Contemporary documentary photograph by Neil Goodwin.

The Evolving Lens: Passport Photography as a Window into History, Identity, and Technology.

Introduction.

Contrary to common belief, passport photography's initial purpose wasn't for globetrotters.
Its journey began in the 19th century, marking attendees at the Centennial Exposition in Philadelphia. This moment defined the primary function of passport photos: identification.
Yet, human ingenuity and necessity have stretched its use beyond its original design.
This article delves into the rich tapestry of passport photography, exploring its origins, evolution, and unique uses throughout history.

Historical Context and Documentary Significance - The Inception of Passport Photos.

Imagine a world sans passport photos. Hard to, right?
Yet, it wasn't until 1915, a century after the dawn of photography, that photo-bearing passports emerged, spurred by security needs. A notable push came from the espionage activities of Carl Hans Lody in 1914, revealing the vulnerabilities of photo-less passports.

Let’s travel back in time to a year earlier, 1914, when Carl Hans Lody, a German spy, attempted to enter the United Kingdom undetected. He wielded an American passport, assuming the alias Charles A. Inglis—remarkably, this early document lacked a photograph. Once Lody obtained this passport from the US Embassy in Berlin, he could travel to the United Kingdom without raising suspicion.

Today, we are aware of Lody's espionage in Britain, ultimately exposed. His exploit with a photo-less passport spotlighted the era's glaring passport security flaws. Thus, almost accidentally, Carl Hans Lody became a pivotal figure in the annals of passport security history.
This episode wasn't isolated; World War I was rife with similar cases. The period was defined by escalating security concerns and the pressing need for reliable identification methods. Consequently, the prevention of misuse and identity fraud escalated to a paramount concern for passport issuers.
This led to the integration of photographs in passports, enhancing identification and curtailing fraud.

The Art of Identity: Personality in Vintage Passport Photography.

In its early days, passport photography was a canvas of individuality. They captured personalities with unbridled freedom.
People posed with cigarettes, held their children, or even sat astride horses, embedding personal stories into official documents. These photographs, free from today's strict guidelines, offer a glimpse into the past, showcasing personal expressions and societal norms.

These vintage images are now invaluable for their documentary and historical insight. Old passport photos reflect the cultural and social fabric of their times, revealing personal and collective identities. Their nostalgic allure lies in the authenticity and distinctiveness of each shot, providing a vivid contrast to the standardized passport photos of today.
As historical artifacts, these photographs serve as a testament to the evolution of identity documentation. They underscore the importance of preserving individuality in our records, reminding us of a time when the personal expression was interwoven with official documentation.

Passport Photos as Documentary Images: Capturing Faces, Narrating Histories.

Passport photos, beyond their primary role in identification, have etched significant marks on historical and crisis documentation:

Cold War Espionage: Used to trace and identify espionage agents and political asylum seekers, passport photos were pivotal for intelligence and government agencies. They played a key role in monitoring individuals across borders, underlining the era's intense security measures.
Vietnam War Memories: LIFE magazine's 1969 feature, "The Faces of the American Dead in Vietnam: One Week’s Toll," utilized passport photos to memorialize soldiers. This powerful use of imagery underscored the personal cost of war, making passport photos a medium of remembrance and historical record.
9/11 Aftermath: In the wake of the September 11 attacks, passport photos aided in victim identification and memorialization. Their clarity and ubiquity provided solace and recognition, weaving personal stories into the national fabric of remembrance.
Policy and Privacy: The UK's proposed integration of passport photos into criminal databases sparks debate over privacy and surveillance. This highlights the evolving role of passport photos in security and personal privacy.

Passport photos offer a unique lens on history, from Cold War surveillance to the Vietnam War's human cost. These images are more than identification tools; they're narratives of times of crisis, embodying stories of loss, memory, and identity.
However, the use of passport photos in modern security measures raises important questions about privacy rights and surveillance.

