Mark Fearnley: Exploring the Inspiration of Fine Art Street Photography
“I think a good photographer will take an interesting picture and avoid phrases.”
Mark Fearnley is recognised internationally and acclaimed for his fine art street photography where over the years, he has built up an impressive portfolio of images. His unique and distinctive visual style, combined with his painting background, is highly distinguished and instantly recognisable. Mark is also passionate about sharing his knowledge and inspiring photographers around the world to keep creating and reaching their potential.
© Mark Fearnley
JLH: Good evening, Mark, it is such an honour and privilege to be speaking with you. Please tell us a little about you; when and how did your passion for photography start?
MF: Good evening, Jovis, thank you for having me; it’s great to be here. I was born 50 miles outside the North of London. I've always lived in and around London all my life. I've been a painter artist ever since I left school. I've always been creative. I've painted in the form of abstract paintings on canvases for prominent interior designers in massive homes where they have a big white living room, and everything is minimalist, but then they want a big piece of abstract art. I've done that for many years. I've also worked with English Heritage and National Trust where I have painted marble effects and gold leaf effects for big stately homes for them. I've also been a musician playing the bass guitar.
The art background has always been a big part of me but I packed away my paintbrushes and I just use the camera now for my art. I've been taking photos for about eight or nine years. I was lucky enough to travel around the world for two years with my wife. We travelled to 26 countries and my wife bought me a camera for the trip and that is how I got started in photography.
JLH: Oh! That is a lovely story! So, we all must thank your wife for getting you started in photography! How has your style, practice and technique evolved over the years from when you started to now?
MF: When I first started to now I think my style has changed. I was shooting 50/50 colour and black and white. Now I'm probably shooting about 85% black and white to colour. My whole approach is different now. Before, I was just basically looking for an artistic picture, maybe abstract more back then but now I'm looking even more. I look for shapes, patterns, repetition and lines. These are the first things I look for, and a good strong light source. I don't actually look for people. The first thing I look for in a street is a scene, then I wait for the human element to come into my pictures. For this type of photography, you need patience. Something that catches my eye is geometry and as you'll see from my work I like graphical scenes. I like strong lines and hard contrast between black and white and scale. And normally one person or a silhouette. They're the sort of things I look for in a scene.
© Mark Fearnley
JLH: I see that’s how you make your images because you are what they say fishing. You're not a hunter.
MF: Yes, even if I may not put labels on people as they put people in boxes and a lot of people might even say there's no such thing but as far as people told me they say I take candid shots with people involved in the streets. I just put a name to it as more fine art. I tend to think my photography looks good on a wall as opposed to pure street photography, I think it is like reading a book, there is the art side and the aesthetics against the narrative.
JLH: Indeed, that is one way of looking at it. What makes photography so special for you?
MF: I think just creating and being creative. I just like to create even when I'm at home. I've got a little studio in my cellar in my house, and I still go down there occasionally and do some painting. It's a nice feeling just to create an image of a painting or anything really.
JLH: Well, from what I've seen, they're amazing. How do you come up with a concept for your images?
MF: A lot of street photographers will say to me, “Mark on Saturday, it’s not going to be sunny. Let's not go out and shoot.” I think what you have to have with this type of photography is you have to have a mindset where you have different days and different approaches. So, on a sunny day, 100% I would be shooting outside for shadows and lines and all that. If it's a dull day, I tend to go inside. If it's raining outside, I can go for reflections and puddles, but you can get so much from shooting inside by using natural light sources wherever you are. I love the underground and I absolutely love shooting in museums.
© Mark Fearnley
© Mark Fearnley
© Mark Fearnley
JLH: There is always a way to shoot, whether inside or outside if we really want it, I think. How do you communicate what you are feeling and seeing in your photos within your photos? Is there a message in your work?
MF: Yes, some of the pictures you can make in an hour or two because if it's a solitary person going over one of the bridges in Venice for example where you got a canal and it's misty during November time, or someone's walking over the bridge and it’s just a dark silhouette, where it's also misty and you can go for black and white. You're sending a message there because it's really moody and very atmospheric because the mist is coming off the vividness. I think narratives and aesthetics are what I prefer. For me, it's visual. It's so subjective, as everyone's work is different, but if you can find yourself a style and go along with that, then I'd like to think I've got a little bit of my own identity. People do say to me that they can tell that was one of my images when they see it.
JLH: You have some music background, and you look and dress like a rock star to me. Has music influenced your photography?
MF: Yes, I come from a music background, and yes, I think it does. I was in a band. We were a bit alternative. Lots of blacks because we all wore black leather trousers, and that was our style. It was dark, gothic, and you could put that alongside my own photography.
JLH: I can see that. Do you spend time working on a project or do you just go out and shoot and put them all together later?
MF: I've always got at least three to four projects on the ground at any time. I did a book called “Beneath The Streets” which was a self-published book. It was all shot on the London Underground. That's one, and lately, I’m doing one on bicycles, and there's a whole series. I think they're really good if you're struggling; it’s good to give yourself a project or theme. Something to work on. It gives you the intention to go out, and it gives you a purpose. Your purpose of going out and look for these types of things. Your photography block gets unleashed, and it gets you out to be a bit creative on the streets. I always have projects.
© Mark Fearnley
JLH: I agree that projects are essential and helpful. Tell us about your Tokyo and Valencia bodies of work. Did you make those trips specifically to shoot your projects or were you on holiday?
