If you think that you’ve seen all of Manchester, then look again.
Look at the buildings harder, feel the atmosphere differently, and see things that you’ve never seen before.
This is the message of Andrew Brooks, the photographer who is on a mission to reveal every hidden element of the city.
So far, his quest is proving a success.
Through his re-imagining of the urban landscape, he has received worldwide critical acclaim and recently landed a role as the eyes of the BBC for the third consecutive year.
His talent for discovering rarity has not gone unnoticed, however his unique perception, he admits, once faltered.
“There was a time when I’d been here for about seven or eight years and I thought I’d captured all of the city – I was ready to move on,” Andrew said.
“Then I had this moment where I realised it is about being more creative, it’s about looking harder and it’s about how you can see the world differently.”
Since this revelation Andrew estimates he has taken another 30,000 photographs of Manchester. Each one, he maintains, displaying a richer interpretation.
Moving from Manchester at the age of 18, Andrew has always regarded photography as a means of communication. In each picture there is a message.
Now, after exhibitions in New York, Amsterdam, and China, he has achieved a transnational platform to broadcast this message.
He said: “I show Manchester in a different light – from the grizzly underground to the very modern.
“It’s about projecting a confident image of Manchester for all to see.”
Andrew has photographed Manchester for almost two decades now. His studio is currently based in Islington Mill, Salford. The building is a haven for artistic talents where his images come to life.
There is more to his work than finding an ideal spot, flashing his lens, and calling it a day. He dedicates an enormous amount of time to achieving perfection, including up to one year’s planning and waiting to shoot.
It is not unknown for one single image to comprise of 14 shoots and a month’s re-touching before meeting his exceptionally high standards.
It is only through this care and precision that he is able to truly create something unique.
His obsession to produce a raw image on each occasion has meant that some of his newer artwork blurs the lines of reality and fantasy.
He often fuses together carefully chosen landmarks to form an image that is strangely familiar, yet weirdly peculiar.
One of his most intriguing images shows a seaside resort in Hove alongside Liverpool’s Radio City Tower.
If like the photographer you have a keen eye for detail and an appreciation for Manchester, you may also notice the tip of Piccadilly Station’s platform 13.
“It’s surrealism,” Andrew said.
“I take the world and I rebuild it from my imagination.
“It’s about taking what’s there and creating a heightened version, seeing something that you haven’t before.”
While such illusions quench Andrew’s desire for originality, Manchester will always remain his muse.
He studies the growing skyline and cites Beetham Tower as one of his favourite structures.
Outside of this interest in modernisation, he is keen to explore the decaying past.
His photos capture Manchester’s internal struggle – to sit industrialisation alongside culture and to sit the contemporary against the historical.
His shots from inside Albert Hall, a building Andrew is fascinated by, beautifully demonstrates this clash.
It is no wonder that his work has garnered the attention of the BBC. For three seasons he has collaborated with them producing images for their Philharmonic Orchestra at The Bridgewater Hall.
He utilises a variety of methods to create an image that will go hand in hand with the music. This is a task he thoroughly enjoys.
Photography is Andrew’s job, his passion, and his life. But recently the man who searches for the unseen has experienced the unknown as he became a dad for the first time.
Jackson, his eight-month-old son, has further inspired him.
Andrew said: “I’m still doing what I love and what I’m enthusiastic about, only now I’m a dad.
“My aim now is to keep building the momentum with my work, keep showing Manchester in a different light, and keep being a good dad at the same time.
“I’ve had six months – a whole year in fact – where it’s been non-stop, and now suddenly I can keep up.”
Whatever the future holds for Manchester, Andrew will be there. Some buildings will rise and some will fall, but thankfully with Andrew about, nothing will go unnoticed.
For more information, visit http://www.andrewbrooksphotography.com/
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