Lenses of Croydon is a London-based connector for photographers of all levels who are interested in engaging with warm, fun-loving people who love photography. We aim to aid all members in enhancing their creative skills, building their portfolios, and networking with others in a safe and supportive space.
This spring, Lenses of Croydon has partnered with National Park City to host a short photo walk from Waterloo Station to the London National Park City Visitors Centre, where we will host a Photography Forum, Styled Talk and a light social.
Presenters
Christopher Hope-Fitch is a member of Lenses of Croydon who has been a professional photographer for the past 14 years, contributing video and stills to Getty images and architectural stills to the RIBA photographic collection. Before this he has over a decade of experience working as a printer in a professional darkroom. His career began with hand printing black and white photographs before moving to colour. This experience has allowed him to develop an excellent eye for contrast, light and detail, skills that have transferred well to working on digital images, often spending hours on a single image.
Chris will share work from his long-standing project, Brutalism in Colour. This project has seen him walk hundreds of miles across the capital, capturing the beautiful architecture of London and beyond.
Michael Shilling, a longstanding member of Lenses of Croydon, will speak on 360-degree Street Photography—exploring London from a different perspective!
Michael is a Croydon-based studio photographer who has worked in the industry for twenty-five years. In that time, he’s taken studio portraits of over half a million people as a cruise ship photographer before settling back in the UK and setting up Memory Gate Photography in 2009 with business partner Marcin Mieczkowski.
Since the beginning of 2020, Michael has been sharing 360 tiny planet and inverted tiny planet images on Instagram daily. The project began as an exploration of every London Borough and grew to regular mini street photography adventures and 30k walks around the capital.
Michael claims to have coined the term 360-degree Street Photography. He requested that his work be showcased to validate further his assertion that he is indeed the father of 360-degree street photography.
***Please note that all attendees can enter our cash (£5) fundraising raffle to win a photo. Tickets will be sold during the event.
