image ©JJWaller

JJ Waller, photographer in conversation

JJ Waller is a regular visitor to St Leonards-on-Sea. Jude Montague talks to him about his photography work.

JJ Waller: I started in photography  around aged 40 after a previous life as a comedy street performer. I joined a photography evening class and the tutor
suggested I take a look at the new course being set up at Brighton University, small sparks can ignite the imagination.

What got you into photography?
The more I think about it I‘m convinced it was my regular bus journeys with my mother when I was a small child.

The looking for hours at the world through a bus window. All very similar to  looking through a camera viewfinder.

Why St Leonards and Hastings?
Personal projects are seeds to larger bodies of work. In the winter of 2008 I was headed to explore Hastings but turned left off the seafront following a signpost pointing to Central St Leonards. Kings Road captivated me… it was the beginning of a significant and compelling journey.

What do you think is special about street photography?
I don’t think street photography is particularly special but exploring urban environments satisfies my curiosity. I am an inquisitive person and have a passion
for photographing storytelling moments. I suppose I’m looking to create simple images with a contemporary resonance that will also inform people of the future.

What’s one of your favourite things about photography by the sea?
I can’t fully put my finger on what the lure of the seaside is, perhaps it’s as a Glasgow friend’s father once told me “All the loose nuts roll south.”

JJ Waller’s books are available from independent bookshops and from his website jjwaller.com

image ©JJWaller

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