Joe Roper

Photography has long been a great interest of mine. I actually chose to study photography over music at university (music being too personal to me to allow any outside influence at that time) and it has remained one of my major creative outlets ever since. Although I don't fully consider myself a photographer, the medium does provide me with a visual output that, I feel, shares a commonality with my music. Outside of music, street photography and cinema are the two biggest influences on me creatively and I try to capture this in my images. Hitting the streets with a camera opens up a world of potential, very different to writing music in a studio. The great street photographer Joel Meyerowitz says having a camera in your hand gives you a 'licence to see' and I couldn't agree more. The tiniest details of everyday life are suddenly made visible for you, not just to observe but to interact and play with. Colours, shapes, patterns. Light and shadow. The whole spectrum of human emotion is unlocked and you are given access to it - through your lens. The vibrancy of the streets and the magic of street photography is something I will always hold close to me.