Exploring Photo London: Impressions, Insights, and Unforgettable Moments

I last attended Photo London in 2019 and had an absolutely fantastic time. Since then, I’ve been eager to return, but life—work, scheduling conflicts, and of course, the pandemic—kept getting in the way. This year, I finally managed to clear my calendar and snagged a Friday ticket, hoping the venue would be a bit quieter.

Arriving in London, I quickly realized that the exhibition now opens later unless you’re willing to pay for early VIP access. I opted for a regular ticket and found myself in line just before 1 PM. While waiting, I struck up a conversation with a fellow photography enthusiast named Benjamin. He had taken the day off work for his first Photo London experience and was armed with a Leica M11, ready to capture the day’s events.

Once inside, Benjamin and I parted ways, each eager to explore. I headed straight for the central marquee, eager to take in the art while it was still relatively quiet. The exhibition was a delightful mix of styles and photographers, with some truly stunning work displayed alongside pieces that seemed more about the price tag than the artistry.

One collection that particularly captivated me was David Bailey’s, especially a powerful portrait of David Hockney. If only I had deep enough pockets to take it home! Instead, I spent time to appreciate the photograph, soaking in its intensity.

Armed with my trusty Olympus Pen F and a 17mm lens, I spent the day capturing my own moments in black and white. It wasn’t until halfway through the day that I realized I still had my camera set to manual mode from a recent time-lapse project. Thankfully, most of my shots turned out fine, though I did wish my photo of Martin Parr had been a bit sharper. More on that later…

Exploring further, I wandered into the East Wing, which I had forgotten was so expansive. This area housed numerous publishers and exhibitors, showcasing an impressive variety of works. Celebrity portraits were a big theme this year, along with powerful explorations of femininity and iconic locations like New York set in the 60’s, 70’s and 80’s.

Following the exhibition program, I made my way to a small publisher room, hoping to get a book signed by Martin Parr. The room was packed with enthusiastic Chinese tourists on their own Martin Parr pilgrimage, live broadcasting the experience back home. Despite the chaos, Martin was graciously signing books and engaging with his fans.

I had considered one of the limited exhibition prints from Small World, but they appeared to have all been snapped up by the Chinese gaggle.

After some struggle to get to view the books on offer I opted for a copy of “Small World” which has some of my favourite travel photographs by Martin Parr (“The Louvre”, “Horister Pass” and “The Leaning Tower of Pisa” to name a few) , and also feature a number of additional photos in this edition.

I made my way through the crowd to make my purchase when the young gentleman asked me if I would like Martin to personally sign it. 

Martin was sat at the end of the table and gladly took the book from me, asking what my name was.
I found my moment to tell him how much I admire his work and especially how “The Louvre” photo reminds me more of him than of Paris or the “Mona Lisa”.

We ended up having a brief conversation about this work, how it came to be and why he has added some additional works to “Small World”.

If I was bold enough I would have been crass and asked for a selfie but I didn’t want to, and, to be honest, during our conversation, he was being hounded by the Chinese group for individual selfies.  I left Martin as he obliged the fans.

It was a honour to talk to Martin, even for the briefest of moments.

I was surprised though, how he has aged and he looked less able than when I saw him at The Photography Show a couple years ago.  It made me wonder whether he would be able to capture the spilt seconds shots like he used to (and I also wonder how Martin Parrs work would fare with the Instagram inspired crowds which now over-populate every landmark around the world.  Although I think Peter Dench has cornered that market from Martin).

Feeling honoured by the interaction, I stepped out to grab a coffee and donut, reflecting on the day’s experiences. I continued to explore the exhibition, eventually making my way to the West Wing and the Nikon Emerging Photographer Discovery area, which was an impressive showcase in itself.

As the day wore on and the venue became busier, I decided to head to Brick Lane to check out “London Pictures” at the Gilbert and George Centre. It was the perfect way to end a day rich with culture, inspiration, and a renewed passion for photography—though next time, I’ll double-check my camera settings first!

This is a taste of the photos I took on the day, expect to see some more…