David J Colbran

David, originally from London, moved to Liverpool in 2004 to be nearer family and friends. He had initially trained in IT, which led to a job managing various networks and online services for the University of London. However, his great passion for photography eventually led to a major career change, as David followed his heart and began taking pictures commercially. Inevitably, Liverpool itself became the subject of much of his work;

"The place is fantastic from a visual point of view and it is a really exciting place to live."

In the short time that David has made Liverpool his home he has noticed major changes and developments in the city and set about documenting the things that caught his eye;

"Recording the changes of the urban fabric of the city, has reignited my passion for architecture and the built environment, and sent me out and about with my camera. There are so many new buildings being built and completed, that the famous skyline of the city is changing and it's really hard to keep up visually."

For our project, David has kindly donated a variety of images that explore the changing face of Liverpool, from re-development to urban creativity, and reflects on what they mean to him and his life in Liverpool. The click-through gallery above includes 26 of these photos. You can see more of David's work on his website www.djcdesign.co.uk.

Home is where the heart is

"Areas like Chinatown and the new Ropewalks development areas are interesting, with rather different stories when it comes to urban renewal. The differences between other areas across the city are similar and I try and record the negative, as well as the many positive elements in Liverpool.

A lot of areas are being demolished, or under threat of demolition, so I've completed several projects photographing the Welsh Streets in Toxteth and the now gone terraces of 'under the bridge' in Garston. This has been interesting speaking to the residents remaining about the regeneration; they were on the whole positive and most wanted to move to new, better, homes. Some though wanted to remain at all costs, and it was really interesting documenting the posters and graffiti in the area around the Welsh Streets, as many are written from opposing viewpoints. Hopefully some of my images reflect the character of these areas and provide a way of viewing how the city was at the turn of the millennium."

Graffiti art

"I have been documenting graffiti art across the city and in particular concentrating on a couple of local writers, Stok and Luna. Stok's work can be seen almost everywhere, with a distinctive style often using animals to illustrate his work. These include dogs barking, birds flying and underwater scenes featuring a giant octopus. Luna, who is a female graffiti artist, paints people caricatures, usually of women and again has a very distinctive style. Her work is quite inspirational to me, as it is rare that you see graffiti drawn from a woman's perspective.

Much of the graffiti I'm interested in, by its very nature, exists for only a short period of time, often painted over or cleaned, so establishing an archive on my website has generated quite a bit of interest from Liverpool graffiti writers and those from further afield."

Working in Liverpool

"I've really enjoyed working with the people of Liverpool since I have been here - they are as funny and witty as everyone says they are. My photography business has worked with a wide and varied group of clients and organisations, from young people in Toxteth and Croxteth youth centres, to students at the universities in the city, to an older generation of residents during work undertaken for Age Concern.

I came to Liverpool having visited friends and family here for many years, and decided it would be a great place to start a business. Indeed I am really grateful for all the help and encouragement I have received from organisations like the Chamber of Commerce and the Capital of Culture Company. I am lucky to have some loyal clients and friends, who understand the difficult decisions that need to be made when establishing a new business venture in a new city and they give me a great support network as well."

The future

"The art scene in Liverpool is also undergoing a massive renaissance. There are loads of independent gallery and art spaces and this combined with a prestigious art biennial means that the city is rapidly becoming an international art hub. Many organisations have received funding from the Capital of Culture Company, so it's great to see some actual tangible results happening because of the 2008 status. I'm really looking forward to the plans being made now for the next couple of years and hope that events reach out to everyone across the city, not those already interested in the arts or culture sectors. Hopefully some of my images can play a part in the year long celebrations so that I can contribute to the Capital of Culture."

All photographs on this page are copyright of David J Colbran.

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