Parked: Fraser Havenhand

Andrew D. McClees (ADM): For those who aren't familiar with you, or your work, can you introduce yourself?

Fraser Havenhand (FH): I'm a photographer based in Sheffield, I have been taking photos since I was at school, I chose photography as an A level and subsequently went on to study a degree in photography at Sheffield Hallam University. Since leaving education I became a photography assistant as a way to get a foot in the commercial world, and now work as a freelance photographer up and down the UK. Alongside studying and working I've always been obsessed with documenting my surroundings, from the last day of school (which i still have on a hard drive somewhere) to when I was assisting and lucky enough to travel, it felt like a great way to keep a diary of all the things I'd seen and places I'd visited. Alongside a passion for photography I've always been drawn to classic cars having owned 5 and helped build and restore countless others with my twin brother and our friends. So naturally as time went by I found myself wanting to try and find a way to combine my two biggest passions, cars and photography.

ADM: We're talking about your new book Parked - what's your premise for the book, and where does the title come from?

FH: So Parked actually started about 3 years ago although I didn't know it at the time, whenever I was out and about with my camera taking pictures I'd always be on the lookout for cool cars or interesting scenes with Parked or abandoned cars. As we all know Lockdown came to the uk and changed all of our lives, so without access to photographing cars through work and with extra time to take walks I started to notice cars that I once had overlooked. I saw abandoned cars, once left to the mercy of a front garden to rot amongst the trees and grass. I saw long term projects being uncovered and worked on for the first time in years. I saw the prized cars, washed off and taken for a drive in order to keep them well maintained during the long layoff that lockdown brought. As for the title, my girlfriend came up with it, i'm rubbish at thinking of titles for my work and we were sitting talking about the project in the living room, she just looked up and said call it Parked. So naturally the name stuck and here we are.

ADM: I'm not much of a gear/petrolhead myself, but I've known a few car enthusiasts over the years - to you what's the big draw? and is there a crossover with photography that might exist, but might not be immediately apparent to someone who isn't huge into about cars?

FH: I think for most enthusiasts it starts with the social side, it definitely was for me. When I was 17/18 years old a lot of my friends got into cars and modifying them and because the budgets are always quite low it makes sense to spend the money on an older one. They're also cheaper to maintain (in most cases!) I guess after that I always liked the idea that you can express yourself through driving a classic or modified car, the fact that you can change it and make it individual to you is exciting and makes it something that not everyone has. The last thing is that these cars all have a story, I remember buying a 1992 Volkswagen Jetta and finding a colouring sheet scrunched up under the rear seats with some loose crayons, at some point that car had been used to take the kids to school or for days trip and i think that's really cool that its been used and loved and passed on to the next person for them to enjoy.

ADM: In terms of general working process - what's a typical shoot like - what're you doing/what're you thinking about?

FH: Because there's always tons to think about on a commercial shoot, from early call times, to lots of kit and working alongside a big team of other creatives, I like to keep my personal work very separate. So my personal and documentary work just involves me, a small fuji camera and one lens. The whole project (and 99%) of my other personal work is shot this way. I think because you can get so caught up in the pragmatic choices that surround photography it's good to strip things back and just be mindful with a camera, and that's what I try to do when I go out on my photowalks. In terms of what I'm doing I usually just go out and pick a cool area of Sheffield that I have not explored yet, find a place to park and start walking. That way whatever you find seems much more exciting.

ADM: Is this your first Photobook or Zine? If so what got you to make parked? And if not what's been your book/zine making experience this far, and how have you applied it to the new book?

FH: This is my first proper photobook but my second go at self publishing. During Lockdown I made a small A5 zine called Light of the north with a selection of images I had taken since I started assisting about 7 years ago. This experience really pushed me to want to make a photobook. It felt great to sit down and look back at past photos, to try to find little threads that link the images or juxtapositions between two shots. This time though I wanted to make something that had a more cohesive theme and felt like a proper project. So when I noticed back in early lockdown I had a couple of images of Parked cars I really liked, I started getting my head down and looking harder for them when I was out and about. My first zine was designed by me and this time round I really wanted to make the most of the images I had and get a designer involved in the project who had the expertise that I definitely lacked! Luckily I share space with an amazing designer in the studio I rent in Sheffield - Paul Ward of Evergreen Agency - so naturally we worked together on the book to make it what you see today.

