Tuesday 26 November 2013

Autism Success Formula

This is brief introduction video to provide an insight into a company called Autism Success Formula who I have been working for over the past couple of months as a job coach.
More webisodes to follow in the near future.

Filmed and edited by Sam Barker
Music: Ideals - Eyes Open

Monday 11 November 2013

Ian Puleston-Davies

Ian Puleston-Davies by Sam Barker
Camera: Kershaw 110, medium format film

This is a shot I took in December last year which I only just got developed. There is more sentiment here than I first realised when I sat down and started thinking about what I could say about this photo, so here it goes...

When my Grandma's attic was being cleared out in autumn last year, they stumbled across a Kershaw 110 folding camera. This basic but well made medium format camera was introduced back in 1954. This particular one belonged to my Grandfather, who I never actually met.
Nobody had any idea if the camera was in working condition, naturally I just threw a film in and took it on the road with me. 

One particularly busy part of late last year, I had to go from my photography exhibition opening night in Kortrijk, Belgium, all the way through to Manchester back in the UK the following morning for a couple of days work on the last stop of the Britain's Got Talent tour. Being the last stop of a long tour of course meant all us crew going out for a few to many drinks to celebrate afterwards.

Following these mad few days/weeks, being in MCR for the first time in a while and refusing to give into a hangover, I got in touch with my friend Ian Puleston-Davies who works on Coronation Street as the role of Owen Armstrong to see if he was in the city, he kindly invited me down to Granada Studios for lunch with him.

During lunch I must have pulled the Kershaw camera out of my pocket to show Ian at some point and as he knows my family well, I told the story behind it.
After we had caught up and eaten the appropriate hangover curing foods, to my surprise he gave me a private tour of THE Coronation Street we all know to well. 
Genuinely I cant remember who suggested the idea to shoot this photo, not only was I thinking about it but let's be honest... Ian loves the camera.

Two things that I especially love about this, firstly the film grain. Second, if you look closely on the bus stop sign behind Ian, you can read "Coronation Street".
 Not many photos from this film came out, luckily this is one of them.

-SB