Release Date: 10 October 2008

The Face of Church Street

Fashion photographer Richard Nolan-Neylan, presents his first independent British exhibition, 'The Face of Church Street', featuring portraits of small business owners in Church Street, Stoke Newington, London.

Church Street is a rare street in modern Britain. Up until very recently, it was one of the few remaining shopping streets left in the country that had no corporate chain stores, only independent traders.

Richard has been documenting the owners of Church Street's shops, bars and restaurants as an ongoing personal project for the past two years. He explains: "Independent shops and small businesses bring a potent feel of the community - those repeated encounters with recognised faces, morning salutes and conversations make us feel known, involved and included in the mechanisms of a small society."

He continued: "Entering an independent retailer's shop is like entering their home - the space is filled with the nuances of their life. As customers we are invited inside the life and premises of the shop-owner; we taste, we view, we feel his world. The persona of 'Stokey' is in a slow state of flux. As some people move away and others unpack their bags, the area's identity changes. Today it represents a population rich with cultural diversity and differing stories".

An exhibition of Richard's images are on display at The Blue Legume Café in Church Street, Stoke Newington from 16 October - 13 November, as part of Photomonth, the East London Photography Festival. Photomonth is the largest photography festival in the UK with over 100 exhibitions and events taking place in more than 60 galleries and spaces and featuring up to 500 photographers.

All images in the exhibition were taken on Fujicolor PRO Series film and were printed on Fujicolor Crystal Archive paper.

Richard has previously worked for The Sunday Times, The Daily Mail, Glamour, Marks & Spencer, Marie-Claire, Max Factor, Pantene and Next among others. For further information on Richard's work, go to www.richardnolan-neylan.co.uk

Ends.

* Note: this news release is issued electronically and will not be duplicated with a posted copy

Image Downloads:
http://www.newsfeeduk.com/fujipro/index.shtml

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Fujifilm (UK) Ltd
56 Poland Street, London W1F 7NN
Tel: 0203 040 0404
E-mail: jdeeney@fuji.co.uk
http://www.fujifilm.co.uk/professional
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Written and distributed by WPS Media
Tel. 01323 749400
Email: peter@wpsmedia.co.uk