ADM: I find a lot of photography of cars a little boring, it's become kind of a dead meme in analog photography - but what you're doing here is really fascinating and compelling - what is it that you look for in your photographs of cars, and what is it that you're looking at when photographing the cars? - is it largely the same mindset or shot selection that you'd go for in broader photowalks/your personal work?

FH: I think it's more about how the whole scene works together, the car is the focus but it's also equally important how it interacts with its environment. There have been quite a few occasions whilst photographing for Parked that i've seen an amazing cars parked on a drive or on a road, but just because of access or surroundings i've had to leave the shot out, or sometimes just couldn't make it work in the viewfinder so not snapped it all together. I think my mindset stayed the same with Parked as it would have when shooting my broader personal work, and I think that helped to keep a consistent style and overall look to the images even though some are shot 3 years apart. I was always trying to say as much as I could about the car in frame without it becoming cluttered or a mess, is there a broken window that's been taped up, a posh house number behind an abandoned car, a little trinket on dash that helps you imagine what the owner might be like, I always wanted there to be something else in the frame with the car that helped us imagine the life it might've lived up to me discovering it parked up.

ADM: - That's really awesome, to get to work with a designer - I think a lot of photogs and zinemakers would really benefit from that. Do you have any big takeaways from working with your designer (Paul), and do you think this experience will shape how you approach your next book?

FH: The main thing for me is that you're bringing somebody else's expertise and creativity into the mix and that counts for so much. Especially if they mirror your enthusiasm for the project and can help elevate it beyond what you hoped it might be, like I feel Paul did with my book. I think the biggest takeaway is that you've got someone else taking care of a really critical part of the book making process and that helps you as the photographer focus on things like shot selection and ordering instead of being overwhelmed with the whole project (design, ordering, type, copy, layout etc). I think it will shape how I approach my next book definitely, I always want my work to keep a sense of authenticity but knowing it can be moulded into something more cohesive and be elevated with design, type and copy will make me consider shooting projects that, in the past, I might have found too mundane or quirky.

ADM: Were there any photobooks you had in mind while assembling this one, or are there any books that you think about a lot while approaching your personal work in general?

FH: Not specifically in terms of the subject matter, although I'm definitely not the first person to make a book on Parked cars so I'm sure there are a lot out there. I was really inspired by the books that Centre Centre makes in London, I was lucky enough to do the photography in one called Magic Papers a while back. The reason being the whole ethos of the publishers is that the books have really unique subject matter but are beautifully made and a joy to flick through, so that inspired me to make a book about something maybe more niche than usual.

ADM: What have you learned in the process of shooting Parked, is there a big core takeaway you've found?

FH: I think one of the biggest takeaways is being more patient with the process of taking photos. I'm fairly impatient and if I've made an image or a group of images I'm excited about I like to share them and get feedback from my peers or upload them to my commercial portfolio on my website. But with Parked, because initially it wasn't necessarily a project at all, and then when it did turn into an ongoing project I knew I wanted to make a book, I had to keep the images away on my computer and only look at them from time to time. It helped me realise that I could take a step back from my photography and take my time with developing the work and that I didn't have to put pressure on myself to keep churning out shots for Instagram or my portfolio (which sometimes it felt like I was doing).

ADM: From Al Palmer (of Brown Owl Press): What was the biggest single turning point for you as an artist?

FH: I think to be honest it was when I just started consistently going outside with my little camera and my 40mm lens and just deciding "I'm going to photograph whatever catches my eye today whether it's a rubbish bag on the floor or a shop window that looks interesting" and genuinely sticking to it. I used to over analyse a lot of what I was doing and try to figure out how other people whose work I loved were making magic in their images. I'd get caught up wondering why somebody else's work was amazing and mine wasn't. The best bit of advice I've ever been given is from a photographer I assisted for years in Sheffield and he said to me "You just have to start, take some pictures and see what happens" and even though it sounds so simple I think a lot of people really struggle with just making a start. When I started thinking like that things just seemed to click into place a lot more, I seemed to find a groove and start to carve out a style in my work and because I was enjoying what I was doing, my motivation to shoot as much as I could went through the roof.