AI, Digitalization, and Security Implications - The Digital Shift in Passport Photography.

The advent of the first digital camera by Kodak in 1975 marked a seismic shift in photography, propelling us into the digital age. This transformation has deeply impacted passport photography. Gone are the days of exclusive reliance on professional studios; now, individuals wield the power to produce compliant passport photos from the comfort of anywhere, thanks to technological advancements.
A recent survey by Passport Photo Online reveals a generational divide in how Americans approach this task. Traditional methods remain popular, with CVS or Walgreens being the go-to options for many, especially among Baby Boomers and Gen Xers, who prefer these services at rates of 25% and 22%, respectively.

Conversely, Gen Z is forging a new path, with 25% favoring mobile applications and online services for their passport photography needs. This digital preference is echoed by professionals in the field.

Rosie Matheson, a documentary photographer, champions this evolution, finding apps for official document photos a "perfect solution" for their ease and efficiency. Matt Licari, a photographer based in New York, adds to this sentiment, indicating a preference among his peers for more creative endeavors for passport photography, if financially viable.
This digital shift not only mirrors the evolving landscape of technology in our daily lives but also highlights the changing preferences and conveniences that AI and mobile applications offer, making the once cumbersome task of obtaining a passport photo a simpler, more accessible affair.

The Debate Over Facial Recognition Technology.

Facial recognition technology has been seamlessly integrated into the passport verification process, providing a quick and accurate means of identifying individuals by their unique physical characteristics. This advancement represents a critical leap forward in biometric surveillance and identity authentication techniques.
At the same time, the adoption of facial recognition technology has sparked a comprehensive debate, weighing its substantial benefits against significant concerns.

Concerns: Highlighted are the potential for misuse by authorities, the risk of bias and inaccuracies within the technology, and the overarching threats to privacy and security. These issues underscore the need for stringent oversight and ethical guidelines to prevent violations of civil liberties and ensure equitable treatment across all demographics.
Benefits: On the flip side, the technology promises to enhance public safety, streamline administrative processes, and provide an extra layer of security against fraud. It also aims to make technology more accessible, especially for individuals with disabilities, and to strengthen security measures, particularly in sensitive areas like airports.

While the advantages of facial recognition technology are clear, its adoption comes with significant responsibilities. Ensuring its ethical use, safeguarding against biases, and protecting individual privacy are vital as we navigate its integration into society.

Conclusion.
Passport photos are often seen as dull, merely functional, and simply a necessity. Yet, the truth is far more captivating. 
Passport photos serve as windows into historical, personal, and technological stories. They bring the broad sweep of history down to a human scale, offering personal insights into the lives and moments that have shaped our world. In an era marked by rapid digital innovation and privacy concerns, the evolution of passport photography underscores the lasting significance of the human touch in the midst of technological advancement.

10/02/2024

This article was written by Karolina Turowska, and the CBDP extends thanks to her for sharing her extensive expertise.
Please take a look at the link below:

www.photoaid.com

Photography magazine gets a Link.

05/10/2023
Very recently we had a listing with the Bearded Book Seller and he was kind enough to give us a link on his fast growing website that lists as well as sells interesting photo books. Here's the link https://indiepublishers.substack.com/p/centre-for-british-documentary-photography In the great scheme of things it's down to the independent and passionate people involved in photography and publishing that make the real difference to the spread of visual culture. People like Big Bearded Bookseller, who give up their time and often their money too, to help spread the word about new works that might overwise go unnoticed. Please hit the link and also follow up with a look here https://indiepublishers.substack.com/
Thank you.

Humanity - A documentary magazine on photography.