MF: I wanted to go to Valencia for three days specifically to the City of Arts and Sciences. I shot during the morning and evening light each day. As for Tokyo, it's an amazing city. Initially, we had booked five days in Tokyo but we ended up staying for three weeks. It was so good.
JLH: I haven’t been to either city yet but Tokyo is high on my list. What do you consider to be your greatest achievement in photography so far?
MF: My participants from my workshops when they learn something from it. That is a huge achievement for me.
JLH: I have been on your workshop two or three times I think over the years. I always learn something different each time but what I learn the most is how to see, use light and shadows, analyse a situation, what is going on with the scene and work on different perspectives.
MF: By using the best available light you can get from that day, it's amazing what you can get from it. It's just learning how to use the available light around you. That's the key really.
© Mark Fearnley
JLH: Yes, absolutely. In your opinion, what makes a good photograph?
MF: That's a tough one. I think a good photographer can always take an interesting picture in a boring place. There’s a part on one of my workshops where I go somewhere and there seems to be nothing there, and the participants think there's nothing there. At this location, I tell them to go find me an interesting picture. Most of them come and go because there's nothing interesting for them. I'll then show them some examples from that location. They then see how interesting pictures can be made from anywhere. You don't have to go to amazing locations to take amazing pictures. You can you’re your best pictures anywhere. Three of my favourite pictures I've ever taken are in my home and in my back garden. Look how far I've travelled for that. You don't need to go to Tokyo to take the best shot, but people have this mindset where they have to travel to everywhere to take amazing pictures or to famous locations. You don’t need to do that.
JLH: You're right. It doesn't work like that, but it’s a good reminder to everyone. Which photographers inspire you?
MF: So many alive and dead. I'm heavily inspired by a Fan Ho. I love his work in the 1950s shot in Hong Kong. Just amazing photography. You probably see a lot of my high-contrast black and whites in that type of style. I'm also heavily inspired by another photographer called Ray Metzker. I am inspired by him. Trent Parke, I love his work, but also lots of people on Instagram. As for colour photography, I love Saul Leiter’s work, and there are just so many. Also, buying photography books and getting inspired by them. I think photography and music are very similar as well because it comes within us.
© Mark Fearnley
JLH: Those photographers you mentioned are just on another level. Amazing. What's the latest photography book you bought?
MF: I don't know if you follow this guy, but he's amazing. Liam Wong. I have his first book called TO:KY:OO and the latest one I just got is called After Dark.
JLH: Yes, I do follow him. He is amazing. I received both of his books as a Christmas present.
MF: He really is amazing; look at the impact on the colour of his work.
JLH: I know, right, incredible. It’s so exciting to discover another amazing photographer. Do you have a favourite quote?
MF: No, I think a good photographer will take an interesting picture and avoid phrases.
© Mark Fearnley
JLH: I think that's a great quote. That’s really good. I’m going to use that. What advice can you give to someone starting out in fine art street photography?
MF: If they're just starting out, the first thing would be, not to be afraid of approaching that style because you're quite a distance away from everything. For most of my images, people are quite far away. I like them small. Do a fast scan and note when you're pointing the camera, if you've got your camera raised, where you've seen a scene and you've got your camera up, no one's ever going to say anything to you as they enter your scene because you were there first. The only thing you are going to get is if someone walks into your scene, they're only going to apologise. You will be fine. Remember that you're taking a picture of that scene. It's a great and safe approach to the style. Look for something that catches your eye and if they like this style, as it has lines and geometry, head to an area where they know it has these elements including reflections and glass when it's sunny.
JLH: That makes sense. What keeps you motivated?
MF: What motivates me is just wanting to create all the time. It's a big buzz to create and to produce something. I am strongly motivated to get my images off the screen and give my photography a purpose. I think it’s important to do that, take your images off the screen and do something with them. Whether you print them and put them up on your wall in your hallway or bathroom, do a zine or a photo book and leave it on your dining room table. When your friends come over, you can give them as presents. You can also do an exhibition as your group does.
JLH: Yes, that is what the UPC group is trying to do in some sense. What's the best advice you ever received as a photographer?
MF: The best advice I heard from somebody a lot of years ago was from a friend, a good friend of mine, and he said, “You know what, just keep on shooting. So many people now know don't shoot anymore because they've lost their mojo, or that they're not doing very well on Instagram, or the likes are not there because of the algorithms, etc. Just keep on shooting and going out to make the images and creating.” That was good advice to me, then. If you go out on a Saturday and you go shooting in town, and you come back with no images, it makes you feel inside that you lost it or you have not got it anymore. I think you must have it in your head that you must go out with zero expectations. Carry that mindset. It will give you the mojo to carry on and keep going. Don't let it get you down that if you go out and don’t get any keepers or if you've had a bad day and you're not getting any results; keep that mindset, and it will help you.
© Mark Fearnley
JLH: Great advice. Is photography all you do now, or do you still paint professionally?
MF: I only work in photography now. My paintbrush is down, and now it's just my camera.
JLH: Thank you so much, Mark. It truly was an honour to speak with you.
MF: Thank you, Jovis. It’s been great to catch up with you again. It's always an honour to talk to you as well. You have listened to me this time but maybe one day we can reverse it. You have an amazing and impressive photography club with some incredible photographers, and I wish you every success with it. Keep doing all the things you do. I enjoy watching you and your club grow.