Thomas Archer is a street photographer based in Sheffield. He was educated at Sheffield Hallam University and won the Student Street Photography award at the London Festival of Photography. You may also recognise Tom’s face from playing guitar in the likes of Cold Ones and Sports Day. We discuss Tom’s introduction in to photography and the punk scene that influenced him.

Firstly could you explain the genre of photography that you do and any influences that you have?

I guess my work mainly falls under the category of street photography, mainly focusing on observing and creating surveys of British life.

My main influences in terms of photographers include Paul Graham, Ed Templeton, Simon Roberts, Ed Ruscha, Meyerowitz, Winogrand, John MacLean….the list is endless really.

Street photography is particularly voyeuristic, how do you go about taking your photos so the subject stays natural?

I’m just a wanderer really. I walk the streets, poking around people’s properties but never really staying in the same place for a long time. I guess that’s just due to the environment in which I work in. The suburbs are never going to be rammed with opportunities so there’s always the need to wander to try to find the photograph. It’s all about speed and timing though,especially if you think you’re going to get noticed. I’m not so bothered about the “getting caught” bit, it’s just shit when your moment’s gone.
I got screamed at and chased by a woman in castle market once, that was pretty intense she was eating a ham sandwich at the time, most of which got sprayed over me…
Only once have i been questioned whilst on the streets, I took a photograph of a woman in her window and this guy, some kind of neighbourhood watch warrior, stopped his car and politely said “what the fuck are you taking photographs of!!??” I said “I’m studying architecture and interested in the science behind double glazing windows” and he was completely fine and apologised profusely. Moron.

How did you first get in to photography and how long have you been in to it?

I think I got bought a canon compact camera when I was about 15, so 7 years ago, and used to take it with me to gigs. That’s all I really shot, I just did it for a hobby, bumming bands that I thought were cool and being that annoying knob head everyone hates at gigs. I used to open the shutter for ages to create light trails and used to think I was the shit! Suppose you gotta start somewhere….

What projects are you currently working on?

At the moment I’m pretty dried up. Once you graduate from a course where there are hardly any jobs available, it’s hard to get motivated. Last year was immense for me, winning the LSP, doing interviews and meeting important people. At the moment I have my eyes set on an opportunity that might become available to me over in the states, so I’ve just been working to save up in case it comes around…

I still have thoughts and ideas floating around, that never stops. I want to turn my “Nothing New” project into a survey a British life, there’s no reason why I would stop shooting for that, it’s just kinda hard to find the time when you have to balance it with work and other commitments.

I also have a fascination with the modern way of living. The people who have “made it” in life, the people that have the car, the family, live in the house that sits opposite the house that looks exactly the same as their house, in the estate that contains more of the same houses. This concept is one for the future I think, it’s at the foetal stage of my thoughts but hopefully I can do something with it…

You won the london street photography award for photographs in your “Nothing New” exhibition, what exactly is the concept for “Nothing New” and how did you get shortlisted for the awards?

The concept for “Nothing New” is a focus on the suburban dramas of middle class Sheffield. I tried to photograph the “non moments” of suburbia, I hate the phrase “everyday life” because hundreds of street photographers use that term, but I guess in a way it’s just what I did. I wanted to create a sense of isolation within each photograph and bring in obscure subtleties as well, something I recon I achieved for the final prints that won the Street Photography comp.

In terms of getting short listed, I applied on deadline day on a whim. I think one of my uni lecturers told me about it so I just submitted some images that I had been working with for my Uni project, got a call about a month later saying I had been shortlisted and the rest is history….

What are your views on film vs digital photography? I read somewhere that you only use film

For me it’s mainly for aesthetic reasons, and the fact that I love printing using analogue methods, although that method is limited for me now.

I’m not a film freak, I don’t use one specific type of film and I’m not really bothered about the technical side of processing etc, some people could call me un professional but I’m really not arsed, getting caught up in the technical side of things before you have a solid concept is not what I’m about. I use a rangefinder and probably will do for the rest of my career. The film/digital debate can go on forever, obviously for more commercial jobs using digital has its advantages and if someone chucked an digital M9 my way there would be no way I would turn it down.I work with what I’ve got, I’m not interested in owning shit loads of cameras and having a million lenses, my Voigtlander is enough for me.

Has playing in punk and hardcore bands influenced your photography at all? and if so, how?

Yeah definitely, I first started taking photo’s at gigs, and being in bands that toured it was the best opportunity to start photographing anything and everything. Going on tour with Cold Ones to Spain and Portugal was one of the best times of my life, having a camera made it even more special and some of the photographs I took on that tour became the inspiration for my final year project. Without being in bands I wouldn’t have met half the people I know now, wouldn’t have the knowledge I have now and I probably wouldn’t even be doing this interview!

You compiled the book “faces” which purely contains passport photos that you found. how did that idea come about and what made you want to pursue it and publish it as a book?

Me and my mate have a knack for finding weird stuff, passport photographs being one of the main ones. You go into post offices, and if people don’t like there prints they literally just leave them on the side or in the bin, it’s easy to find them doing it that way. The book is a combination of images found in post offices or on the street, they’ve been collected over a very long period and I just wanted to use them for something. I’d wanted to make the book for a while, but when we got a module that needed us to make a book it became the perfect time to do it. It’s basically a comment on “throw away” society, voyeurism and a lack of responsibility people have for there most important possessions, identity being the main one for this project.

The books are all hand made by myself, that’s why there are only about 6 copies… If people really wanted one I’d be happy to get my needle and thread out though!

Do you have many plans for the rest of 2012?

At the moment I’m waiting on an opportunity that hopefully will take me to the States, but it’s all very early days. I’m concentrating a lot on band commitments as well, I had a period when I wasn’t in a band for a year and it sucked so it’s nice to be getting back on track now.. I’m carrying on my “Nothing New” survey and will probably/hopefully be getting started on some new suburban projects. Planning for the future is hard in this economic climate, I guess for the time being I’ll take everyday as it comes.

Click here to view Tom’s website and here to listen to his new band Temple Of Coke.