Vernacular Photography

Vernacular photography or amateur photography refers to the creation of photographs by amateur or unknown photographers who take everyday life and common things as subjects. (wikipedia)

“Aesthetically unpretentious, generally functional images made by amateur snapshooters or grass-roots professionals” Robin Lenman

Examples of vernacular photography are: family snapshots, travel photos, photo booth, school/ID photographs, amateur portraits, souvenir type photos & works by itinerant photographers.

“Invented in France and England in the first part of the 19th Century, photography was for a long time stuck in the portrait studio where the upper classes went to have their picture taken. Within months of Daguerre’s 1839 announcement of his photographic breakthrough in Paris, many amateurs began experimenting with the daguerreotype process capturing members of their families in what would be the first family photographs. By the 1890’s there had been a tremendous rise in amateur photography with the arrival of smaller formats and more simple cameras to use. The family album was born, where visual fragments of daily life were collected and preserved.” Malin Sjoberg – Vernacular photography exhibition concept & research.

This exhibition explores the genre of vernacular photography.

Participating Photographers

Yehia Asem El Alaily, Jessica Allen, Catherine ‘Rattyfied’ Amyes, Jon Stanley Austin, Ingeborg Bachmann, Chris Cockerill, Robert Davies, Pearl Findlay, Francesca Limb, Somendra Singh Mahivaria, Andrew Newson, Steven Schofield, Alan Underwood-Parry