The Olympic Village

This is the start of a new series I have been working on. For the past six months I have been cycling a couple of times a week from Broxbourne along the River Lea to my work place in the City, a journey of some 20 miles. The route passes through rural riverside into industrial and then inner city areas of east London, passing near the Olympic stadium and along some of London's canals into Hackney. The Olympic stadium has become a sort of beacon, a landmark, for me when I see it's frame I know my journey is almost finished. I don't feel any real sense of connection with the Olympics - if anything a sense of indifferent neutrality but starting to cycle again after a break of several years has awakened a passion that had lain dormant for quite some time. I take a 35mm camera (either a Vivitar UWS, LCA or Holga 135BC) with me each morning and photograph the landscapes I see when the light permits. This is my Olympic Village - distinct from the official hype and razzmatazz of the real games and without the anticipation of glory or fame. This is my journey not just to work, the act of cycling represents something more than that. There is the physical action of course - training to improve fitness, but these journeys are an opportunity for reflection; a brief period in the day when all the bullshit of life is stripped away - no cares or responsibilities just me, the bike and the views. These photos are from the first batch taken, and were shot with a Vivitar UWS. You can see more here

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