the images are Xanthe’s handwritten notes as well as letters from her family. Imbued with a striking vulnerability, these notes provide further insight into the complex process of dealing with trauma. 

What emerged was a series not just about recovery, but also friendship, and most crucially, care. Even though Russell-Jeffrey doesn’t appear in the images, her presence is palpable. The series feels like a dialogue of understanding and acceptance between two women that have grappled with many of the same issues. “It was almost a documentation of the small-scale things that you can do, the act of noticing, and not always over-analysing someone’s life but being attentive to it,” she says.

Due to the nature of the work, Russell-Jeffrey had to make certain ethical considerations. Xanthe was involved in every step of the process – while making the images, but also in the editing phases. When the project was finished, the photographer made sure that her friend was aware of all the implications of sharing it on the internet. Most importantly, the door was always left open to take it all down if she wanted to. 

Fortunately, “she loved it,” Russell-Jeffrey says. “It made her very emotional. She’s really proud of it as well, which she never thought she’d be able to feel.” The women have also grown closer through collaboration. “We went from having a friendship that we knew so well, to realising there’s so much we don’t know,” Russell-Jeffrey explains. “This was the first time I got to know her in loneliness, which is a rare thing.”

As an adult, it can be difficult to find the right words, or even the time, to properly care for friends as they experience hardship. Russell-Jeffrey’s project is a reminder that sometimes the best act of care is purely our presence. As she pledges in her introduction: “I shall be here not as a spectator to your pain or recovery like before, but as a hand to hold in the sunshine or on the cold bathroom floor, for you will always be loved even when you feel alone.”

Marigold Warner

Deputy Editor

Marigold Warner worked as an editor at BJP between 2018 and 2023. She studied English Literature and History of Art at the University of Leeds, followed by an MA in Magazine Journalism from City, University of London. Her work has been published by titles including the Telegraph Magazine, Huck, Elephant, Gal-dem, The Face, Disegno, and the Architects Journal.

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Discovering the Best Redmi for Photography

By in Photography

Discovering the Best Redmi for Photography

A high-definition, realistic image of a collection of latest Redmi smartphones marked with their distinct camera features, demonstrating their potential for photography. Each phone is positioned in an aesthetically pleasing way, showcasing the phone's camera lenses. Lighting subtly reflects off the screens, emphasizing the sleek designs of the phones. Let the focus be on the camera elements and picture quality these smartphones are capable of producing, with an indicative text such as 'Best Redmi for Photography' hovering over the image.

Summary: This article provides insights into the best Redmi smartphones for photography enthusiasts. It dissecting camera capabilities, features that impact image quality, and comparing models to suggest the top Redmi phone for capturing stunning photos.

The Xiaomi Redmi series has become renowned for offering high-quality smartphones at affordable prices. Among the plethora of features that these phones boast, camera quality has become a critical factor for consumers. As the demand for smartphones with excellent camera performance grows, Redmi has responded by innovating and integrating advanced photographic technologies into their devices.

Defining Photography Terms in the Redmi Context:

– Megapixel (MP): A unit of image resolution that equates to one million pixels. Higher megapixels can result in higher resolution photos, but this isn’t the sole determinant of image quality.
– Aperture: Measured in f-stops, this refers to the opening of the camera lens that lets in light. A lower f-stop means a larger opening and more light, which is beneficial in low light situations.
– Image Stabilization (IS): A feature that reduces blurriness caused by camera shake. This is crucial for both photo and video shooting.
– Pixel size: Larger pixels can capture more light, which is advantageous for image quality especially in low light conditions.
– Sensor size: A larger sensor captures more information and generally produces better images than a smaller one.

Comparing Redmi Models for Photography:

When discussing the best Redmi smartphones for photography, we consider several factors such as megapixel count, aperture size, image stabilization capabilities, and additional camera features such as AI enhancements and night mode.

As of the current offerings, the Redmi Note series, particularly the Redmi Note 10 Pro, stands out with a 108MP main camera boasting a large aperture and dual native ISO for clear and detailed photos in various lighting conditions. It also features a Long exposure mode, Night mode 2.0, and Dual video, positioning it as a contender for the best Redmi phone for photography.

Meanwhile, the Redmi K series, like the Redmi K40 Pro, packs a strong photographic punch with its high-resolution main camera, sophisticated image processing capabilities, and advanced video features.

Key Takeaways and Recommendations:

For users prioritizing photography, selecting a Redmi phone with high megapixel count, good aperture, and large sensor size will generally yield better results. The Redmi Note 10 Pro and the Redmi K40 Pro are excellent choices to consider.

FAQs:

1. What makes the Redmi Note 10 Pro a good phone for photography?
The combination of its 108MP main camera, sophisticated software features, and functionalities tailored for various light conditions make the Redmi Note 10 Pro a solid choice for photography.

2. Are more megapixels always better for camera quality?
More megapixels can provide higher resolution photos, but image quality also depends on other factors like sensor size, pixel size, and image processing capabilities.

3. Can Redmi phones capture good quality photos in low light?
Yes, many Redmi phones are equipped with features like large sensors, good aperture sizes, and dedicated night modes that allow them to capture quality photos in low light conditions.

For more detailed analysis and the latest releases, always refer to Xiaomi’s official website for up-to-date information on their Redmi smartphone lineup.

[embedded content]
Natalia Toczkowska

Natalia Toczkowska is a notable figure in digital health technology, recognized for her contributions in advancing telemedicine and healthcare apps. Her work focuses on developing innovative solutions to improve patient care and accessibility through technology. Toczkowska’s research and development in creating user-friendly, secure digital platforms have been instrumental in enhancing the effectiveness of remote medical consultations and patient monitoring. Her dedication to integrating technology in healthcare has not only improved patient outcomes but also streamlined healthcare processes, making her a key influencer in the field of digital health innovation.

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