We’ve said it before. We’ll say it again. Drop us an email.
That’s essentially what Craig Dodds did (it might’ve been a DM).
After stumbling upon one of our mags in a coffee shop in Barcelona (days before lockdown we might add), Craig dropped us a line and after a brief exchange shared his zine series Municipality with us.
Municipality is a zine series I’ve slowly brought to fruition with each passing issue over the last 4 years.
“My first issue concentrated on Belfast, Northern Ireland when my interest peaked from skateboard photography into street photography. What got me hooked so quickly was the enjoyment of the shooting similarities, adopting your own stealthy approach but keeping technique close at hand for that final outcome.
Skateboarding requires you to be always vigilante but also hasty when it comes to setting up a shot. We’re quite noisy creatures and that attracts a lot of unwanted attention which can disturb that final image we strained so hard for. Street photography is a lot more restrained, you acquire the same skills you’ve learnt only this time you need the ability of blending into your environment. Acquiring your blissfully unaware target and entering their world for that ever so brief moment, immortalising them and the moment. It’s a change from skateboarding because now you can see everybody, and nobody can see you.
The theme of each issue over the years has focused on cities with the last two issues finding their conception in Barcelona.
In these tightly packed sidewalks we journey further from normality and into an uncertain abyss. We collectively accept this inevitable scenario, knowing we’re all in this urban sardine can together, never out of sight nor mind of people’s judgment, however tranquil or eccentric they may be, there can be no more mystery.
I try to portray both ends of the spectrum and everything in between when it comes down to documenting a place. We sometimes choose to ignore or simply just oblivious in our excursion through the metropolis.
My goal from this zine is to hopefully encourage others to start picking up something other than their phone to take photos and create their own zine. “A good workman never blames his tools”. You can still take a great photo on your phone but without that initial practice on its predecessor you can lose those vital bounding moments that inevitably bring you closer to photography.
If you’re interested in a copy hit me up via:
Instagram – @duddle_it
Thank you.
