Robert Andrews / London Camera Project photo walks

Robert Andrews – Photo Walks in London

by Christoper Osborne.

We talk to Robert who organises photowalks under the banner “The London Camera Project”.

It is the middle of a UK winter. However, the low cloud, biting wind and drizzle could not dampen the welcome that James Lane and I received from Robert. Robert is tall. One might say a man of stature, however, his physical attributes are quickly forgotten. Robert (who is the London Camera Project) is one of those rare people who projects a constantly positive aura. His photo walks are well planned, have regular followers and just the right balance of refreshments and photo walking. Robert quietly leads the group, and as we are walking I notice him quietly moving from one photographer to the next.

Robert’s involvement in photo walks started when Hamish Gill introduced him to the organisers of Sandiago based photowalk, Beers and Cameras. They asked him if he would like to set up a London chapter, and he accepted the challenge. Then Robert was approached by Stephen Dowling of Kosmo Foto who suggested a collaboration and so Kosmonaut walks was founded. Robert organises these walks under the moniker “London Camera Project”.

“These photo walks has got me in touch with so many people. It is really nice seeing people sharing techniques, experiences and gear”.

I asked Robert about the preparation for each photo walk. “When I organise a walk I have to find things for people to photograph. I plan a route from start to finish. If somewhere is unavailable, then I need a backup plan. I may need to book a pub or restaurant. And then there is the publicity which is on Instagram, Twitter and Meetup”. Robert tries to organise a London Camera Project photo walk every month. (Beers and Cameras walks are less frequent).

I noticed that Robert’s photo walks have some women regular attendees. It is refreshing to see the dynamics of the group. The walk finished at a pub, and the conversation wandered around all aspects of photography, politics and travel. Robert’s photo walks certainly attract a very interesting group of people.

Putting Robert’s organisational prowess aside, I was interested to know more about Robert as a photographer. “There is no way to categorise my photography”, Robert explains. “I love macro, I love street photography, and I love portraits”.

I asked Robert about photography in his life. “There was a period before Lockdown where I was under a lot of pressure at work. I would go for a long walk as a coping strategy. I could shoot off a 35mm roll of film in a single day. I would just walk around the park, or the streets or the forest and just shoot.

“One of my favourite macro photographs is of a Dahlia with a bee on it. I flipped the lens on my OM10 and held the lens against the body to take the shot. I like taking pictures of fungi & mushrooms. I do take pictures of spiders. I have to admit that I do not like spiders. I like what they do but to look at them is a challenge. But they keep very still when they are on their web”.

“My street photography is usually shot in Black and White. Usually, there are at least two subjects in the frame. I like using flash to boost the light. Normally the person will be completely unaware that I am taking their picture”. I asked Robert how he started shooting this way. “I was using a Lumix digital camera. In low light, the images became super grainy, and so I started using flash”. These days I use the same technique when I am shooting film. I like the strong contrast. The subject becomes separated from the background, which I like making fall away to black. When I am shooting on film I often use an Olympus XA2 with HP5 pushed to ISO 800”.

Robert’s eyes light up when he talks about portraiture. “I photograph my family. And my friends. It is also the professional part of my photography. My favourite gear for portraiture is my Pentax Spotmatic with a f2 55mm lens. I love to open the lens up as far as possible.

You can see more of Robert Andrew’s work and find out more about his photo walks at: Instagram at @londoncameraproject, on Twitter at @camera_london and on Meetup at London Camera Projects

You might also be interested in this article on French wedding photographer Baptiste Plichon. Baptiste shoots weddings on film.

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