MySide: Unlikely Landmarks

"In Penrhys, the ice cream van is more than a mobile shop. It is a meeting place that appears for a short time before moving on, creating a temporary space where people gather, talk, and reconnect.

This documentary project follows these encounters, exploring how everyday traditions contribute to community life. Through portraits and observations, the work records moments that are both personal and widely familiar across Britain."

"My practice draws on street scenes and found objects to explore the human relationship to place and social climate. This image captures a facade in the process of coming unstuck, a quietly charged metaphor for a moment when the surfaces we rely on began to give way.

Taken in 2022, it felt urgent then. and in many ways, still does."

"One of the places of my heart, close to Naples."

"This image captures a quiet corner of a village in Taizhou, Zhejiang—the province where I grew up. While mainstream media often portrays Chinese rural areas as underdeveloped or chaotic, my lived experience is entirely different. To me, the countryside is defined by my dear grandparents, the shade of grand trees, and the memories of chasing my cousins through the lanes.

Visually, the scene responds to "Local Colour" through its minimalist palette: the white walls against the vibrant green foliage, creating an aesthetic that rivals modern developed architecture. It responds to "Places That Made Us" because it represents the authentic, peaceful roots of my childhood—a stark, beautiful contrast to stereotypes, and a true reflection of the home that shaped me."

"This image was taken at the Town Moor Fair or 'The Hoppings' as it is locally known. It is an annual travelling fair that has been coming to Newcastle since 1882. Going to 'The Hoppings' was the thing to do when growing up in the area. It played an important part in my childhood and retains a special place in my memories.

This photograph was taken as an adult revisiting this special place. I have been documenting the fair for several years now and this image forms part of a series. I liked the vibrant colours in the image. It was a lovely day so I was fortunate to have a nice sky. This series overlaps with another project I'm working on about 'Being British' so I was also attracted to the quintessential logo."

"Out for a stroll with my dog and I happened upon loads of colourful writing along the route, all set up for a 5k run. It's a great way for folks to enjoy your own surrounding beautiful countryside..."

"Burbank exists in a particular register of Southern California light. The stucco is almost always white, the shadows sharp, the palette restrained.

Blue and yellow accents, introduced with simple but thoughtful design intent, shift the mood. These colourful details lend a quiet optimism to the landscape, reminding us that even the most utilitarian corners of Los Angeles are shaped by light, warmth, and a sense of ease."

"After being inspired by the images shown at the InSide meeting, I started taking photographs with my digital camera, but they just seemed to be ones I’d already taken. So, I loaded a recently serviced Olympus Trip 35 with some soon to expire Kodak ColorPlus 200 and I went out to look for local colour. Even then, it wasn’t until the end of the day, when popping into the SPAR at Thropton, that I found it. I reached into the car, picked up the camera and took 2 shots.

The SPAR at Thropton opened in 2022, with a small supermarket, petrol station and electric charging points, it has quickly become an important part of the local community. Before this, the nearest petrol station was in Alnwick. There’s only one bus service, which doesn’t go any further than Thropton. There was an independent service that continued up the valley to Alwinton, but funding was cut. Petrol prices, much in the news at present, are still less expensive here. It wasn’t petrol I needed, I drive a hybrid, but after a hot sunny spring day, I was after some ice cream."

"A practical space, muddy back-lane, shining with beauty."

"Our horizons are cluttered with advertisements. Food, alcohol, gambling, loans, prospects of a better life.

Each billboard promises something else.

Some of them are empty, maybe because they deceived or they have fulfilled their promise. Some of them are in decay; they have lost their relevance in the fast-paced world we live in. Nevertheless, they will forever be there, waiting for a new contract."