29/08/2023
As of the time of writing we are down to the last 3 copies of our first printed photography magazine. Humanity is an attempt to break the mould of current photo magazine publishing, we give the photographers a chance to explain their stories with text and captions which we feel adds extra depth and hopefully understanding. 
The market is swamped with self published and contributor funded magazines, and getting our unique journal off the ground wasn't easy. Off course we have to compete for space and the customers spare cash. We take this very seriously and it is hoped that our belief in what we do and how we go about it, comes across in a positive and inspirational way. 
Issue 2 of Humanity is nearly upon us and we have strived to crate an issue to be extra proud of and one that we hope you all enjoy.
It gives us great pleasure to publish work in our magazine that has yet to be shown wide stream and it is quite possible that you will be seeing many images for the first time. We have collaborated with two amazingly talented female documentary photographers and publish their stories for the first time in the UK. Our group of photographers also share their vision and text with startling imagery and imagination. 
We expect issue 2 of Humanity to be ready to ship by the 9th September, 2023.
Thanks for reading.

Bharat Patel - New Photo Book.

14/08/2023
When considering the photographers whose names are attached to exemplary documentary work on tribes and far eastern cultures, Bharat Patel is truly one of the Masters of the genre and a name that needs little introduction. 
Bharat is in tune with these cultures and subjects and his portraits are among the best made, his commitment to preserving, in images, these traditional cultural codes is unswerving. Now, after many years of work, a book is being made of Bharat's documentary photographs and you can help make this happen by supporting his Kickstarter campaign. Publishing photobooks isn't easy in spite of the plethora of book printers who operate online, the cost is still relatively high and balancing the quantity and unit cost so that the finished book is affordable by many is a real task. Currently the known book publishers refuse to deal with anyone who isn't already famous - they basically want a guarantee on their investment, which leaves everyone else out in the cold. So if you believe in an open and fair publishing platform then please follow the link and show your support.
Thank you.
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/patelbharat/nomadic-tribes-of-india-by-bharat-patel

Adam Monaghan - Suvilahti.
Hosted By Södervik Gallery.
Event starts on Thursday, 17 August 2023 and happening at Södervik Gallery, Helsinki, ES. 

13/08/2023
Adam Monaghan was one of the first documentary photographers to be welcomed here at the Centre. His work on the redevelopment of Suvilahti has been fascinating to follow and we often share his images over on our IG. Adam now has a well deserved exhibition in the highly respected Södervik Gallery in Finland. Here's the link to that event, and if you happen to be there at the time, please call in and show your support. Adam has a knack of capturing natural moments that carry a deep narrative, Adam also has a keen eye for important detail and this becomes very immersive for the viewer. 
There are few ambiguous photos, this is documentary shot from the point of recognising the loss that is happening before the eyes of the locals and Monaghan has captured this well. He has also recorded the hardy souls who brave the frigid temperature to enjoy what is left of their cultural space. You can almost hear the skateboard wheels rolling over the cement and the cranes clanking on the skyline.
It's very impressive work that will stand the test of time and is already an important record of what once was.

Humanity Magazine. A new look at culture.

06/02/2023
There were always two principle aims to achieve with the CBDP platform. First was the creation of the website and galleries for the committed photojournalists and documentary photographers, and second was the creation of a printed publishing platform. The first part has been a success and the group that has formed works across a broad spectrum of topics and styles of photography. It is an honour and privilege to be able to show their photography. 
On our social media accounts and here on the Magazine page, you will see that we have started a Crowd Funding Project. This is actually a Prize Draw, so for only £5.00 you can support our work and help us to spread the magazine across as wide an audience as possible. We hope to place Humanity magazine in museums and galleries etc as well as selling it direct online. Once entered in to the Draw, you are in with a chance to win a Prize! Our highly supportive photographers have offered up a few prints, the "winner" gets to choose one of these framed prints and receive a free copy of the magazine.
So, what's it all about?
There are 100's or even 1000's of photography magazines on the market, few pay the contributors and fewer still connect the images with text. Our aim is to create developed articles that fuse imagery and researched writing, much like the National Geographic. This type of thing isn't easy, or cheap. Printing costs continue to rise but we are not deterred as we all believe in the importance of print and the sale of it. Free internet scrolling is one thing but putting something into print and disseminating it even at a meagre cost, is quite different and we feel, gives a validation to the subjects/subject matter that mass marketed give away "news" simply fails to achieve. 
We give then, a voice and a platform to the subjects and themes, thus elevating the importance of and giving significance to, the sometimes marginalised subjects and topics. 
Humanity was the obvious choice of name. We look with humanistic vision, and what some might call, old fashioned concern. 
If you like your magazines free of adverts and the content varied, then please consider helping us to move forward. there is a link on the Magazine page.
Thanks for reading.
 

