PORTSMOUTH & SOUTHSEA'S No.1 for ARTS, CULTURE & LIFESTYLE

Created Local Instagram @vick.b_88

In the thirty-sixth edition of our special features celebrating our favourite south coast based Instagram users, I catch up with Vicky Brown (@vick.b_88).

Can you tell me a little about yourself?

I’m 32, lived in Portsmouth my whole life. I got two kids, we love camping and going to the beach, Porth Beach in Newquay being our favourite.

Can you tell me more about your photographic experience; is this something that you’ve studied or maybe a hobby that you’ve developed?
I’ve always been drawn to the arts and have A levels in art, graphic design, photography and digital film, of all the arts photography is what draws me the most, it’s my passion. In college, you learn about other photographers and their techniques/styles, but finding your own style takes time and for me feels like something that is always evolving.

Do you have a favoured camera or device that you use for your Instagram photography?
To be honest it’s a bit of a joke the number of cameras I’ve been through in the past 2 years. I use to be an avid Sony user but now I’ve switched to Fuji film and my current whip is the x-t4 and would recommend it highly to anyone. My favourite 35mm film camera is the Nikon F3 and my favourite medium is the Bronica SQ-A. I enjoy shooting film more than digital as every shot is special as mistakes are expensive.

Exploring the theme of local, the south coast has a wide variety of climatic conditions, buildings and landscapes. Are there any places or environments that are personal to you or that you love to photograph?
Anything with a neon light or interesting architecture. Clarence Pier is always a great shot and South Parade Pier has endless potential to create great inspiration. It also takes me back to my childhood and I’d imagine over half of Portsmouth has fond memories from Southsea seafront and the piers. For more interesting buildings I tend to favour Old Portsmouth, all the little alleyways and old odd-shaped and interesting structures.

You capture some stunning photos of architecture during the daytime and the evening. Do you have a preference for shooting in either light?  
My favourite time of day to go shoot is always golden hour. The buildings, streets and coastline just light up with orange and purple tones from the setting sun, sometimes it feels close to a Californian sunset. The shadows become so deep and give the images a fantastic contrast and strong composition.

For you what makes a good photograph stand out?
Light reflections shadow. The golden hour is best for this as you can get some great contrasting shots and beautiful colours.

My favourite time of day to go shoot is always golden hour. The buildings, streets and coastline just light up with orange and purple tones from the setting sun, sometimes it feels close to a Californian sunset. The shadows become so deep and give the images a fantastic contrast and strong composition.

Would you say that you take photos more for yourself or others?
Always for myself, it feels like an addiction sometimes as I would do anything to get the shot. If I don’t feel what I’m capturing then I couldn’t expect others to connect and enjoy it.

Are there any other photographers who either influence you or that you would encourage our readers to also check out?
I keep The Photo Book (Phaidon) and Masters of Photography by my bed, which contain a ridiculous amount of inspiration. I would also ask peeps to check out ‘Modern Color‘ by Fred Herzog and ‘Where I Find Myself‘ by Joel Meyorowitz –  and you can’t go wrong with anything William Eggleston. Final note, The National Geographic magazines contain some out of this world breathtaking images as well as keeping up with the world’s current event, something that shouldn’t be underestimated.

If you would like to get involved or you know of a photographer that you think should be on our radar then please drop me an email at stu@strongisland.co.


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