Eyelevel Gallery launch

Anglesey-based photographer Adrian Cann launches
EYELEVEL GALLERY - a new Virtual Gallery space
to showcase photography online when bricks & mortar Galleries are closed.

Eyelevel Gallery’s first exhibition features work by photographer Philip Butler titled ‘Small Hours’.

Inspired by the 1977 John Martyn track of the same name - a brooding nocturnal soundscape recorded across a lake at 3 a.m. - Small Hours is a collection of photographs produced to document the peaceful cinematic atmosphere that isolated points of artificial light create after the sun has set. Captured in and around his small hometown of Malvern, Butler wandered the streets after dark searching for inspiration.

His photographs have been published in a number of different magazines and newspapers including C20 Magazine, RPS Journal, La Vangaurdia, Digital Camera, The Modernist and The Guardian.

Ffoton’s Brian Carroll spoke with Eyelevel Gallery curator Adrian about Small Hours, the inspiration to create the new website, its aims and submission guidelines for photographers interested in having work featured. Listen to their conversation in the audio below.

Philip Butler’s Small Hours photobook

Eyelevel Gallery opens its virtual doors to the public on Saturday 20 February 2021 at www.eyelevelgallery.co.uk

The Small Hours exhibition us free to view and runs 20 February - 1 May 2021. A selection of prints are also available for sale on the site.

You can view more of Philip Butler’s work on his website > www.philipbutlerphotography.com
The Small Hours photobook is available via the ADM Publishing online store > www.artdecomagpie.bigcartel.com

You can listen to John Martyn’s atmospheric Small Hours free on Spotify here >

Ffoton Socials return online

Join us for new supportive community discussions and guest talks as we double-up on our popular Monthly Ffoton photography socials -now online during Covid-19 lockdown

We’re excited to announce the return of a double-dose of our monthly Ffoton socials online via Zoom in the immediate future.

AVAILABLE IN TWO FLAVOURS!

We will be hosting Ffoton Socials every second and fourth Thursday of each month: one being a small, friendly and supportive Community Discussion social between twelve people; and the other with a guest speaker talking about their work or services contributing to the wider photography community.

These online Ffoton Socials are not only a unique opportunity for those new to or studying photography to meet and engage with other photographers in a relaxed, friendly and supportive environment but also offer a platform to build new relationships for ongoing discusson, advice and personal & professional development.

• Monthly Community Discussion Socials are free to join but limited to twelve participants on a first-come first-served basis.
  Places can be booked using the form at the bottom of this page.

• Our Guest Speaker Socials have lots of places available at just £3.00 per place/event or £5.00 for two events (one event per month). Places can be booked via our online store here.

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Guest Speaker SocialS

Thursday 25 February 2021

Euan Ross - photographer and founder of Biblioscapes.com

Euan Ross is a Glasgow-based photographer and founder of Biblioscapes.com - a website and Podcast which he describes as "the digital library of my personal collection of photobooks".

Euan is being modest - we think the Biblioscapes website is more than that!

Biblioscapes hosts an extensive and growing library of video flip-throughs of the photobooks in Euan's collection with new entries added weekly. In late 2020, Euan added a 'In Discussion' section to the website - a Podcast in which he talks with the artists, photographers, book designers and publishers who have worked on the books in his collection.

Euan will share his background in photobook collecting and the fascinating ‘origin story’ of Biblioscapes and its ongoing development with a new Podcast series. There will be an audience Q&A and discussion.

Book a ticket for this event here >

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Thursday 25 March 2021

Cary Benbow - independent writer on photography

Indiana, USA-based Cary Benbow is an independent writer, editor, staff writer at F-Stop Magazine and photographer.

