Introducing the work of UK street photographer Chris Porsz – Part 1

I discovered Chris’ work a few months ago after listening to a podcast of the Candid Frame by Ibarionex Perello (linked at the bottom of this post). Chris Porsz lives in Peterborough, located about 120 km north of London. Chris has worked as a paramedic for over 20 years and has had a passion for street photography ever since he started walking the streets of his town and capturing snapshots of everyday life in the eighties. Chris became locally known as ‘Paramedic Paparazzo’ when the Peterborough Evening Telegraph started publishing some of his work in 2009. This event led to a series of reunions and a local photo exhibit which you will discover in upcoming blog posts. Chris has provided me with a bio, excerpts of which I inserted between images. Chris does not currently have a website or a blog and I hope that introducing you to some of his work will motivate him to share more of it with the world! Please feel free to leave a comment and subscribe to the blog if you wish to receive part II and III.

Thanks!  Valérie Jardin

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The work of Chris Porsz, Part I

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“My parents, Alfons and Krystyna, survived and escaped the horrors of war torn Poland and so my birth in Peterborough 1953 was against all the odds.”

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“A university dropout In 1974, I took a temporary job as a hospital porter and thirteen years later was still there. It was pre-seatbelt days and utter carnage but good preparation for my later career. For over 20 years I have been a paramedic and still find it immensely satisfying and rewarding. My other passion of course is photography.”

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“In the seventies my girlfriend Lesley and now wife  hitched hiked to Africa. My picture of a camel half a mile away with a Kodak Instamatic was a poor start. My hobby really took off with the birth of our first child Simon in 1978 followed by Adam and Emma.”

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“I progressed from Zenith to Pratika to Canon and turned over my front room for a darkroom and burned the midnight oil in that magical process.  I cannot draw or paint so I like to express myself through a lens. I guess my photos say something about me and how I see and perhaps would like to see society. “

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“In the eighties some creative urge drove me to walk the streets for days capturing unique snapshots of Peterborough and its characters. Then I rushed home excitedly to develop and print but was often disappointed by blurred, mediocre, out of focus, under and over exposed ruined images. Occasionally though a little gem has stood the passage of time and made it all worth it.”

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“I agree with  Dave Beckerman a great New York photographer  who said photography is 90% perspiration and 10% inspiration.”

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Please leave a comment and share the link to this post if you enjoyed it!

You can connect with Chris Porsz (pictured below) on Facebook here: Connect with Chris

Follow him onTwitter @porszphotos

Chris’ work is also featured in http://www.peterboroughinpictures.co.uk/

You can listen to the podcast of the Candid Frame: http://thecandidframe.blogspot.com/2010/10/candid-frame-101-chris-porsz.html

 

Tags: Chris Porsz, street photography

• February 9, 2011
• Uncategorized
• 19 Comments