Suzanne Plunkett: Blog

VE Day under Lockdown

(Suzanne Plunkett) — Fri, 08 May 2020 15:57:37 GMT

Today is the 75th Anniversary of VE Day. The coronavirus lockdown has turned what would have been a festive and photogenic public holiday celebrating the World War II soldiers who liberated Europe from Nazism, into a subdued affair. My daughter, who has recently learned all about WWII in school, was disappointed not to be able to march in our town's parade. Instead, we took a bicycle ride around the Chilterns to see what we could find

Europeans Keep Their Cool Despite Heatwave Lucifer

(Suzanne Plunkett) — Sat, 26 Aug 2017 10:55:27 GMT

Over the past month, Europeans and travellers have worked on keeping their cool despite Heatwave Lucifer's wildfires, drought and searing temperatures well into 40 degrees celsius/100 degrees fahrenheit.

A super yacht moors in Kotor Bay as wildfires tear up the mountainsides on Montenegro.

A couple canoodle at the Palatinus Strand Pool in Budapest

Lunges in L'orangerie, Paris

Braving the (possibly) kicking horses at Horseguards, London

LondonA visitor poses at Horseguards

Breaking out ballet moves at the Coliseum, Rome

The split second before relief from the searing heat, Budva, Montenegro

Window space was at a premium on the night train from Bar, Montenegro to Belgrade, Serbia

Riding the river waves in the Englischer Garten, Munich, Germany

Bikinis and Tattoos in Budapest

Budapest

Daydreaming by the surreal mosaics in the wave pool at Palatinus Strand in Budapest

Budapest

Gaping Gill Winch Meet

(Suzanne Plunkett) — Mon, 05 Jun 2017 13:26:35 GMT

Every year, for one week only, The Bradford Pothole Club holds a "Winch Meet" atop Fell Beck, Britain’s highest unbroken waterfall. For the past Sixty years, the members have constructed a winch over Gaping Gill, the largest cavern in Britain. Then they allow members of the public the chance to visit this stunning, subterranean world.

This year, I went to photograph the enourmous cavern. Hugging my Canon 5D, protected with plastic bags, I descended down into the cave through the waterfall on my single-seat chair. Once my eyes adjusted to the low light, I lowered my shutter speed and searched for a place to stabilise my camera while I shot long exposures of the vast grotto. I was told by many club members during my 2 hour wait in the queue that you could fit St. Paul's Cathedral into the space below.

Sixty-nine year old Dave Neild received safety instructions from a club member just before his descent into Gaping Gill.

Dave Neild takes photos while waiting in the queue for his turn at the winch.

Members of the Bradford Pothole Club work in shifts winching the public up and down for one week every spring.

One eight-year old's journey up out of the cave...

My Kilburn High Road

(Suzanne Plunkett) — Wed, 22 Mar 2017 15:09:39 GMT

Life in the time of Brexit

History has always travelled down the Kilburn High Road, like the number 16 bus does today. The Romans built it 2,000 years ago as a direct route out of London. Monks came here to build a monastery in the 12th century. Pilgrims of popular music followed in the 1950s and 60s to see Sinatra, the Stones and the Beatles play at the vast State Theatre

And still it comes. As Britain prepares to face huge social and economic change in the wake of the Brexit vote to leave the European Union, the Kilburn High Road finds itself once more on the frontline of history, and that’s what my photos aim to capture.

Slicing straight through one of the most ethnically diverse parts of the UK, the road — a weary collection of budget supermarkets, bookmakers and thrift stores — represents many of the divisions in British society that helped trigger the Brexit vote in the first place.

Monied homeowners using the High Road to get from million pound homes to well paid jobs in central London walk past low income or welfare-dependent neighbours. Recent immigrants from Europe and beyond mingle with born and bred Londoners. Criminals mix with the law abiding.

Religions, races, classes, ages and nationalities all blend on the High Road. There’s neglect and despair. There’s pride and hope. Some broken things get mended. Some don’t.

No one knows what a post-Brexit future will bring for Britain. But when it finally comes, it will need to travel down the Kilburn High Road to get there.

For more Kilburn High Road Images follow me on Instagram and Twitter

The Secret Life of Abandoned Furniture

(Suzanne Plunkett) — Mon, 06 Feb 2017 10:31:09 GMT

The Secret Life of Abandoned Furniture

Retiree Ken gives football stadium tours to pass the time, but prefers to watch the big game from a sofa. Even a floral sofa on Pioneer Avenue.

My father once owned a furniture shop. When I was young, I’d play among the tables and sofas, watching customers agonising over which bedroom suites or kitchen chairs to buy. These seemed like big, life changing decisions — adding new family members to be cherished, polished and reupholstered for generations to come.

On Charteris Road, Mrs. Frost dreams of a bigger kitchen. Little Tate dreams of fish fingers.

Today, the rise of self-assembly flat packs and cheap appliances has stripped furniture of its status. All too easily people fall out of love and cast it away to fend for itself on the mean streets.

