News: 1000 Portraits

Photo by Chris Harrison

Some people hate having their photo taken, that said a lot of people like it, which is something Chris Harrison found out with his ambitious attempt to photograph 1000 faces in 2022.

The Gosforth-based photographer is best known locally for his street candid work, capturing the life and soul of Newcastle and other cities across the UK, alongside running workshops in the methodologies and ethics of street photography for budding photographers. Chris’ passion lies in shooting portraits and capturing real people as they present themselves day to day. However, asking people to pose for a photograph can be a daunting task and as a result 1000 Portraits was born.

Chris explains further…  “Asking people if I can photograph them is quite nerve-wracking, which is silly really, as the worst that happens is a no. Nine out of ten people say yes. The idea to shoot 1000 portraits in 2022 was a personal challenge really, to push my own confidence talking to people, and just get out and make images.

“I’m interested in all ages, looks, and styles. I’ve met some really fascinating people doing this, who really show the diversity of our city. I’ll mainly be shooting in Newcastle, but I’ll also be travelling to other cities including Hull, York, and Edinburgh.”

The response to the project from people on the street has been very positive and as a result has attracted the attention of the media, with Chris being interviewed for National World – LocalTV in February. The project itself didn’t have any specific goal but Chris will be looking to exhibit work from this project in the near future.