From the Fens to the USA: The photographic journey of Richard Heeps
By Kate Jones
Thanks to everyone who came to CamCreatives CIC with photographer Richard Heeps. If you couldn’t make it, here’s Richard’s story 📸
Richard was born in Girton and the village was a big influence on how he saw the world. One of his first inspirations as a child was capturing images of a big thatched cottage which was then lost to history when it was knocked down to make room for a carpark for the local Spar. Richard has a passion for preserving the past through photography.
In 1986 Richard moved to Cheshire to study a BTEC in photography. One project was to present a series of ten pictures that work together as a group. Richard chose to look at something he felt was being lost. His pictures were of local shopkeepers, taken in black and white. The project was a big success. His work was chosen by Photography North West to be part of their touring show of northern galleries.
Richard’s tutor encouraged him to start taking photos in colour – which he was nervous about being colour blind for red and green. One of his first colour shoots was in a local shop. He didn’t know at the time that he was taking photos on the shop’s last day of trading. Whilst showing us the pictures, Richard referred to them as portraits with no people.
During the final year of his BTEC, Richard was drawn back to the fens. He showed us pictures from a small town police station that had a cosy kitchen with a beautiful Rayburn oven.
At age 21, Richard got his first show at the Photographer’s Gallery near Leicester Square, followed by a show at the Cambridge Darkroom Gallery. Cambridge Darkroom also gave him a bursary to photograph the fens.
In the fens, he started to look at American culture. How so, I hear you say. American culture is prevalent because of the US air bases in the area. We saw a photo of a diner in Brandon with a Statue of Liberty outside it!
The Year of the Artist was in 2000 and grants were available from the Arts Council. Winning a grant, Richard spent seven years working on a book which had shoots in England, Europe, and America, and a series of road trips with colour as a central device to convey a spirit.
Richard sees his work as a way to connect people in New York with people in the fens and vice versa. Currently, he is taking pictures of the US East Coast and UK seaside resorts.
Richard has spent 30 years as a photographer exhibiting at over 120 art fairs nationally and internationally. You can next see Richard at the Affordable Art Fair in Battersea on 16-20 Oct.
From local roots to global reach: Tuesday 15 October
Richard was born in Girton and the village was a big influence on how he saw the world. One of his first inspirations as a child was capturing images of a big thatched cottage which was then lost to history when it was knocked down to make room for a carpark for the local Spar. Richard has a passion for preserving the past through photography.
In 1986 Richard moved to Cheshire to study a BTEC in photography. One project was to present a series of ten pictures that work together as a group. Richard chose to look at something he felt was being lost. His pictures were of local shopkeepers, taken in black and white. The project was a big success. His work was chosen by Photography North West to be part of their touring show of northern galleries.
Richard’s tutor encouraged him to start taking photos in colour – which he was nervous about being colour blind for red and green. One of his first colour shoots was in a local shop. He didn’t know at the time that he was taking photos on the shop’s last day of trading. Whilst showing us the pictures, Richard referred to them as portraits with no people.
During the final year of his BTEC, Richard was drawn back to the fens. He showed us pictures from a small town police station that had a cosy kitchen with a beautiful Rayburn oven.
At age 21, Richard got his first show at the Photographer’s Gallery near Leicester Square, followed by a show at the Cambridge Darkroom Gallery. Cambridge Darkroom also gave him a bursary to photograph the fens.
In the fens, he started to look at American culture. How so, I hear you say. American culture is prevalent because of the US air bases in the area. We saw a photo of a diner in Brandon with a Statue of Liberty outside it!
The Year of the Artist was in 2000 and grants were available from the Arts Council. Winning a grant, Richard spent seven years working on a book which had shoots in England, Europe, and America, and a series of road trips with colour as a central device to convey a spirit.
Richard sees his work as a way to connect people in New York with people in the fens and vice versa. Currently, he is taking pictures of the US East Coast and UK seaside resorts.
Richard has spent 30 years as a photographer exhibiting at over 120 art fairs nationally and internationally. You can next see Richard at the Affordable Art Fair in Battersea on 16-20 Oct.
Coming up next month: From local roots to global reach – Krishna Solanki’s design business adventure.
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