Light Night Ashfield , 2022 with First Art

In February 2022 I was invited to document a two-evening Light Night festival in the town centre of Sutton-In-Ashfield for First Art – in which a wide variety of indoor and outdoor theatrical installations and acts were planned throughout the two evenings giving a massive boost to the local community.

This event was particularly rewarding to work on -being able to use my skills and expertise photographing events by nightfall to document and do justice to some of the spectacular installations and puppetry . As someone who wasn’t particularly from an privileged background I find it really special be able to be working with an organisation which brings high quality arts and cultural experiences to places which have been disadvantaged – Sutton In Ashfield being a prime example of that.

First Art is an arts charity working across north Nottinghamshire and north Derbyshire, delivering a variety of projects and events. We work with communities where there is low engagement in the arts; strong imagery is critical to helping us to win round potential audiences, encouraging them to give something different a go by the sense of fun and wonderment the images convey. Lamar’s images do just that.

Lamar has worked with First Art for the last three years, covering large-scale events to small workshops and everything in between. From start to finish he’s always been professional, ensuring he has a clear understanding of your brief beforehand.  At the shoot he works tirelessly to get the shots, and the final edits always feature a good range of images.

Lamar has an ability to capture something a little different, often playing with movement and juxtapositions. This skill and talent came into its own when photographing our Light Night Ashfield event in 2022. Working across two cold February nights in a jam-packed town centre, Lamar covered the entire programme, ensuring he was in place to capture some really special moments resulting in images that completely conveyed the spirit and atmosphere of the event.

We have no hesitation in recommending Lamar – if you’re looking for images that speak a thousand words, Lamar is your person.

Kate Learmouth, Marketing and Audience Development Manager, First Art