Leeds, Leeds, Leeds.

   I recently paid a visit to Leeds, not a particularly mean feat as I live less that 10 miles away, though on this occasion my intention was not to mindlessly wander around an abundance of over-priced shops, looking at things I can’t afford.

   I was going to Leeds to take photographs, photographs of what? I had no idea, it was simply a task I had been instructed to complete.

   On the short train journey there I only had time to read the first few pages of my new book ‘Obey the Giant’ by Rick Poyner. Reading the introduction alone fed my purpose, to attempt to sink beneath the surface of Visual Culture, reflect on the visit and observe it rather than immerse myself within it.

   The immediate direction I gained from starting this book was further strengthened as Poyner delves into the work of Martin Parr, a British photographer who’s portfolio appears as an unforgiving social commentary. Poyner highlights the relevance of social class divide on the effects of Visual Culture/Culture in general, a point which is all so relevant in Parr’s work (Parr openly embraces his ‘middle-class’ stature, allowing him to look and comment on those ‘beneath him’)

   I however, don’t feel I can describe myself as middle-class; I grew up as the son of a Nurse and a Miner. However, I also believe I am exempt from the ‘working-class’ label; I am a student, though I do also work to support my degree. It is also vital to mention that I am far from the most recent class development, the unworking-class.

   Therefore, I am the perfect definition of 'average-class', I am not at the bottom or the top, the lower-middle or the higher-middle, even the 'middle-class' of today possess a lingering scent of snobbery. I drink wine, but not the best wine.

   This standpoint and mindset, laid the foundations for a day of simple reflection and criticism. With my position cemented as ‘average-class’ I have always been fascinated and bewildered by the activity of the upper-class and the unworking-class.

   With my EOS at the ready, I would spend the day as a spectator of social and visual culture, removing myself from the situation and attempting to capture the essence of class and how it is affected by the city.

It would have been a lot easier had I been invisible.