New name at the CBDP and useful links about our projects.

30/01/2023
Some of you may have noticed on our IG account that we were joined recently by documentary photographer Bryn Work, who is currently creating a set of images from the streets of Hammersmith, London. The photographs both candid and posed, have an alert quality and some are quite arresting. The posed images have that same directness as Nicola Davison Reed while some of the candid moments, which you might see as street photography, are majestic and have in them a fusion of Kalvar and Larrain. Take a look at Bryn's page here on the site, this is the link, I think you will agree that there are several classic images, and possibly, Man Carrying Car Door, is one of the best street photographs from the UK, in, well ages.
As we move toward the Spring time and brighter warmer days, so we edge closer to the launch of our magazine. This has been a labour of love, finetuning and difficult decision making not to mention a lot of research and interviews. With so many excellent documentary photographers and their images to select from, the magazine layout became a real challenge. But I think we have something special, it's certainly unique in the UK and the field of photo-journalism, editorial and documentary story telling. So, as promised over a year ago, the CBDP has created a paid publishing platform, and the first printed copies will be available early march, 2023. To stay updated head over to the Contact page and drop us an email, we will put you on a list and contact you as soon as the magazine is ready for shipping. Meanwhile, if you want to see a new and independent publication that connects photojournalists and the written word, please consider helping us out with a Donation, everything helps. Our website is self funded and the magazine works on a coop style commission rate for the photographers, unlike many others. The aim here at the Centre for British Documentary Photography is to support the image makers both with online space and financially, after all, there is very little scope to place work that has come from unique and sometimes marginal cultures, thankfully we will fill that space soon.
Thanks for reading and be sure to click on the links and share on your social media platforms.

Education in the field of documentary and editorial photography.

04/01/2023
For those who are just starting out or perhaps are interested in what is involved in the practice of documentary photography, we have published a series of mini guides. These are set to be in three parts and cover the basic essentials, they are free to view and are presented in an easy to read style. Keep your eyes open as we may well expand on this in the future, Parts 1 and 2 are online now, while Part 3 is a few days away, please the Education page. The articles are stripped of the usual flamboyant photo-talk so as to be more clearly understood, photography is a universal tool and there to be embraced by all. It is hoped that you find the texts informative and help you on your journey's into documentary photography.
Thanks for reading.

Documentary photography in practice. Welcome back to the future with a new magazine.

03/01/2023
As the first post of 2023 I wish you all the very best for this new year. I also extend thanks to the now 1000's of visitors who obviously appreciate the documentary photography made available on our humble website.
Our documentary photography exhibitions have proved very popular and for '23 we have plenty more instore for you. British photography is in good health and here at the CBDP we are very much aware of the role we play, however small. Our photographers continue to make informative images and we will continue to give the work the space it deserves, meaning that you, the reader/viewer can continue your experience and enjoyment with us. 
Right now the CBDP Magazine is being worked on, and over the next few months the pages will be filled up with fine documentary photographs and text articles, so please stay tuned for the latest information and release date.
Coming up real soon, Nicolas Ghirlando will be showing a collection of his British photography, work made as part of a documentary about his home town. His vision is unique and the images are a fine study on light, texture and objects most people would walk past and not consider, Ghirlando has an all together different approach.
So, 2023 is afoot and we look forward to it.
Thanks for reading.