Homework's finished. Now father and daughter can finally enjoy the sandbags on Hartland Road.

Seeing an abandoned couch or armchair sagging by the side of the road always fills me with sadness. I'm reminded of the days when these everyday items were part of my playground. It makes me want to find them a new home, a new family.

Ian and Jo have nothing more to say. That's OK, the brown sofa in Hazelmere Road is comfortable with the silence.

That's the inspiration behind these photos. I'm trying to create a second life for these forsaken objects, give them a new purpose. I’m trying to make a new home for them on the streets onto which they've been cast.

Just before Fashion Week, Barry worries about his new spring-summer wardrobe on Aldershot Road

It is, of course, a whimsical notion, which recalls my own childhood when wardrobes and unslept-on beds were my playground.

At the end of Buckley Road, does the chair on the left suspect Helen and Dave are whispering about it?

But I also want to convey a sense of optimism. More often than not, there is a second life for these household objects. In a tough city like London, furniture doesn't stay abandoned for long before it's spirited away by scrap dealers or folks in need.

The first abandoned chair was too big. The next abandoned chair was too small. But this abandoned chair on Streatley Gardens is just the right size.

Even a battered old sofa can become a velour-covered symbol of hope.

Going to take more than rain to unseat Alvan from this plush velvet beauty on Kingsley Road.

What We Ate at the State Fair

(Suzanne Plunkett) — Thu, 29 Sep 2016 12:50:11 GMT

Last month, My family visited the Minnesota State Fair.

This is what we ate:

1 x Corn Dog

1x Walleye on a Stick

1 x Virgin Pina Colada

12 x mini donuts [sic]

1 x Serving of Deep Fried Cheese Curds

6 x Cups of Grain Belt Beer

1 x Serving of Deep Fried Potato Chips

1 x Stick of Strawberry Cotton Candy

4 x Beef and Bean Tostadas

1 x Reuben Pickle Dog

5 x Cups Milk from the All You Can Drink Milk Stand

1 x Hotdish on a Stick

1 x Shrimp Wrapped Bacon on a Stick

This was a compendium of foods eaten by the Plunkett family during a visit to the Minnesota State Fair in August 2016.

Lights, Cricket and Wine Tasting

(Suzanne Plunkett) — Tue, 07 Jun 2016 11:25:03 GMT

Lovely to meet and photograph England Cricketer Stuart Broad last night at a Hardy's Wine tasting event at the 1853 Wine Shop in Weybridge, England. I got to test out my new ProPhoto lights and tried to make the most of the two minutes I had to photograph him.

Star Wars Day: Stormtrooper storms playground

(Suzanne Plunkett) — Wed, 04 May 2016 21:43:45 GMT

I thought my days of war photography were over, but last Sunday I found myself close to the front line of the Empire's struggle against the Rebel Alliance. It was hard to say whether this Stormtrooper was doing some basic training or simply enjoying a spot of R & R, followed by ice cream. There was no sign of any disturbance in the force, although somebody did fall off the swings and scrape their knee.

(May the 4th be With You)

Prince: Before The Selfie

(Suzanne Plunkett) — Fri, 22 Apr 2016 08:44:30 GMT

Suzanne Plunkett Photography

Growing up outside Minneapolis, I babysat Prince's next door neighbours- one day we went next door to his purple tudor house for an autograph...A very glamorous woman answered the door and told us to wait. When Prince emerged, he was very friendly and was wearing two different coloured boots, one white, one black.

Prince sightings were common in Minneapolis. He was our celebrity and made us cool by proxy. As teenagers, anytime my sister Rachel and I saw a limousine (or any fancy car for that matter), we would shout "There's Prince!" A tradition that continues to this day, whether we are in New York, Austin or London.

The first time I photographed him was for the Associated Press. I waited until 4am to get this shot of Prince with former Sly and the Family Stone bassist Larry Graham in 1998 at New York's Webster Hall. Security confiscated all the press photographers' flashes as they weren't allowed. As Prince took the stage, backlit, I panicked before remembering my Nikon 8008 had a sneaky pop up flash.

Then in 2000, I photographed the moment ‪Prince‬ ditched that unpronounceable symbol and became Prince again.

Frieze

(Suzanne Plunkett) — Fri, 16 Oct 2015 10:50:28 GMT

On Wednesday, I covered the Frieze Art Fair for Reuters. While wandering around looking for feature pictures, I came across twin sisters who were part of a performance artwork entitled "Siamese Hair Twins" by Brazillian artist Tunga. They walked through the galleries holding hands and pointing to various artworks while visitors tried to snap pictures of them on their phones. Apparently, the concept for this performance is for sale for £20,000 (twin sisters NOT included!) The Frieze Art Fair, which is one of the world's leading contemporary art fairs, runs through October 17. ALL PHOTOGRAPHS COPYRIGHT REUTERS