Photography has been a huge part of my life since my childhood, but in recent years I found myself unmotivated to go out and shoot more, as shooting digital wasn’t inspiring me enough. I wanted to try something different to re-ignite my passion and love for photography, and that’s when I discovered film. I saw this as a way to document my life here in Manchester as it happens. With some YouTube videos to convince me – I saw myself looking through eBay and bought my first film camera.
Getting a 35mm film camera allowed me to dive in and learn about this photographic medium. So, when I am not working on Uni assignments or part-time, I now find myself with my film camera walking on random streets around Manchester or Salford capturing the beauty and life of this city. I am falling in love with the whole art of creating images again, so here I am sharing my favourite spots (in no particular order)in Manchester/Salford that should be on your list to see and photograph.
MediaCity
We’re starting with our University of Salford Arts and Media Campus, located in the heart of MediaCity. This area is buzzing with great cafes, restaurants and bars; it is also the host to BBC and ITV offices. It has one of the most beautiful skylines, with canal water separating either side and plenty of places to sit and enjoy if it’s good weather. There are a lot of events happening throughout the year, although you need a permit to shoot. If you are a University of Salford student, it’s free for us which means you can capture some great photographs of the place. I highly recommend shooting during the Golden Hour (Sunset) time of the day.
Salford Quays
Right next to MediaCity is where Salford Quays is located. It is one of the beautiful neighbourhoods tucked in between the canals. With the waterfront, there is a mix of old and modern architecture in the streets-there are some amazing frames waiting to be captured if you take a stroll around that area. I always find myself taking a walk, and I have many images both in Colour and Black and White film. This definitely should be on the list for people who like shooting architecture, and street-style images.
Deansgate Castlefield Basin
Deansgate is the home to the skyline of Manchester. If you ever come to Manchester, one of the first things you will notice is those very tall glass buildings. Even though they are great to photograph, the beauty of that region is the Castlefield basin side of it. The water canals are home to many narrow boats. The entire region has a mixture of modern and old looks, preserving the industrial era of Manchester which makes for some interesting compositions and frames to photograph. Fun fact: you can walk the entire canal side from Manchester Central region, through Castlefield basin and then reach Salford Quays, which makes for a great evening leisure walk or run if the weather permits.
Northern Quarter
Northern Quarter (or NQ) part of Manchester is the most ‘happening’ spot filled with pubs, cafes and bars. It is also home to a lot of antique, and vintage shops – Afflecks being the most popular one. One of the amazing things is that so many small streets and routes are filled with graffiti and artwork. The energy among people there is very well suited for street-style photography as there is always something happening, so it’s a great place to capture some amazing candid moments.
Ancoats and New Islington
Ancoats and New Islington, formally known as an Industrial Suburb in Manchester, has greatly changed over the last 30 years. This part of Manchester is now host to a vibrant community of people with independent cafes, bars and boutiques spread across the region. There are also a lot of industrial buildings from the era still preserved in the Ancoats area, making it a great spot for photographers to learn and get some interesting-looking compositions. With a mix of canal, modern, urban style architecture in New Islington and the Etihad Campus (Home of Manchester City Football Club) being located nearby, you will spot a lot of high-energy fans with blue jerseys on during a Match Day. I recently went on a walk with my film colleagues and discovered this region. It’s definitely worth going around with your camera here.
I hope you found this blog interesting. Manchester is a great place filled with a mix of old & modern architecture and a vibrant community which gives you great options to capture images that fit your style. I will probably continue to wander around and find more hidden spots in the coming months and I urge you to take your cameras out as well. If I have missed any spots that are worth visiting, do mention in the comments below. Happy Capturing one frame at a time!
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