ADM: What question do you have for the next photographer?

What keeps you motivated on the days when everything feels more difficult than it should?

ADM: Where can we pick up a copy of the book? Any final thoughts/words/shoutouts?

FH: Firstly i'd like to say thank you for the interview. It's been great to think about the project and be asked some really great questions. I would like to shout out my girlfriend Charlie for helping me keep it real when looking at my work. Also I'd like to shout out David for mentoring me and giving me the confidence to be a photographer, Justin for letting me chew his ear off on the phone about making photo books and how it all works, Phil for all his advice and weekly chats, and to Stefan and Ant for keeping me going in the group chat. The book is available through my website for pre-order, The first 50 copies bought come with a free 10x8 print.

https://www.fraserhavenhand.co.uk/parked-photobook

Lost Angels: Andrei Amodia

Andrew D. McClees (ADM): For those who aren't familiar with you, or your work - could you introduce yourself?

Andrei Amodia (AA): My name is Andrei Amodia, I was born in the Philippines, and my family moved to LA in 1994; Since then, I go back and forth from LA and the Philippines. I was first introduced to photography in 2004, when a coworker of mine at Kip’s Toyland brought his camera with him to work, and my love for photography was ignited [by that interaction].

ADM: We're talking about Lost Angels - which is a book/zine of street photographs set in Los Angeles - is there a particular focus to the book (in your own words), and did you come up with the title or concept, before the photographs?

AA: The focus for this book is very simple - I just want to show my families and friends in the Philippines what America looks like from my point of view. At first I [shot] black and white but I thought color would show more detail and information for my family and friends to see - so I switched to color around 2014. I shot bnw from 2006-2010, though I did not do any photography 2011 - to early 2014. I came up with the title after the photographs - I am sure other people have used "Lost Angels" but I can’t think of any better title. The reason why I titled it Lost Angels is because I imagine people living in the city of angels (Los Angeles) are angels but none of us are doing any angelic stuff; so we are all “lost angels.”

ADM: What is the inspiration for the project, or this particular body of work?

AA: I can't really say I have an inspiration for this project because I was not really doing a project. Over the years as I have collected more photos I started to see something that could be put together into a book; but what really pushed me to make one is that I am in a situation that I don’t want to photograph anymore, unless I make a book/zine. In order for me to move forward and photograph the book/zine has to be done.

ADM: So looking forward, what do you think your next project will be, or will be about, now that you're committing to making books/zines as the core of your practice?

AA: There is a part 2 to My Lost Angels project - maybe 3 even, but I am planning to make a Photobook/zine for my Philippines photographs that I made late 2008- late 2010 before proceeding to the 2nd part of my Lost Angels photobook/zine project. There are other projects I want to put out such as the Black Queen project (portraits of black women) which is almost ready. [Another project in progress is] the torn faces project - these are posters of politicians that they posted during the election but did not take them down after, so the posters have deteriorated and made the faces look deformed - somehow this represents how corrupt they are in our country. These are just some [projects] that I have in my plans.

ADM: Oh fascinating - what makes the (potential) part 2 + 3 different from part one, or what did you get out of part one that you're using/approaching your subsequent projects with?

AA: It is not going to be totally different. It is most likely going to be a continuation of the first one - In part 1 it has 5 chapters and I had people write on a yellow paper what they can say about LA and added that to the book as a beginning to each chapter and, next to it photos of police doing their thing - Maybe I am going to do more of this in part 2 -- having people write. In each chapter I sequenced the photographs in a way so it will tell a short story, at least to me. So I think sequencing photographs to tell a short story in each chapter is what I learned or got from part 1. After reviewing some of the photographs that I didn’t use in part 1, that can stand on their own, I realized that they can be put together and make more short stories and put into a book/zine -- Short stories probably only I can understand. But it gives me guidance on how to arrange the photos.

