Sean Welch

Hull, United Kingdom

Please introduce yourself: What is your name, where are you from, what do you do?

Hello! My name is Sean Welch. I live in Hull, a modest-sized city in the north of England. Many years ago I was a musician but no longer work due to a chronic lack of transferable skills.

What is your relationship with photography and how did you get into it?

I’ve always liked recording stuff. As a youngster I would go to local gigs with a pocket tape recorder. I’m now the proud owner of a meticulously curated box of unlistenable cassette tapes. It’s an omen I should probably have learnt from. Anyway… I’m a fan of photography. I’m specifically a fan of colour film photography. That may be due to the era in which it was popular or perhaps more likely, to the incredible skill of those that spent time truly mastering the art.

After giving digital photography a try for a couple of years I’ve recently hopped back onto the film bandwagon in an attempt to get pictures that give me the right feeling. So at present I’m a fumbling novice with sky high hopes that I’m sure will be crushed when I bang my head on the ceiling of my talent. The main thing is, this pastime gets me out the house and prevents my inclination to be a top grade hermit.

What do you think triggers you to photograph in a certain moment? Is it planned or solely driven by intuition?

The type of photography I do is almost entirely unplanned. I wander around hoping to be surprised, stealing moments and attempting to be invisible. My hope is to stumble on a thing of beauty and box it in rectangular form.

What is the story you want your pictures to tell?

I never attempt to tell stories with pictures. Any stories are accidental or the invention of the viewer. I aim for fiction. Beautiful fiction. In other words… Any resemblance to actual events or locales or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

Which city would you like to visit the most, and why?

Bergen, Norway. To take photos of course, it’s the whole point of going anywhere!

What is the driving force behind creation?

It’s the desire to achieve some satisfaction and even more the overwhelming desire to show off. Just like birds squawking in the trees, we can’t resist announcing to an ambivalent world that we’re somehow important.

Which project did you never finish?

I’ve never had a project. I’m either too curious to tie myself to one idea or too scatterbrained to stay focused, not sure. In truth, a project at this stage would feel a little grandiose and daunting. A bit like passing your driving test and buying a Formula One car the next day.

What is that «one thing» you have never managed to photograph and is now gone for good?

Upton Park, the former home of my favourite football team West Ham United. They now play in a shopping centre.

If you could travel back/forth in time, what advice would you give your younger/older self?

If I could go back I’d tell myself to take more pictures. Also I’d suggest buying a Mamiya 7ii before the prices went mental. If I travelled forward in time to advise my older self, I’m almost certain I’d be told to fuck the fuck off.

What do you prefer saying: «to take a photograph» or to «make a photograph», and why?

I say «take a photograph» because that’s what everyone said until about a year ago. If I were to say «make a photograph» everyone I know would snigger.

What is the most interesting experience you have had while photographing?

On a recent visit to Philadelphia I was halted from a really enjoyable photowalk by a man with a camera. After asking me a couple of polite questions about my photography he preceded to tell me of the fantastic project he was working on.

As you may know the city has a disastrous heroin problem which he demanded I «check out» on his camera’s LCD screen. Sure enough, he had graphic close-ups of arms being injected and what looked like a world of stinking misery. He said this was «some prize-winning shit», I said «great» whilst simultaneously hoping he’d drop his camera under a bus.

If it wasn’t for photography, what would you be interested in doing instead?

That’s a tough one because I’ve fallen so far down the rabbit-hole…  but if pressed, I’d have to say gardening.

How would you describe one of your pictures to a blind person?

Like music—banging techno music.

What are you currently working on, and—if there is—what is your next project or journey?

I’m off to bed… To bed, to sleep — to sleep, perchance to dream, to wake up, to wake up and nip to the toilet.

Thank you, Sean!

Editorial Notes:

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Photography: Sean Welch (2020)
Location: Hull, United Kingdom

Links: Instagram

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Hull, United Kingdom

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