Redeye is delighted to bring you an evening talk from acclaimed photographer Niall McDiarmid looking at his long-term personal work about documenting the people of Britain, which he creates using a quixotic combination of portraiture, street photography and incredible interpersonal skills.
Niall’s talk focuses on his project Crossing Paths looking at how he started the work and where it has taken him over the past four years, including the changing look of the British people, the successes and struggles of organising a personal project and some of the stories of those he met along the way. Niall also discusses some of his new work and where that is taking his practice.
“Like any number of good ideas, this one arrived during a stroll. On a winter Sunday in 2011, Niall McDiarmid took the afternoon off from his family and went for a walk. The photographer ventured to the South Bank; he ended up chatting to people along the way and asking if he could take their photo. So he started heading off elsewhere, to places such as Guildford and St Albans; any town that ‘you wouldn't normally associate with a photographic project’. Influenced by Daniel Meadows, who carried out a similar project in the 1970s, and Joel Sternfeld, McDiarmid took hundreds of train journeys, visited 120 towns and photographed 800 subjects over three years to produce Crossing Paths, his portrait journey around the UK. It manages to be both a personal project – the photographer struck up conversations with anyone he thought interesting, enabling him to capture something of their personality in the portraits – as well as a document of modern Britain.” Independent on Sunday
About Niall McDiarmid
Niall McDiarmid is a photographer based in London. His work is primarily about documenting Britain and has been published and exhibited widely.
Niall won an award at Lucie International Photography Award 2012, a Judges Choice award at the AOP Open 2005 and his work is held in the National Portrait Gallery collection.
Niall's first book, Crossing Paths, A Portrait of Britain was published in November 2013
Venue and Timing
The network event will take place at The International Anthony Burgess Foundation, Engine House, Chorlton Mill, 3 Cambridge Street, Manchester, M1 5BY at 18:30 on 8 July 2014. The doors open from 18:30 with the talk starting at 19:00. There will be the chance to chat and network over a drink and catch up on the latest photographic news.
All are welcome and it is free to attend but please register below. By choosing an 'optional donation' ticket you will help support Redeye and the wider photographic community. We really appreciate your donation.