Espy is a biannual photography award in conjunction with Elysium Gallery Swansea. Set up by Dan Staveley, professional photographer and lecturer,
Espy wants to show photography at its best, both online and in the print competition. The award is judged by highly respected professionals such as
Richard Billingham and Iain Davies, who awarded the prizes for 2014.
Thanks goes to Nicole Mawby for building and maintaining the blog.

Wednesday 14 May 2014

Dan Mariner

"I am a documentary photographer living and working in London, England. I Studied a BA in Documentary photography at the world-renowned Newport University in South Wales.

My personal reportage highlights underlying social issues and culture around us. I am a photographer of people, exploring how their lives interconnect with and shape their communities. As time goes by, I feel myself becoming more and more intrigued with the anthropological side of photography and aim convey this in my future work.

I am particularly interested in communities and individuals on the edge of society; communities whose contribution to society is hidden from the gaze of the mainstream media. I endeavour to use photography to highlight them with sensitivity, empathy and integrity. For me, photography is the perfect medium to convey stories and provide insights into the lives of others. I would like to think that through my photographs I can engender greater understanding and promote greater tolerance of the people and the world that we live in. I hope that this ideal and my passion will fuel my work for many years to come. To date, my subjects have included: Urban bee keeping, Young Carers, Organic Farming Communities, Political Refugees and Community- led Food Bank Initiatives. 

I am a highly motivated, energetic and creative individual constantly seeking to push myself in my photographic practice. When undertaking a new photographic essay I seek to work outside my comfort zone in terms of who I approach to photograph and how my work will be perceived by the viewer. With each new body of work I undertake I always look to convey something poignant, as I feel photography can provide such powerful messages using only a small number of images. Through my work to date I have developed excellent listening and communication skills, sensitivity, empathy, patience and on the spot problem solving abilities. I am very confident in embracing new situations and environments. I enjoy a challenge and am willing to work extremely hard to gain the results I desire.

I find inspiration from the likes of David Chancellor, Alec Soth, Zed Nelson, Michael Wolf and Mark Power."



High Rise Honey

High Rise Honey is a celebration of the urban beekeepers at The London School of Economics. I followed the ecology department as they prepared the apiary for winter hibernation and collected this summers golden harvest.

As urban bee keeping is becoming an increasingly popular trend among city dwellers and businesses who seek to bring a rural twist to fast pace urban life. I set out to photograph the capitals high altitude beekeepers who promote this vital skill, while remaining largely unseen from the gaze of the public.


High Rise Honey


High Rise Honey

See more from Dan Mariner

No comments:

Post a Comment