LPA FUTURES 2023 / CHRIS BETHELL INTERVIEW

Photographer, journalist, and picture editor Chris Bethell completes our triumphant trio for LPA Futures 2023.

Renowned for his appreciation of the eccentric and his knack for capturing humour in the mundane, we were eager to delve into all things Bethell.

*Chris in front of his LPA Futures exhibition*

Congratulations on being one of the three Futures winners, what inspired you apply for the competition?

Thank you so much! I haven't stopped grinning since Lisa called me with the news!

I entered Futures this year because I hit a turning point in my career where I wanted to address the balance of my work. Over the past decade i've been living and breathing the editorial world of photography, a side of the industry i've lovingly burned vast amounts of energy for but in more recent years found myself spread too thin on too many projects to make ends meet. I wasn't financially able to put as much of myself into any one idea as I wanted to and figured it was time to shake things up a little, remembering some advice I received as a recent graduate. James from Wyatt-Clarke & Jones graciously looked over my portfolio and hooked me up with a gig assisting Adam Hinton. He told me of how his documentary work fed the creative development of his commercial work and in turn, how his commercial work afforded him the time to properly investigate and push his projects. I started to apply my editorial work to the advertising world – leaning on my training as a photojournalist whilst on set for Saatchi & Saatchi TV adverts for example. My allotted time with talent would usually be cut to zero, meaning i'd have to find my photographs in between cuts and crew members.

When the Futures programme last came around I wasn't ready for the transition, but I followed the winners' work and dove into LPA's roster of amazing talent. When it came back around this year I knew I had to throw myself at it the best as I could as I believe LPA will help me to push my work to the next level (and hopefully the one after that too!).

You have a fantastic body of work on British Conventions, what sparked your interest in this, and what is your favourite British Convention?

That's very kind! Thank you again! My interest in exploring British cultures came shortly after coming back from my first trip to the United States in which I made my project The Duke of Earl. Long story short, I spent six weeks crossing America on a journey that traced my late Grandfather's life and explored the Uncle Sam half of my dual-nationality: a part of my identity i'd always felt but never seen. On returning I found a passion for interrogating the other half of myself, the one i'd lived with for twenty five years at the time, through throwing myself into rooms, halls, exhibition centres and fields of British eccentricities. It also helped that VICE were super keen to send me to most of these and allow me to pursue the moments I found either romantic or hilarious.

So the series' name is a pun around the different uses of the word 'convention'. More explicitly in this work it refers to 'an assembly of persons met for a common purpose' and in this definition my answer would certainly have to be Crufts. I am dog obsessed and even went dressed for the occasion this year with dog print trousers from Lazy Oaf and various charity shop found dog slogan tshirts collected over the years. Secondly, 'conventions' refers to British traditions or 'a way in which something is usually done' and in this usage i've always loved it when elderly people cover their houses in doilies in preparation for a tea party.

Likewise, you have shot some fascinating projects in the US, what was the most memorable place you visited over there?

This is an easy one! Above all of the landmark sights i've been fortunate to see in the US the most amazing place was Vineland Cemetery in Clarkston, Washington: where my Grandfather rests. It sits halfway up a hill taking in a vista that swoops down the Lewis & Clark valley and follows Snake River back into the twin cities; carving it's flow between Washington and Idaho. The first time I ended up there I was with my partner Bekky Calver and between us we had a little red plant to place on his grave and a photocopy of his death certificate detailing the location of his burial. Again, long story short, but we couldn't find him for over an hour – there was no headstone where he supposedly was, but through luck in finding cemetery workers out of hours and determination to keep going after dark, we eventually dug up the temporary marker that lettered his name. It must have overgrown from twenty years of neglect and we once again revealed it to the world. I've been back many times since – with my Mum to lay a proper headstone, and by myself to think or read while working on my current project over there.

*Boston / Land of Hopes and Dreams / Amuse*

You have also won a number of other awards, is there one that stands out to you?

Sorry to be that guy, but there's two that I struggle to pick between. Firstly the Royal Photographic Society's International Photography Exhibition Under 30's Gold was very special to me. To have my work recognised by such an institution and exhibited in such a manner was phenomenal and really gave me the confidence to keep pushing with my own work. And secondly, I have to also mention the Offspring PhotoMeet Gold as well, their yearly portfolio reviews were incredible. They fostered such an amazing community around whatever space they were in for the two days and it was often the same people who'd come back every year. I made so many amazing friends and started great working relationships there so when I won this: especially so as it was from the first time I showed the dummy book of The Duke of Earl, it was hugely special to do so in such an uplifting space.

If you could sum up your photography in 3 words what would they be?

Romantic. Hopefully funny!

We love your ability to tell stories through an image, how did you adopt that technique?

Thank you so much again! This was quite deliberate actually – during my BA I had a portfolio review with a picture editor from NME. At the time I was shooting a lot of live music and the main critique they gave me was that I needed to capture a story in an image, rather than just a nicely composed shot of someone playing an instrument. Instead of taking this advice just into gig venues though, I spent the last year of my course shooting my final project around the streets of Manchester. Every day I would chase the light around buildings and roads looking for interesting people doing interesting things and I slowly learned that I could exaggerate the scenes i'd see through how I pointed my camera around them. I found it fun to try and imply greater stories on the people and actions I captured than what was really there to begin with – simply through composition, exposure and focus: sinking into the role of classic street photographers on the search for those 'decisive moments' and what not.

*World Cup 2018: England vs Croatia / British Conventions*

You work a lot for VICE, how did that come about?

So this was initially through a bit of right-place-right-time and my own fortunate ignorance. I'd been to Leeds Festival in 2011 and had been keen to see if I could somehow go to 2012 for free. So, finding my first copy of VICE on my mates' bathroom floor, I leafed through and found their picture editors email; sending them twenty photos snapped on my Yashica T3 the previous years of my pals in various states of inebriation. I asked if I could get a photo pass to shoot some more photos like this at the next one. To my surprise I got an email back the same day. They said no, but liked my photos and instead got me to shoot an issue launch event in Manchester. Everything kinda rolled from there really, they've been amazing to work with over the past eleven years and I count myself lucky to consider a lot of their writers and editors both past and present as some of my close friends. VICE really kickstarted my journey as a photographer, teaching me my politics, allowing me the space to grow and also to fail. I owe a lot to them to be honest!

*Blackpool Grime Revisited: How the Jokers Came Out on Top / VICE*

What is your favourite on-set meal?

I used to love nothing more than lunch time pizza but now my ageing body shuts down after three slices! So i'm very keen on anything easy, healthy and light. Pret is always an easy shout.

If you could photograph one person dead or alive who would you pick?

Hayley Williams. Or Dave Grohl. Or both of them together. Please!

Watch this space to see what Chris gets up to over the next 2 years, we’ve got a good feeling about this one!