Author Archives: johncole

Mark and Jamie Ball


Post Image

I recently went out with Mark Ball and his son Jamie on their RX 419, ‘My Sara’. We left at 4 in the afternoon and came back 14+ hours later after a very successful catch of plaice, Dover sole and turbot. I was once again reminded of what incredibly hard work it is to be a fisherman! Interestingly, I had photographed Mark in 1992, along with his brother Richard and their father Richard Senior.  #hastingsfishingfamilies #commercialfishing  

Tags: , , ,

Promises, promises…


Post Image

Earlier this year, Hastings fishermen and their families went to sea to protest what they felt was the bad deal they were getting in the Brexit negotiations. Last week Michael Gove came down to Hastings to reassure Hastings fishermen that when the UK leaves the EU and its Common Fisheries Policy the country will be ‘in charge and take back control of the waters’. Which if it happens, would be great! But as 75% of the Hastings’ catch goes to […]

Tags: , , ,

Out at Sea on the Felicity


Post Image

Brothers Stevie and Jimmy Edmunds kindly invited me to come out with them very early this morning to photograph them hauling in their fishing nets of plaice, sole, turbot and too many spider crabs. All nourishing food for the ‘Fishing for Generations’ book.  

Tags: ,

“Generations, Hastings’ Fishing Families”


In 1992 I came down from London to document the Hastings fishing community. Four of those images now hang in the Hastings Fishermen’s Museum and were published in the book Hastings Today. More images from this project will be exhibited in the Houses of Parliament, London, opening January 27th, 2014.

Hastings Fishing Families


Post Image

As my 70th (Gasp!) Birthday present to myself, I’ve begun in earnest to put together my 20+ year collection of Hastings Fishing Families photographs into a book. Recently, I’ve been spending time with Roland Kelly and his family, and have taken photos of Roland with his 82-year-old dad Stan, as well as Roland’s daughter Natasha and husband Rob and their 15-month old son Arthur. Generations indeed!

Hastings Pier at night


I have photographed the reconstruction of Hastings Pier for two years, from May 2014 until the celebration of it’s reopening in May 2016. During this time, I have captured the key moments in the Pier’s reconstruction, including the arrival of the Jack Up Barge, the demolition of the Ballroom, the laying of the decking and the building of the Pier Hub. I have also completed another body of work for Hastings Pier Charity entitled ‘Unsung Heroes’ celebrating the workers who […]

Digital Photography Teaching


Post Image

In September of this year, I’ll be running a digital photography course at Sussex Coast College in Hastings. The emphasis of this ten week course will be on taking better photos, so that you graduate from taking happy snaps to powerful photographic images. There will of course be some technical How To sessions, but the emphasis will be on getting out there and creating stunning images. As a special offer, even if it rains (as it seems to be doing a lot […]

Tags: , ,

The Wembley To Soweto Foundation


Great news! The Wembley To Soweto Foundation will be collaborating with The Hospital Club in Covent Garden from September 2015 – September 2016. We’re all thrilled to be working alongside such a dynamic and pro-active group of people, and to mark the start of our journey together we will be exhibiting a selection of images taken by our young photographers over the past 5 years. We will be joined by past and current students from all over the world and would be […]

Tags: , , ,

Unsung Heroes return to the Pier


The Unsung Heroes of Hastings Pier have now moved from the HUB and gone back to the Pier. Four of the photos are now attached to the side of one of the sheds on the Pier, and you can see them when walking along the Promenade. If you’re coming from Hastings or anywhere East of the Pier, have a look at the Pier’s Unsung Heroes who will be looking at you from behind the fencing.

Tags: , , , ,

Hastings Piano Concerto Competition


Post Image

This year’s Hastings International Piano Concerto Competition was once again an amazing week of truly amazing musical talent from all over the world. This year’s winner was Alexander Panfilov from Russia, whose final performance of Rachmaninov’s Piano Concerto No. 3 was both powerful and sensitive, for which he received a standing ovation from the White Rock audience. One of the real treat’s for me this year was working alongside film director Mike Figgis, who was shooting a documentary of the […]

Tags: , , , , , ,