The Things I saw #4

Since returning home last week, following a string of unfortunate incidents, things have begun to gradually improve… my ex-wife Helen told me they would, twice.

My continuing stories about campsites in Spain, and their perpetual residents, has stirred-up quite a bit of interest… I’ve been contacted by a couple of agents who’d like me to go back to Benidorm and extend the story. I must admit that the idea of going back to that area wasn’t something I had planned… I didn’t like the place. However, with an actual goal now, a reason to be there – it doesn’t seem so bad.

Next Sunday I’m going to be spending four or five days in Calais – photographing some of the 5000 migrants who’ve set-up temporary camps there on their way to the UK. These temporary camps, with their shops, churches, and schools are starting to take-on a more permanent appearance. Assisting me on this assignment will be my good friend, Holly – who I’ll be picking-up in London on my way down to catch the ferry from Dover. Holly is very approachable, amiable and easy-going – all the finest attributes for an assistant on this kind of shoot. Holly also makes the most delicious Scotch Eggs… I love Scotch Eggs.

After Calais I’ll drive off the ferry at Dover and straight up to the Northwest Scottish Highlands to shoot a story in and around the village of Kinlochleven. This village, situated at the very far end of Loch Leven, was basically cut-off and isolated when a bridge was constructed and opened at the other end of the loch in 1975. The bridge meant that tourists, most of them on their way to Fort William and the Islands beyond, could bypass the long drive around the loch, which included Kinlochleven. The Ballachulish bridge killed-off the tourist trade in the town, literally overnight.

Kinlochleven lies right at the foot of the Mamores – a mountain range which includes several 3000 feet+ peaks, and are next-door neighbours to Britain’s highest mountain, Ben Nevis. The town, notoriously, gets virtually no direct sunlight from late October until early April. Its inhabitants spend nearly 6 months in a constant shadow from the surrounding mountains.

So, I’ve got enough to keep me occupied until Christmas, at the earliest. After that I’ll head back to Europe to finish the project I stated over a month ago. In the meantime, I need to order insect repellent, new sunglasses, and a lot of fast film…

All the images here, visual diaries from my travels, were made using an Olympus MjuII compact 35mm and Kodak Portra 160 film. Developed and scanned at UK Film Lab in Derbyshire.