Public Events, Performers & Questionable Life Choices

I photograph public events because they’re one of the few places where hundreds of people willingly gather together to create moments of joy, chaos, confusion, and occasionally minor disasters, all in the same afternoon. As a photographer, it’s hard to resist. As a man with a mohawk and a Viking beard, it’s impossible for me to attend unnoticed anyway.

I seem to have become a regular fixture at local events. Not because I’m invited, in most cases, but because I simply turn up with a camera and a vague plan. Unless specifically requested to cover an event, I’m usually just another member of the public who happens to be carrying several thousand pounds worth of equipment and looking like I’ve taken a wrong turn on the way to a Scandinavian invasion. People often stare as though they’re trying to decide whether I’m there to take photos or collect tribute.

Once on site, I tend to wander around looking like a man who has misplaced both his map and his dignity, or I find a suitable location and remain there long enough to become a local landmark. Despite appearances, I’m quietly observing, waiting for those fleeting moments that make an image worth taking.

My favourite subjects are always the people. Their expressions, reactions, and occasional bewilderment provide an endless source of entertainment. There’s something wonderfully human about the exact moment someone realises they’re in the wrong queue, has waved enthusiastically at a complete stranger, or has just discovered what the event organiser meant by “interactive experience.”

Performers are equally fascinating. Whether they’re singers, dancers, musicians, reenactors, or brave souls attempting something that looked much safer during rehearsal, I love capturing the moment they become completely absorbed in what they’re doing. The audience disappears, the world fades away, and for a few seconds they genuinely shine… or at least manage to avoid tripping over a cable, which is often just as impressive.

And that’s why I keep turning up. Public events are full of stories, personalities, and tiny moments that would otherwise disappear into history. I simply stand there with a camera, looking like a Viking who’s lost his longship, documenting the evidence before it vanishes forever. Somehow, despite every indication to the contrary, I usually come away with photographs I’m genuinely proud of and confirmation that humanity remains wonderfully, gloriously unpredictable.

Recent events

Where I have been lurking!

“I’ve become something of a regular sight at public events — and not in a subtle way. With a mohawk and a Viking beard, I’m about as inconspicuous as a lighthouse in a field. People don’t just notice me; they often look like they’re trying to work out whether I’m there to take photos or lead a raid..”

Darren Barnard

Public Nuisance