New visual commentary from the streets of London.

09/12/22
It gives us great pleasure to announce the arrival of two new members to the CBDP, Nicolas Ghirlando and Nicola Davison Reed.
Both work in their own unique documentary style; Nicolas is concerned with his immediate surroundings and captures very well the textures and nuances of light that falls on his hometown. He often studies the mundane and skillfully lifts these scenes to a new level of contemplation.
Nicola Davison Reed works predominantly on street portraits and she explains perfectly her mode of practice in her bio. Her images have a depth that is often lacking in this type of work, she elevates the subjects and the images to a level not normally associated with this type of approach to portraits.
Please take a moment to see their work via the Documentary Photographers page.
Thank you.

Light and Texture by Nicolas Ghirlando.

When documentary photographers have a positive effect.

13/11/22
Just arrived in the post, is this recent copy of The Salvationist, a weekly magazine published by The Salvation Army. While working on a documentary project, published here on the D.E.S. page and known as English Photographs, I chanced upon a scene in North Devon. The result after a chat was two images, both were published in the magazine which has included a cover shot. Being able to engage with the subjects and make work that has a lasting effect and has in this case, lead to positive change is an honour.
(David Cross).

Classic practice and modern views in documentary photography.

25/10/2022
As we near the end of the year 2022, it's almost time to reflect on our first year of supporting documentary photographers working mostly within the UK. Their work has been refreshing on many levels and it is great to see that Bharat Patel and Sofia Conti in particular are receiving the due credit they deserve. Incidentally, Sofia's Glasgow documentary project, Return, O' Backsliding Children has had much attention and is still available to view on our D.E.S. page. Likewise Bharat Patel has been on quite a journey of late with shows popping up in Madrid and his home town of Oxford - I hope to make it over to the venue this coming weekend to see the work.
I am told that British documentary photography is "in the doldrums" but here at CBDP towers, the view is quite different. Please take a moment to see all the exhibitions of British Documentary Photography on the D.E.S. page with a new show coming in the next couple weeks - follow our Instagram to stay up to date.
Thanks.

Sofia Conti shares a video about her documentary mixed media based project.

03/08/2022
British documentary photographer, Sofia Conti has been very busy recently working on her Final Project for her M.A. This piece is centred in Glasgow and takes a close look at the cause and effect of crime in the Greater Glasgow area. The full photo set is viewable on her website and below is the video that she edited recently. Time and again Conti raises her subjects to a new point of consideration and her backdrops play an instrumental role in her compelling story telling. Hit the Play button...

Online exhibition space for documentary photographers.

27/07/2022
It's been a busy month here at the Centre for British Documentary Photography. Along with shooting projects and putting up exhibitions - you can read about the brilliant show that Sofia Conti hosted earlier in the month soon - our members have also been editing photo sets for the start our of own and exclusive Documentary Exhibition Space, here on the internet. 
Starting this week we will be showing works by the photographers here at the CBDP. We have a dedicated page for our exhibitions, you can see the first exclusive show by Bharat Patel here. D.E.S.
Thank you.

Bharat Patel and the Centre for British Documentary Photography.

29/06/2022.
First of all I would like to say a big "Thank You" to the 100's of supporters who have been in touch recently, it seems we are on the right road!
It gives me great pleasure to announce the arrival of Bharat Patel to our group and hope that all of you reading this will enjoy his documentary photography, I certainly do. The quality and depth of compassion is quite incredible. The link is a short cut to his gallery here with us at the CBDP.
Uploaded yesterday on the Female Lens page is a link to some exciting news for Sofia Conti, please check that out, here's a short cut.
Soon we will be launching our first online exhibition space dedicated to showing the work of documentary photographers with the CBDP, it's a surprise for the moment but pretty soon the page and first set of photographs will be up for your viewing and cultural pleasure. 
That's all for now, my Leica has a fresh roll and a project awaits...
Stay safe out there and enjoy your photography.

