I really love when street photographers take their particular style and apply it to different venues or personal projects. The edge of the sidewalk features the work of street photographers, but not their street photography.
I discovered Chris Moxey (Mox) on Flickr years ago when I first started street photography. As well as admiring her work, I really enjoyed seeing the galleries of other photographers that she would put together. I started to pay attention to composition of photographs through these galleries. Mox, has a wonderful eye for composition and I enjoy the way she sees and explores the world. Although Mox is well known for her street scenes, I really am drawn to these quieter topographic photos.
Here's what Mox had to say about her project, England's Dreaming.
England's Dreaming
When I left my busy job to retrain as a counsellor I suddenly found myself with more free time on my hands - and this is when I started doing street photography. It felt like something interesting and different to do back then, and I loved it. I loved it for so many years I can’t remember exactly when I began to feel I wanted something more. I wouldn’t exactly say street photography had lost its lustre for me… but I felt a need to explore pastures new.
Having been born at the seaside but lived in London from my late teens, I’d been feeling estranged from my roots. Our regular camping trips gave me the opportunity to explore the English coast, where I’ve found much of my inspiration as well as a reconnection to my past. And the more modest the scene, the more I love it. This, the more enjoyable of my extra-curricular activities, has evolved into something I call ‘England’s Dreaming’. As a subject, I find it endlessly fascinating and photogenic, yet in the light of today’s political climate it also feels poignant - and sad.
The strange thing is this doesn’t feel so different from the street photography. It’s another facet, perhaps. I know that whether I’m photographing people in the street or a quirky bungalow or hedgerow, I try to approach things in a similar way. I look for something that feel evocative. It may be understated - mundane, even - but I need to fall in love with these scenes and that’s what makes me want to photograph them.
A car or caravan parked in just the right position in front of a house, can complement it nicely - and ‘bonkers’ or not, it can make my day.
As another diversion from street photography, I enjoy walking and photographing the Thames Estuary, where aside from my companion, there’s often no other soul to be seen. This can be quite a meditative experience, when walking time = thinking time.
And then there is the southern Californian desert which has a beauty all its own. It’s a well-trodden path but there’s always something new to be found!
