Joel Magill: Travelling with Will Varley and the Simple Use Camera

Joel Magill has taken some time out from touring with his band Syd Arthur and has been focusing on his other passion - photography. We gave him some Simple Use Cameras which he took on tour with his friend and musican Will Varley.

Hi Joel tell us a bit about yourself and you ended up on the road with Will?

As some of you may know, I have spent a lot of the last few years touring with my band Syd Arthur. However, circumstances has forced us to take a short break at the beginning of this year and fortuitously this worked out perfectly with Will taking a band on the road for the first time. I’ve known Will, his band and the wider Smuggler’s collective for years, so it was a real pleasure to be asked to be involved in the project.

How did you get on shooting with the Simple Use Cameras?

They’re so great! Especially in this scenario. Even though I “managed” this short project for you fine people at Lomography, I handed out the cameras to the guys so we could try and present a balanced view of life on the road with the band. The cameras are so easy to use and we got some great shots!

Tell us about these photos, what did you shoot?

All sorts… We were on the road in Europe for the best part of a month and did our best to take as much in as possible, although I have to admit we sometimes forgot to bring the cameras! The shots I’ve chosen here represent some backstage shenanigans, hanging & chilling out and it wouldn’t be right not to mention how much pool we played. This was what we did to unwind pre and post show most nights. The competition was fierce!

You shoot with film a lot, what's the appeal for you?

I absolutely love shooting with film. At its best it is otherworldly and evocative and I love the colour palette and happy accidents that can happen. You never quite know what you’ve captured until you get the developed prints back.

Any favourite cameras/films of yours?

My 2 favourites are my Diana F+ and the Lomo Instant Wide. With the Diana F+ I love the soft focus, 120-film format and I love shooting with the different lenses. And the Instant Wide is a revelation! I love all the added functions of being easily able to experiment with multiple exposures and being able to position the camera and take a shot with the lens cap is a real bonus. I also have an old Pentax I sometimes shoot on 35mm with…

What's coming up in 2018?

It’s been a busy year so far and I feel like the best may be still on its way! I’m working on some great new music with my brothers and they’re respective solo projects (Nelson Parade and Joshua) and we are re-launching our label entity that brought the first Syd Arthur music into the world. Will has been busy playing festivals and has a big UK/EU tour planned later this year too, so be sure to check him out!

To see more of Joel's work visit his Instagram page and to find out more about Will Varley's music head to willvarley.com

2018-09-02 #news