Documentary photographers and increased daylight.

09/05/2022
It's May already and the light has changed so much I've had to dust off the density filter, sadly where I am the light isn't accompanied with a lot of warmth. The photographers here continue to press on with their work and projects. On that note it gives me great pleasure to announce that Sofia Conti has had her work selected for the Finals at the Photo North Fest - brilliant stuff and well deserved. Adam Monaghan is pushing deeper into his redevelopment project in Finland and James Moverley has started a new and very interesting landscape work.
In other news, the CBDP has received funding from the National Union of Mineworkers for our Community exhibition that celebrates and explores the on-going narrative of coal use and its social impact. More updates on this soon.
Have a great start to the summer.

Photographers Profile: Adam Lloyd Monaghan.

07/04/2022
We caught up with Adam for a chat and asked him about his photography and vision as a documentary photographer, here's what he had to say:

Your work, Suvilahti Redevelopment, what drew you to that?  

Out here in suburbia, there is a constant building on any piece of 'spare' land. However, the fact that individually they are on a 'domestic scale' combined with their absolute ubiquity seem to make these developments perversely invisible. They are certainly not 'newsworthy' in terms of building any protest against them. 

But Suvilahti has quite a place in local consciousness, with big events like Flow, the skate park and probably the most well-known graffiti area in Helsinki. So it feels like a good place to focus the 'discussion'. Even if many elements of the site are preserved, the redevelopment will make it unrecognisable in terms of usage from what it is now. I don't know if that's particularly special or tragic or just part of the ebb and flow of city life.  

I hadn't realised how quickly these changes were occurring, but my friend, artist and curator Clément Beraud, was updating me about the situation there and it seemed like it needed documenting right away. That it might not last much longer.
  

What are your thoughts on the best method(s) for presenting the public with documentary photography projects?  

Personally, I love books. I love photo books as objects. I love their history and the idea of being a part of that tradition.  I like the notion that something you make can be encountered by someone completely out of your context, geographically or culturally or temporally.   

However, like all these things, they are perhaps only preaching to the converted. I've worked in Museums for over twenty five years, and like photo books, I wonder do we really reach anyone other than museum/gallery people? I don't know.  

Consequently, in the past I've really enjoyed showing my work in 'other' spaces, cafes, hairdressers, bars. Places where non-art world people encounter your pictures. That's not to say I don't love the clean 'white' gallery wall... but just that if you inhabit that world, you have to implicitly accept that your audience is a tiny percentage of the population.
  

Name a photograph or two that inspired you at the start of your photography that still holds your interest today.  

I studied Art History and wrote my thesis on photography in the 1990s. It was a point where fashion and art world photography were colliding and the magazine page was often much more interesting than the gallery wall. The Face, Dazed and Confused, ID, early Vice magazine. I was really into Corinne Day, Juergen Teller, Wolfgang Tillmans, Henry Bond...  

My tastes have wandered since then I guess... but one photo that I always have loved is Leonard Freed's Handcuffed. It's a great composition. There's so much narrative, so many questions. And Freed's position, in close, is not that of a distant safe voyeur, but someone in amongst it.  

Whatever the narrative content, I feel a photograph should still aim to be visually coherent and powerful. Otherwise, why make a photograph? I don't warm to bland photography and I don't believe claims of neutrally presenting a subject. 

Your Finland Project has already produced some great images, would you like to talk about that a little?  

I used to work more in 'blocks'. I spent a long time with the Burlesque crowd here in Helsinki. Then a prolonged period with a group of boxers. (Both groups, incidentally, who were warm, welcoming and brilliant to be around.) I think my pattern changed when I went back to shooting film from digital. I'm a bit more haphazard now. I guess the Suvilahti project is the first prolonged 35mm film work I've done.  