Cary's articles, interviews and book reviews have been published widely in a number of online and print magazines and he's a regular contributor to the popular F-Stop Magazine on Medium. He is also the publisher of Wobneb Magazine

With photography articles and reviews being important components in promoting new work, exhibitions and photobooks and those delivered online gaining more popularity and large audiences, Cary will talk of his background in writing on photography and his approach to keeping a finger on the pulse of good work being produced internationally. This event is a great opportunity for photographers to interact directly with a knowledgable writer based in the USA but whose work reaches audiences worldwide.
There will be an audience Q&A and discussion.

Book a ticket for this event here >

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Community Discussion Socials

Complete the form below if you’d like to join our first Community Discussion Social.
Places will be allocated to the first twelve respondees.

Doc Cymru Collective

In this exclusive first interview with its four members, Ffoton explores the project behind Wales’ new photographer Collective - collaborating to document
the impact of Brexit on people across Wales.

Ffoton’s Emyr Young talks with DocCymru photographers Rhodri Jones, Kristina Banholzer, Roger Tiley and Glenn Edwards about their new documentary project in Wales and what it aims to achieve over the next three years.

Follow the photographers and development of the project on Twitter @DocCymru24

© 2021 Ffoton

Wales 2020 Photography Survey

Ffoton are Excited to present the Results of the Photography Survey Wales 2020

The survey was intended to run from 15 February to 31 May 2020 but was extended by a month and closed 30 June 2020 during the first wave of the Covid-19 pandemic in the UK. The survey was open to anyone with an interest in photography in Wales.

This online survey sought to create a ‘snapshot’ of current opinion on photography activity across Wales and gather comments and suggestions on any areas that might be improved. We believe this to be the first photography survey of its kind ever undertaken in Wales: open to all and unaffiliated with any commercial or formal organisation or body. 

All contributions by those who completed the survey were treated anonymously as we wanted anyone with an interest in photography to feel they could provide honest feedback and air their views in confidence. Comments by respondents have been included unedited - the only few adjustments were ‘tweaks’ for profanity or disguising personal information submitted.

Structured with an Introduction and three main sections, the survey sought to gain insight and views on the following:

Photography and You - geographic location of respondents; their current interest in photography; aspects most important to them; their favourite way to access photography; and their preferred skillset if working collaboratively.

Photography in Wales now - preferred online engagement; preferred exhibition types; preferred photography Festivals organised in recent years in Wales and preferred photography-specific spaces receiving funding in terms of best value and visiting experience offered.

Photography in Wales going forward - any preferred new exhibition types/locations; preferred publications, workshops and meeting formats; preferred organisation to organise and deliver photography activity in Wales; any preference on how photography activity is funded; and views on photography activity, funding, opportunities and strategy going forward. A final question invited respondents to suggest what would help develop the wider photography community in Wales in the future.

Ffoton has made these survey findings available under a Creative Commons license and the 122 page document is available for free download via the button below.

Walking Cardiff : Book launch

Ffoton joined Newport-based photographer John Briggs for a special event in Cardiff on Saturday 9 November to launch ‘Walking Cardiff’ - a new book he collaborated on with author and poet Peter Finch and published by Seren Books.

l-r: photographer John Briggs, writer Peter Finch, and event Chair - novelist and literary critic Grahame Davies

“Walking Cardiff is a new book published by Seren and brings together twenty walks around the bustling capital of Wales in a guide that visits the new and the ancient, the difficult, the undiscovered, the lesser-knowns, the artistic, the entertaining, the quirky and the unexpected - uncovering Cardiff past and present for all to enjoy.”

— Seren Books

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The authors describing some of the more interesting walks around Cardiff. Image © Brian Carroll

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The animated Peter Finch describing the ‘psychic centre’ of Cardiff with photographer John Briggs capturing the moment. Image © Brian Carroll

To mark the launch of the new book, Seren hosted a free event in Jurys Hotel in Cardiff bringing together author Peter Finch and photographer John Briggs in conversation with Grahame Davies.

Our thanks to the authors and Seren Books for agreeing to record the event.

You can find out more about the book on Seren’s website - www.serenbooks.com