Do cities lend themselves to photography, in the way that the countryside once lent itself to painting? There's a good opportunity to take in lots of city-based pics during Urban Photo Fest, running in venues all over London 3-12 October.
The theme is 'urban materialities', which organisers themselves admit is "quite an ambiguous concept". They hope that through the exhibitions, events and symposia, audiences and attendees will find themselves engaging in lively conversations around the topic. You can enjoy the festival as a casual viewer, or get really involved in day-long events and workshops. There are also four walks led by photographers, costing £10 each, around Chelsea, Vauxhall to Soho, the City and along the Greenway.
As you'd expect, there are several free exhibitions. The images here are from Within Walking Distance, displayed at the Bermondsey Project 10-20 October, which examines 21st century urban life through a combination of both photography and sociology. Julio Etchart's photos documenting the Chilean struggle against Pinochet in the 1980s (at Goldsmiths College 9-18 October) look as fascinating as Significant Wreckage by Nick Scammell and John Levett looks intriguing (at the Greenwich Gallery, 30 September-16 October).
Urban Photo Fest runs 3-12 October, exhibitions have different dates. For more information see the festival website.