Wolverhampton photographer captures the citizens of the city in new project.

Express & Star

We meet a Wolverhampton photographer who has been exhibiting his work of portraits and landscapes of the city. The pictures are available online too.

Transcript

00:00So we're here in the 01902 room just off of Queen Square there by the man on the horse,

00:05as people know it. And introduce yourself sir. My name's Graham, I'm a local photographer.

00:11And you've been exhibiting here, what's the project you've been doing Graham?

00:15So I've been taking pictures of Wolverhampton people and the city and talking to people

00:20about what the city means to them, trying to get like a positive view of the city.

00:24Yeah, well that's it because there's a lot of negative points of view of Wolverhampton,

00:29so it's nice to hear you know some good things about it because it is a great city still,

00:33no doubts about that. So what's been, you've been living 10 years yourself in the city centre here,

00:38what's, have you learned anything yourself from doing the project and chatting to people?

00:43I think just some amazing people in the city, there's so many great characters and just

00:48interesting things going on that are sometimes a little bit under the radar.

00:53Anyone in the exhibition particularly you had a good chat with, any of the pictures you want

00:59to point out like? You're asking me to pick my favourite? I know, your favourite child isn't it?

01:05Yeah, I think, it's really hard to think of anyone. If I was to say was there anyone who

01:11was particularly characterful? I love Debbie, Debbie's a local artist. Debbie

01:18like had a passion for art with washing lines in them over Covid. When we went into lockdown

01:26and we couldn't get out and about and do stuff, I don't quite know how it happened,

01:29but she's got this real passion for artwork with washing lines in.

01:33What, so like she does like anything, like she might do a painting with a washing line in,

01:37that kind of stuff? Yeah, she like shares stuff, posts stuff with washing lines and

01:40she's going to be embarrassed if she sees this. Yeah, well hence the picture,

01:43that all makes sense to me now. So I had to get a picture with her and her washing line.

01:48Great. But yeah, just loads of amazing characters, everyone's special.

01:52And we've got, where have we been over here? If we go across, we've been to the Islamic Centre.

01:57So yeah, the mosque up on Newhampton Road. Yeah, that was really interesting to go in

02:03and see what they do and they were incredibly welcoming and kind of explained how the mosque

02:09works. Yeah, they sometimes I think take part in the open days, mosque open days,

02:14because a lot of people think, oh it's a mosque, we won't, you know, we won't be welcome. But

02:18they are very welcoming, aren't they in there? Yeah, I've been in there myself before. And it's

02:22just these landscapes at the back we've got. Yes. Let's have a nosy on over to there then.

02:27So yeah, urban landscapes, so different angles on the city and again trying to get like a little

02:35bit of a different take, things that people might not immediately recognise or taking

02:41stuff from a slightly different angle to show the city off. So it's a particular, a favourite spot

02:47yourself, I mean the area around St John's Church there, that's great, isn't it? The fact they've

02:52retained those cobbles gives it that atmosphere. Yes, it kind of looks like it probably hasn't

02:57changed in hundreds of years. Yeah, you could well imagine, you know, cover up a couple of

03:01signs, it could be a film set, couldn't it? You know what I mean? Yes. Anywhere else particularly

03:06you'd enjoy? St Peter's, it was when it snowed just a few weeks ago. Yeah, yeah. That looks really,

03:13yeah, that's kind of quite a timeless shot as well. Yeah. I think the other one that makes

03:18me laugh is the lucky cat, I don't know who would abandon that in the station. Disturbed, yeah.

03:24It's like he's waving, isn't it? I don't know if he's waving saying help me or waving saying

03:28all right I'm chilling out here, or one or the other. Yeah, it is amazing isn't it? Some of the

03:32stuff you stumble across, if you, I think a lot of people they kind of heads down aren't they going

03:37to the shops, but you know this just reminds people to look up and we have got some fantastic

03:42little bits in the city. Yes, definitely.

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