LONDON CALLING

A portfolio from Simon Winnall

By VITTI Cycling

May 7^th, 2024

Light, shadow, color and the empty streets of London make for a surreal collection of images that is so much more than the sum of its parts.

This series of images and interview with Simon Winnall has been a while in the making, originally shot with rider John Blight on the unbelievably quiet, empty streets of London during the early days of the brand and soon after lockdown .

Simon Winnall is one of our very first conspirators here at Vitti and someone who's work and enthusiasm for photography and storytelling has been a wealth of inspiration since the early days of the brand. The hallmark of Simon's work is his filmic use of shadow and light, he has an innate ability to find the in-between spaces that communicate the humanness of the moment. This collection of images feels so much like a film to us... the empty streets, storefronts and pockets of light and dark as much a character as rider John Blight.

We hope you enjoy it and this selection of his images as much as we have bringing it to you.

Tell us a bit about yourself. Where are you from? How long have you been shooting for? Why photography? What is it about the medium that speaks to you?

Hey Vitti! I grew up in a very rural area of England, our home was surrounded by forest. An idilic childhood, giving me lots of time to dream! My mother is a great wildlife photographer, I have vivid memories as a child of sitting in a dark room whilst she projected images onto a screen. Hearing the clack of the film carousel revolving, smelling the dust burning within the projector, seeing the Kodachrome images on screen. I think that had a profound impact within me as a child. I was planning to study graphic design, but photography looked more fun! I’m pleased I made the switch. Photography is wonderfully immediate. I love that we can step out the door, and come home having captured something truly beautiful.

What about shooting cycling interests you? How does it relate to your other work?

I love that the world of cycling is so visually literate. Riders care how they dress, they care how their bike looks. Combined with movement and a great location, it makes for an intoxicating subject to put in front of a camera.

What were you hoping to achieve in the series?

We shot this series way back during the first covid lockdown. To juxtapose a city devoid of people, with a single rider experiencing his ride in solitude was powerful. No one sees london this quiet! The series works as metaphor for the escapism and mental clarity cycling can provide to a rider.

What is it you love shooting most?

It's a total joy to be a photographer, to travel, to explore, to connect with new people. I get to experiences worlds I didn’t know existed. I’m all about capturing people and the human experience. My perfect shoot is to travel somewhere new, and capture the excitement of exploration with awesome people!

What’s your favorite picture from the series?

It may be a very simple shot, but I love the this graphic image of John balancing on the bike whilst stationery. Lovely early morning sunlight is casting shadows across the scene and the vitti logo pops off the compressed colour palette!

Do you ride? If so, what bike do you ride? How often do you get out?

I don’t! I run. Sorry Vitti. Wrong answer I know… What I admire most about cycling compared to running with the companionship, the sense of community. Running is more of a solitary insular thing.

Do you have a favorite shoot you've done?

It's hard to separate the images I make from the experiences I have making them combined with the people I’m with. So the shoots that are most precious to me tend to be because of the memories. I have a strong fondness for a shoot i did with two close friends, visiting the High Desert in California for the first time!

What do you do when you're not shooting pictures?

I love to travel, to spend time on the water, to ski, to drink too much wine. But in truth, I really should be spending most of my time hustling for jobs and shooting person work shouldn’t I?!

What is your favorite thing about the part of the country you live in?

I’m lucky to now live in London. It's a vibrant creative city full of opportunity that offers something to spellbinding for any visitor. There is a strong photography & cycling community here too. I just wish we were a bit closer to some mountains and some good weather!

What was the thing you were surprised by when shooting this series?

Well it was just crazy being in iconic areas of london devoid of people! Total 28 days later vibes. I loved how John our athlete looked in his Vitti kit on a bike too.

Did you plan some of the images or let them unfold naturally?

I wanted to convey a sense of the journey. Cycling allows you to travel such distance. So we hopped about the city a ton. From the Barbican, to Mayfair, to St James's, to primrose hill. As we were shooting film as well as stills we let the action unfold with a truthful narrative.

What’s your favorite camera?

I’m not super picky on cameras, I’ve always used Canon bodies so now use an R5. It's great, once I got used to looking through the electronic view finder! I’ve just picked up a Leica Q3 as a carry around, its neat too in a more ostentatious way! Both system are very immediate to use, they don’t get in my way or slow me down.

Do you prefer film over digital? If so, do you find yourself shooting film for yourself often?

Film might be a cooler answer, but within my photography a take a lot of images whilst searching for truly natural moments to unfold, so digital is more practical! I’m afraid all my film camera mainly now sit on a shelf behind my desk gathering dust. Having grown up only shooting film, that’s a shame.

Who are your photographic Icons?

I love photographers who’s work transports me into a vivid new world I’d love to inhabit. These old school masters are all awesome; Harry Gruyaert, Alex Webb, William Eggleston & Lee Friedlander.

Did you study photography formally? If so, where? What was useful about your studies and what wasn’t?

I went to college to study photography, in the UK not USA sense! So from 16-18 I was studying photography at an art school. It was a very traditional photographic education in a pre-digital world, we were shooting and printing black and white. I longed for vibrant colour, so was inspired more by early the Nick Knight work I was seeing in magazines. I made lifelong friends on that course, so I hold it very dear.

What are you working on now? Any personal projects in the works that you are excited about?

Commercially, I’m about to set sail on an exciting travel job, capturing how it ‘feels’ to stay in this clients luxury resorts. That’s a wonderful brief, more open and nuanced than a typical advertising project! I’m excited to explore some new countries across the globe whilst on that gig.

Personal work wise, my photography is all about people and their lived experience. For a new series I’m looking to subtract my subjects out of their environment in some studio portraits that really focus on their personality and sense of personal style. Its all about the casting. I’m excited to shoot it!