Londonist Behind The Lens: DOYLE

Lindsey
By Lindsey Last edited 173 months ago
Londonist Behind The Lens: DOYLE
Watching David Blaine, Tower Bridge. Sometimes watching the watchers watch the watched is better than looking at what you are meant to be watching
Watching David Blaine, Tower Bridge. Sometimes watching the watchers watch the watched is better than looking at what you are meant to be watching
It's not safe or clever to be out at 5am in Burgess Park but the new lights they have put in are mint! I love the light they give at this time of the morning, mixing with the natural light. Shame I did not have my camera a few mornings before as there was a great mist coming in just floating above the path. Never mind, lesson learnt. ALWAYS take your camera with you!
It's not safe or clever to be out at 5am in Burgess Park but the new lights they have put in are mint! I love the light they give at this time of the morning, mixing with the natural light. Shame I did not have my camera a few mornings before as there was a great mist coming in just floating above the path. Never mind, lesson learnt. ALWAYS take your camera with you!
Sometimes you meet the strangest things when out for a stroll. London is full of lonely electronica and now it only seems to be years old rather than REALLY old. Computers, hoovers, washing machines, TVs, fridges... This chap was here for 2 days before hitting landfill heaven.
Sometimes you meet the strangest things when out for a stroll. London is full of lonely electronica and now it only seems to be years old rather than REALLY old. Computers, hoovers, washing machines, TVs, fridges... This chap was here for 2 days before hitting landfill heaven.
S E London kidz: for all those who wonder, no, it was not set up! I was taking a few shots from the top of a tower block and my kids were with me. I turned to say something to them (shut up?) and saw and captured this shot. It is one of my fave pics. Tiles and light somehow always seem to work... as do guns
S E London kidz: for all those who wonder, no, it was not set up! I was taking a few shots from the top of a tower block and my kids were with me. I turned to say something to them (shut up?) and saw and captured this shot. It is one of my fave pics. Tiles and light somehow always seem to work... as do guns
Lady on the bus in Camberwell: It is always difficult to point a camera at a stranger on a bus - that's where the iPhone comes into its own! I was so pleased with the results and with 21st century tech making the iPhone camera pretty good(ish) it's always worth a shot if the light is good.
Lady on the bus in Camberwell: It is always difficult to point a camera at a stranger on a bus - that's where the iPhone comes into its own! I was so pleased with the results and with 21st century tech making the iPhone camera pretty good(ish) it's always worth a shot if the light is good.
Southampton Way before the rain: There is a scrap yard, sorry, architectural salvage outlet near me and the figures were just waiting for the right light... I waited and had the shot in mind, when suddenly while washing up the sky went dark and I remembered the figures! Grabbed the camera and ran to the yard!! Even,the light pole, which i always saw as a problem, became friendly, and looked quite proud I thought. Oh, and the poster colours being the same as the sky? Complete coincidence. Nice.
Southampton Way before the rain: There is a scrap yard, sorry, architectural salvage outlet near me and the figures were just waiting for the right light... I waited and had the shot in mind, when suddenly while washing up the sky went dark and I remembered the figures! Grabbed the camera and ran to the yard!! Even,the light pole, which i always saw as a problem, became friendly, and looked quite proud I thought. Oh, and the poster colours being the same as the sky? Complete coincidence. Nice.
I was incarcerated for a short time once and this reminded me of looking out of the prison into the Free World. But, the grass is always greener...
I was incarcerated for a short time once and this reminded me of looking out of the prison into the Free World. But, the grass is always greener...

A series celebrating the talent of our friends over in the Londonist Flickr pool. Here, they introduce themselves and share their favourite London shots.

My name is DOYLE and I live,work and play in South East London. That's not Croydon, Cheam or Morden, it is Camberwell, close enough to the River to hear Big Ben on a quiet evening. I work in rock and roll, looking after bands, travelling the world and sometimes taking photos. I used to be a freelance music photographer in the 80s, having my own darkroom which was a great passion, being able to play in there for hours, retouching and re-dodging prints. But I soon got bored (a habit of mine) of taking mugshots of musicians, so left the business altogether to run a vintage clothing shop with my wife in the now defunct Kensington Market.

One evening I went to see a friend's band play at the 100 Club in Oxford Street and the singer asked me if I would like to help out with band's gear as they were going to a gig in France in a transit van. That was 1992 and I am still on the road. I have all the opportunity to take photos of these bands at gigs and festivals but you know what? I leave that to all the budding rock photographers out there to massage the egos of the privileged!

London, to me, is being able to be free to wander the streets, meet new people, share their cultures, food, festivals and feel relatively safe doing it. Believe me, we have it good here! The City never bores me as she always throws up new images and is ever changing. But it has its drawbacks too. Just as you make friends with someone they decide London is not the place they want to live forever! That's a bummer but made up by the fact you meet so many different people. Being able to go on benders at night knowing there is a night bus home and a garage open for milk, bread and sundries is also a treat for those not living in the City too.

I love Ansel Adams, O Winston Link, Karsh,Bresson but, then again, I do love a good print!! As for gear, well in the past I have used everything from my own pinhole cameras to large format cameras but I think anything that records "The Decisive Moment" is fine. It's not always about quality is it? I have a Canon 350D which is fine for me at the moment as it's light, small,and fits in with travel although I would love to roam London with a lovely wooden large frame camera one day so, if anyone would like to help out with this....

Check out DOYLE's Flickrstream for more

Last Updated 31 October 2009