Lucy Bénézet Minns is a pro-cyclist in the Lotto Cycling Team. Penge Cycle Club, in South East London, was where she got started. Learning to race, practicing skills on a bike and having fun with new friends.

During a break from her training in Europe, I was commissioned to capture some portraits of her with some other young Penge riders, and with Winnie Farquharson, the owner of SE20 Cycles, where the club meet after rides.

Penge Cycle Club and SE20 Cycles, were her sponsors at the Recent UCI Track Championships, where she was riding for Ireland - you can see the official skin-suit in some of the shots. The images are going to be used in a PR campaign to help attract a new generation of young riders to Penge. Not just racers, the youth section of the club club is for anyone aged 5- 16 - who wants to get better, fitter, faster on a bike - and have some fun along the way.

90% of the current  Great Britain Cycling Team started out in Go-Ride registered clubs like PengeCC, so this is a winning formula for aspiring racers.  When they founded the club back in  2008 they  wanted to give local young riders of all abilities the chance to ride bikes in a safe, fun environment. 

The club is very proud of Lucy of course , but from the sessions you can tell that  the club and coaches are just as proud of every young rider who  pulls on a Penge CC Jersey. You can find out more about the club on their website or on their socials. Links below

https://pengecycleclub.org.uk/
https://www.instagram.com/pengecycleclub/
https://www.instagram.com/lotto.cyclingteam/

Street images from my recent “spook-cation” in York, described as the most haunted city in England. A few days well spent devouring Yorkshire pudding wraps, mingling my camera with the tourists and waiting for my beer to float across the bar in the Golden Fleece. (Spoiler…didn’t happen!)

Highlights include a dark tour of deathly tales with stories of the monstrous Barghest beast and the chilling tear-streaked girl of “plague house,” who taps on the window at passersby. Sleep well, eh! I also learn’t a Snickelway is not a northern chocolate bar crammed with peanuts. We couldn’t end our trip without popping by the Yorkshire Ghost Merchants, for our very own ghost, each comes complete with a spirit of their own.

York is a place I need to return. There’s definitely a strong image theme brewing for a future zine.

…unless it’s your own wedding day but that’s another story!

I recently returned from a sunny trip to Madrid where i was blessed to observe and capture the wedding for the amazing Marcos and Rubén. A day full of generations, laughter, dancing and as much carved ham as i’ve ever seen under one roof.

The day started in the village with make up and preps followed by a short coach to the Plaza Mayor to greet the awaiting couple. The ceremony took place in the historic Casa de la Panaderia followed by a short walk to the equally beautiful Coolrooms, aptly named and much needed given it was around 38 degrees.

A beautiful day inside and out, full of warmth and fun. Here’s a selection of some of the moments.

Images from my recent family visit to Madrid. This Holy Weekend got off to a bit of an eye-opener when my wife’s neighbour said she had something sitting in the garage to show me. Not sure what I were expecting but obviously a bit surprised to see this.

It’s definitely a family occasion when we visit and this time was no exception. I managed to go walkabout with my 35mm though was struggling to find people in this sleepy little village. We capped off with a visit to an uncles old farm to collect a bucket of eggs and of course, an obligatory sit on the tractor. HERE

M11 + 35mm. F8 1/160 ISO500

M11 + 35mm. F3.3 1/160 ISO800

M11 + 35mm. F1.7 1/125 ISO3200

M11 + 35mm. F6.7 1/80 ISO3200

M11 + 35mm. F1.7 1/160 ISO400

M11 + 35mm. F2.4 1/160 ISO1600

M11 + 35mm. F2.4 1/320 ISO160

M11 + 35mm. F1.7 1/2500 ISO64

M11 + 35mm. F8 1/320 ISO64

M11 + 35mm. F9.5 1/160 ISO100

Is it a shed? Is it a caravan? M11 + 35mm. F13 1/160 ISO500

M11 + 35mm. F4 1/500 ISO64

M11 + 35mm. F3.3 1/180 ISO1000

M11 + 35mm. F5.6 1/350 ISO160

M11 + 35mm. F3.3 1/160 ISO1000

M11 + 35mm. F3.3 1/125 ISO3200

M11 + 35mm. F3.3 1/60 ISO1600

M11 + 35mm. F1.4 1/320 ISO800

An evening of light fantastic. A few highlights from a fabulous street walkabout and art-direction workshop with Fuji ambassador @mrwhisper and @street.nomad_. Read more HERE.

XT3 + 33mm. F1.8 1/125 ISO1000

XT3 + 33mm. F2 1/170 ISO160

XT3 + 33mm. F1.6 1/125 ISO400

XT3 + 33mm. F1.4 1/125 ISO800

XT3 + 33mm. F1.8 1/125 ISO2000

Couldn’t resist running out to get a few images in the local park. The joy of fog, what else can I say.

XT3 + 33mm. F7.1 1/500 ISO160

XT3 + 33mm. F8 1/500 ISO160

XT3 + 33mm. F5.6 1/1000 ISO160

XT3 + 33mm. F8 1/1000 ISO160

XT3 + 33mm. F2.8 1/60 ISO400

XT3 + 33mm. F4 1/2000 ISO160

i’m probably a bit late to the party to start doing a blog? Will anyone read it? Is anyone even interested? I’m pretty terrible at writing. All of those things.

So while you can call it a blog, i see it more of a safe space to document my day to day and experiment without the need to create stories that fall into a box. Images i just want to share (for anyone interested) or look back on while i figure out directions and projects to focus on.

To kick-start, i’ve collated two big handfuls of old shots i’ve removed from my site, mostly family but images i wouldn’t want lost or hidden somewhere on a hard drive.

Anyway, as a fellow photographer once reminded me….’just enjoy the experience, this is the key.’