As a long term immigrant, you end up with a weird dual view of life, where you're no longer one thing and yet not quite the other. There's a point at which you cease to see things like a tourist. But I find it interesting to try to see what is special, visually or culturally, in the things that gradually become the norm for you and therefore invisible. I guess that's one of the reasons travel is so interesting, photographically, because there's a constant pricking of the senses. 

Your favourite photo book? 

Like most of us, photo books are an addictive luxury... I have tried to cut back a little. But as a Museum person and inevitable collector, there's books I love because they are historical objects and I'm pleased just to have one in my hands, (thinking of Ian Berry The English, Don McCullin The Destruction Business, Larry Burrows Compassionate Photographer, David Douglas Duncan I Protest!) I've always wanted a copy of Freed's Police Work, but never managed to afford one yet. 

And I absolutely love Rennie Ellis, Colin Jones, Denis Thorpe, Walker Evans, Eugene Richards.... I'll gladly flick through any of those of an evening with my feet up and coffee!   

Thank you very much Adam!

01/04/2022
We are delighted to share with you the news that we have welcomed two new photographers to the Centre for British Documentary Photography. One is Adam Monaghan, see above, and the other is Sofia Conti. You can view their galleries on the Meet the Photographers page. Adam is currently working out of Finland and has produced an array of visually stimulating and interesting work. Sofia is an M.A Student who has already shown incredible skill and compassion, her work is outstanding and we are very proud to be supporting both of these talented photographers. We have an interview with Sofia Conti which you can read here on the Female Lens page.
It is hoped that you will enjoy viewing the work as much as I have. 

F8 Documentary.

You may have seen the great work being published by F8 Documentary?

15/02/22
No? Then worry not as here is a link to their site and some details about their latest Magazine:
I just wanted to let you know that Volume 7 of the f8 documentary magazine is on sale now. This issue is the first to have a full colour cover. It also has a brand new feature - The f8 Interview. You can use this link below:
https://fistfulofbooks.com/product/f-8-documentary-volume-seven/Also, you may be interested to know that you can now get an annual subscription of 6 issues that includes Volume 7. So no risk of missing an issue now. You can use this link:
https://fistfulofbooks.com/product/f-8-documentary-zine-12-month-subscription-6-issues/
It's a quality product with a wide range of work, please support F8 Documentary in their quest.

09/02/22
Dear reader...
Things are moving slowly but that's no bad thing, it has given me a chance to continue with a few documentary photo projects of my own. I've had a few months of light duties due to a painful knee but recently my Leica has been dusted off and filled with film. Having moved recently it was time to venture into the small town, and it has proved very rich in images, the type I like anyway, the colour film on the murkiest of days looks a little like the 60 a.s.a. used by Raymond Depardon in Glasgow. There is also a sense of danger here, that I hadn't expected, drugs are an obvious issue, sirens and burglaries are a constant reminder that you're still in England.   
If you feel the need to reach out and support a photographer, please do. I am personally in need of funding to complete a book relating to Climate Change. For sure there are others too who would welcome humanitarian financial support in these trying times. 

15/01/2022
There are still opportunities to join up as one of our first PSP's.
Meanwhile, all of you who are interested in using your documentary photography skills for the Environment should take a look here; https://barnstaplemuseum.org.uk/whatson/documentary-photography-open-2022/ you don't have long as the closing date is February.

24/11/2021
And so it begins, the journey into the unknown. 
Thank you for getting this far, we appreciate that you are using your valuable time to visit our site.
In the future we will make this page the go to place for all the new items. We will post and date so you can keep up to speed with everything that happens here at the Centre and in the sphere of British Documentary Photography.

Please contact us with any and all snippets of news, including your exhibition dates and deadlines for Competitions etc.
We hope you enjoy the experience and come back regularly. 
If you like what we are about, please share us with your friends.
Thank you.

David Cross.
Founder and web designer here at the CBDP.
www.document-now.com
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