The Photobook Cafe – during lockdown instead of having their talks with visiting artists in their London venue they have been hosting them using Instagram Live, meaning I can access and interact from home.
- Senior Lecturer at CSM, CSVPA & University of Brighton.
- https://martinandersen.co.uk
An intimate view documenting Tottenham football club 2013-2017. Title came from a Barry Manilow song fans sing at last game of every season. Shot from the hip. Edited around 4000 photos down to approx. 200.
Sequencing: started the book with the most action to catch attention, then followed a loose chronological sequence.
Can’t Smile Without You was self-published, Andersen raised money for publishing by selling his possessions, including his huge collection of CDs. £20,000 to publish and distribute all the copies.
Martin Andersen started snapping photos at Tottenham football club matches, then it formed into the project. He started by focusing on the fans themselves, but all the photos are in or around the stadium. He wanted to finish the project before old Tottenham stadium was shut down and replaced.
Kim Thue influenced how Andersen shot Can’t Smile Without You, then helped him when editing down the photos for the photo-book. Martin Andersen advised to get others to help edit your photographs as a fresh pair of eyes, they can see what works or not and why. As the photographer, you can be too influenced by the experience or moment you associate with a photo that may stop you seeing that the photograph itself is no good.
Some people were suspicious and unwelcoming of a photographer taking pictures. Andersen covered the bright logos on his digital camera with black tape and wore a plain black camera strap so his camera didn’t stand out but other than that he was open about carrying and shooting with his camera. Taking pictures of people in a public space is legal, and publishing them is legal as long as it is not used for advertising a product or service without permission.
The people he photographed and were excited to be in the photo-book, but didn’t make the final edit – Andersen put smaller thumbnail images of them compiled at the end of the book.
In lockdown Martin Andersen has been going through his archives to revisit old work such as the Dog Shows, taking portraits of his neighbours in Forest Hill, and reading books.
oliverclarkephotoppp1 