Racetrack Warriors
Since 1986 I've had a long with Caymanas Park, the last surviving horse racing track in Jamaica. I managed to revisited it in 2013-16 and once again gained behind-the-scenes access. This time swapping black n white film for digital colour.
Sound System Culture Jamaica & UK 1986-88.
April 1986 that I took my initial photos with a Leica and a handheld lamp (no flash) It was here that I truly first encountered Jamaican sound system culture and the nascent dancehall scene.
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'Inna Dancehall Style
Inna Dancehall Style captures the extraordinary exuberance and creativity of Jamaican dancehall. A massively influential subcultural scene, it was raw, sensual and at times even bombastic, with an edginess born on the streets of the capital, Kingston. Dancehall music would eventually achieve worldwide prominence and notoriety, as would its fashion with bespoke boutique and homespun outfits. The early 90s was arguably its golden era and my photos cover the years of 1992 and 1994, mainly at The House of Leo Stone Love sessions on Cargill Avenue, and the Topline club at Southdale Plaza. Also included are a small set of UK Dancehall photos taken in London In 1993 on assignment for The Guardian and The Sunday Times respectfully. Images from my collection have also been published in numerous books including Reggae Xplosion (Virgin books, 2001), Lloyd Bradley’s Reggae: The Story of Jamaican Music, ( BBC, 2002), Black Style (V&A, 2004), Street Style by Ted Polheums (PYMCA, 2010), Sound System: The Story Of Jamaican Music by Chris Salewicz and Adrian Boot (2012 ) and On The Dance Floor (A24, November 2022). In addition, two diptychs and a single image from the my collection were acquired by the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture in 2015.
'Bitter-Sweet Harvest' - Sugar workers in Jamaica.
In 2003 I had the opportunity of photographing the burning and harvesting of the sugar cane on the Caymanas Estate in St Catherine Jamaica.
Notting Hill Carnival August 25 2019
J'Ouvert revellers at the Notting Hill Carnival, London, UK, 2019.
Moors and Christians
The Moors and Christians Festival of Alcoy, in honor of Saint George. On the second day of the day festival affiliated groups decked out in medieval costume as Moors or Christians fiesta on the streets and in the bars of Alcoy, in honor of Saint George.
Kid Gloves
Established in 1884, the Repton Boys boxing Club was founded in Bethnal Green in the heart of London's east end as a mission for underprivileged children. The club has moved three times from it's original position, but has never strayed from it's roots.