ADM: What was your image selection process like for Lost Angels? And how did you sequence your book?

AA: I am not a very technical photographer - same goes when I am selecting images. I just select the ones that really stand out at the time of selection until I get to 60 images - then I group the ones that are kind of similar and sequence them in a way to make a really short story. This way, the sequencing of the images looks organized.

ADM: When you're out shooting (for this book, or otherwise) is there anything you think about, or focus on? A process?

AA: When I go out I don’t really think about making photographs - I have my camera with me all the time - even during those years I didn't really take any photographs (2010-2014.) I just go out and let the world happen and if I react to something that is the only time I think about really photographing until I am done with it. It could be street portraits, cityscapes, or landscapes, - even cars.

There are times I need motivation or a little push; that is when I tell myself I am focusing on portraits or landscape etc etc just to get me going. And I will tackle whatever I am planning to do that day, but I never say today I will do street photography for some reason - I guess that is my focus and process at the same time.

ADM: What specifically is it about the book form that you find suits your work?

AA: I did not really put a lot of thought [into] the book form - I just wanted something that is larger than a 5x7, and affordable to me and to whoever is interested.

ADM: If there were one image, or maybe even five images that were absolutely essential to understanding the book, or in this case that you'd show your family and friends in the Philippines to explain, which one would it be, and why?

AA: In the Philippines we think of America as this Glitz and Glamour world and it is as we see it through Hollywood movies. So I moved close to DTLA to capture the opposite of that and that is what I want to show them. If I were to pick an image or two, it would be the first image of the book, where two men giving the finger to the police and the police are waving back at them and the image on page 41 - a photographer taking a picture of a model while they are both on the ground and to the side there is a man digging in the trash and in the background there is a movie set a group of police cars on a car carrier.

AA: this image here [below] would probably explain a lot about Cebu, Philippines. We are a very Catholic country, and I believe the only country that doesn’t have a divorce law besides the Vatican City, because of our religion.

ADM: In terms of influence, are there any photographers or other artists who have influenced or shaped your work, either in your process or the photos you like to make?

AA: Yes, Henri Cartier Bresson has had a huge impact in how I work and so has Garry Winogrand. Richard Avedon and Diane Arbus also are a big part of my growth as a photographer. The most recent is Martin Parr -- Their photographs don’t really influence me (maybe a little) but their words, and how they work, influence me the most.

ADM: Do you have any specific favorite or influential Photobooks? Or have you mostly been working from your own template?

AA: There is a HCB book, and Garry Winogrand book (I do not remember the titles -- I have them in the Philippines and have not checked them since 2010.) I think these are very influential to how I photograph, and how I selected photos for the book - but the way I arranged the book I copied what Robert Frank said when he was doing the Americans.

ADM: What advice would you give to someone just starting out in street photography, or looking to document their surroundings? Is there any stand out piece of advice you've gotten or have found in your practice?

AA: I have not gotten any advice from anyone - photography has always been a solo thing for me. I mostly learned what I know from what I read about other well known photographers of the past. All I can say is if you want to do street photography, or any type of photography, is to just do it. Immerse [yourself] in all of the information [you] can gather and apply it. Eventually [you’ll] find [your] own way of photographing. But you got to have passion and obsession to actually grow as a photographer - without it you will not go anywhere.

ADM: From Al Palmer (of Brown Owl Press): What was the biggest single turning point for you as an artist?

AA: When I decided to leave black and white and just do color - it took some time for the transition to happen. That was the biggest turning point for me. I believe my thinking process changed when I switched to color - it is more open to more possibilities. Although I do just color now, color is not a deciding factor for me to take a photograph.

ADM: Where can we pick up copies of Lost Angels? and do you have any other parting words/shoutouts?

AA: Lost Angels is a self-published book of mine - I am not looking for anything big to come out from it. Right now direct messaging me in my instagram (@andreiamodia) or facebook is the only way to get a copy.