INTRODUCING JOE SKILTON
This is my first week back in the Scottish capital after disappearing to Baltimore for the past 6 months. I’m from York originally, North England. It feels nice to be back but I think it’s too soon to tell. My jet lag really got to me recently, I’d been drinking every day since my first Rum and Coke on the flight and i could never tell if I was hungover or jet-lagged. I need to get back into the swing of things. I’m a twenty year old, twenty and 10 months. I started taking pictures with my dads point and shoot when I was younger because that was always the most fascinating article to the boring family holidays we went on. I hate to say they were boring because I bet I’d love them now, but I know my mind was always elsewhere. That same camera was found in a cupboard one day and has practically been in my pocket ever since. My interest in capturing the people around me was born in discovering The Devils Playground at my college Library. I would always want more images on my bedroom wall from an early age. I’m sure there are lot’s of things that make someone start taking pictures, I’ve always been a visual learner. I keep a lot of diaries, and I used to have all my favorite photographs in albums, but due to money and traveling I haven’t printed so many photographs recently, so I’d like to start making printed books and zines more. They’re something concrete to take into a mostly uncertain future. The number of amazing and inspiring people Ι’ve met through an interest in photography is just ridiculous. I promptly established numerous friendships in Baltimore through photography and the internet. In fact my decision to move to Baltimore in the first place was nurtured by my online friendship with Suzanna Zak. We’ve become great friends since. Visiting New York City I messaged Trinh Huynh through her Flickr account that i’d been following. I felt like a bit of a creep but asked to hang out anyway. We immediately clicked and each time I visited the city I would get to hang out with Trinh and her friends who I loved. Another friend in Baltimore, Ace Kieffer, was involved in a group exhibition called Hey Guys in Brooklyn. Here i met great people like Dave Geeting, Benford Lepley and Bobby Doherty. I found myself meeting more and more people, and more often than not, I’d come across these people before through photography. I’m very appreciative of the friendships I’ve made through taking pictures, I could ramble on for hours about the people I’ve met. My time in America would have been considerably different without them.My favourite camera is still the Maxima MK II. When I finish a roll I have to sit in a closet and force the film back into itself by hand. I recently smashed my olympus as it was in my pocket when I fell from my skateboard. This is a picture of a friend I made after arriving at Kings Cross St Pancras. England shirt, bummed rolly, haggard teeth and that great tattoo. I watched him shout at the general public for a good few minutes before I sat down and spoke to him. I had just said goodbye to everyone in Baltimore and not slept a wink on a transatlantic flight that saw me land in Heathrow’s terminal 5 at 9am. I was very dazed and confused. I hadn’t told any of my friends I was back in the country so at this moment, Gav of London Kings Cross, felt like my only buddy in the world. You can find some of my favourite photographers here and here. At the moment I’m really into the work of Dimitri Karakostas and Maisie Cousins. His collection A Different City, and her pictures of Bilty especially.
