Author Archives: debbybesford

The Telegraph Magazine, July 29th 2023.

I am delighted to announce that I have a feature in The Telegraph Magazine this Saturday, July 29th. I began this project over a year and a half ago and have meet lots of wonderful people who enjoy, building and making model boats. It’s a labour of love and very much a social activity. The age ranges from 10 to 85 years old, with a limit of 50 members in the club and a long waiting list. Watch this space for the publication feature.

THE MODEL BOAT PEOPLE, GREAT YARMOUTH, NORFOLK

THE MODEL BOAT PEOPLE, GREAT YARMOUTH, NORFOLK

Documentary Photography Project on Model Boat People

Lynda is a member of the Great Yarmouth Model Boat club. The members meet twice a week at the boating lake. Debby Besford is a highly established documentary photographer who has spent the past year creatively documenting them. This work has been exhibited @orig_proj in Great Yarmouth and published online with @https://personalwork.online

See my website for more images: http://www.debbybesfordphotography.co.uk

Each individual has a story to share about their strong bond, community and camaraderie.

Lyn, Model Boat People

Lyn, Model Boat People

THE ART OF ROLLER SKATING – EXHIBITION, MARCH 5TH -MAY 1ST 2022

News Release
The Art of Roller Skating | Debby Besford

The Art of Roller Skating is an exhibition by artist and documentary photographer Debby
Besford, celebrating the artistic roller skating heritage of Great Yarmouth, which is hosted by
originalprojects at PRIMEYARC. Debby grew up in Great Yarmouth, where she trained as an
artistic roller-skater as a teenager, and also went on to become a national skating judge,
travelling all over the country to skating competitions.

For the past 5 years Debby has been documenting the journeys of seven young local
female artistic roller-skaters as they train and develop their skills, a project which was
naturally inspired by her own love for the sport. Debby’s objective is to showcase this often
forgotten sport with an original eye. Thanks to the popularity of shows like Dancing on Ice,
artistic roller skating is often overshadowed by ice skating. The sport has many facets to it,
from artistic figure and free skating to disco and street skating.

Debby wanted to demonstrate a visual contrast by removing the skaters from the ‘show’ of
the rink and instead using the background of a domestic, intimate situation, reminiscent of
her own experience as a teen skater, where her proud parents took photos of her poised in
her skates with trophies clasped in hand. These documented moments marked a truly
important chapter in her teenage life and one that she felt could be an interesting
approach to celebrate the girls in the project.

The images have a slightly surreal quality, showing the girls in their performance clothes out
of context, with the dissonance between the domestic setting, highlighting the balance
between growing up as a teenager and the dedication and commitment required to
become a professional sportsperson.
charity number 1181297
info@originalprojects.space
www.originalprojects.space
registered office: 1 Saint John’s Terrace, Great Yarmouth NR30 2NF
originalprojects;

Debby has also documented the objects that accompany the life of an artistic roller skater
such as roller skates, costumes and trophies and galas, and has produced a series of slow
motion videos showing the detail and intricacy of the movements, the skill, athleticism and
emotion it takes to jump in mid-air. These movements are repeated to move towards the
perfect jump.

Members of the roller-skating community are invited to contribute their own photographs or
memorabilia which will form part of the exhibition, and Debby and originalprojects; would
also like to capture any stories anyone may have which may form part of a podcast.
Anyone who has anything they’d like to share please contact info@originalprojects.space
The exhibition is supported by a Project Grant from Arts Council England and produced in
collaboration with originalprojects; and will be on display at PRIMEYARC (in the former
Debenhams in Market Gates Shopping Centre)
Open times:
5th March – 1st May
Wednesdays – Saturdays 12-5
Sundays 12-4.
Notes for editors
For further information or press quotes please contact:
Kaavous Clayton (Co-Director, originalprojects;)
kaavous@hotmail.com
07814562906
or
Julia Devonshire (Co-Director, originalprojects;)
julia.devonshire@gmail.com
07930874613
www.debbybesfordphotography.co.uk
www.originalprojects.space
charity number 1181297
www.originalprojects.space

20190920_ARTISTIC ROLLER SKATER_SAV

20190920_ARTISTIC ROLLER SKATER_SAV

originalprojects;

Wedding Bliss

Last October I was asked to photograph a small wedding at Thurning Church and then at the reception at Hindolveston, North Norfolk. It was a magical day with lots of tears and laughter. I love being commissioned to creatively document a wedding and all the little details that unfold throughout the day. Telling a visual story that encapsulates the uniqueness of the couple and the joy and excitement, new beginnings with family and friends.

Let’s Dance..

20191005_LAURA ADN DAMON'S WEDDING DAY_3

20191005_LAURA AND DAMON’S WEDDING DAY

Female Artistic Roller Skaters

A personal four year documentary photography project about Young Female Artistic Roller Skaters. These young women are dedicated to their sport and stand in a moment of glory in their home environments. Phase 3 of this project is capturing each skater’s facial expressions while in mid jump. Following this is a Slow Motion video of each skaters moment jumping. Artistic Roller Skating demands similar technical elements to ice skating, but lacks the same kudos. My intention is to highlight the importance of this forgotten sport and the representation of young women in sport.

Artistic Champion Roller Skater, Molly.

Artistic Champion Roller Skater, Molly.

Restoration of the Boat Animal Heads

Part of The Venetian Waterways Photo Project. Kelvin is a bespoke carpenter has been commissioned to restore the wooden animal heads that were once attached to boats.  People could take a trip on them at the waterways. They will be displayed on once of the islands at the site soon. Note see image of postcard June 2019.

190313_ANIMAL HEAD RESTORATION

190313_ANIMAL HEAD RESTORATION, Photo by Debby Besford Photography

The Venetian Waterways – Postcard Project 2018/19

I have been working on The Venetian Waterways Project since last September 2018. It started as a personal photography project as a place I use to visit with my family, when I was a toddler to a teenager. My mum used to take my brother and I to The Waterways on a sunny day and we would sit and have a picnic and watch the boats and tourists go by. This project has evolved into a larger body of work which captures the regeneration of the Boating lake and Waterways over a period of year, which will be a shown as an animated series from beginning to completion.  The postcard series was inspired by my Dad who was a collector of postcards of Gt Yarmouth and the surrounding areas of Norfolk. The Postcard series will be exhibited in the Ex- Marks and Spencers shop in Gt Yarmouth in the next month or so. There are also plans to exhibit at the Skipping’s Gallery, Gt Yarmouth and possibly project the images onto the water at The Waterways at night.

The Venetian Waterways Postcards Series

The Venetian Waterways Postcards Series, Debby Besford Photography

Portraits of Children, Introducing Mariame Isla

I was commissioned this summer to photograph Mariame Isla for the second time. It was great fun and hard work to get her attention, but in the end it all worked out really well. Her Mother, Tomoni, was thrilled with the photographs and is keen to have her daughter photographed each year. This is one of many images that captures the toddlers character and personality.

Portraits of Children_MARIAME ISLA

The Drill House Photography Project.

Collaboration Photography Project working with Seachange Arts https://seachangearts.org.uk/who-are-we/drill-house-150/  and Tricia Hall from Time and Tide Museum, Gt Yarmouth https://www.museums.norfolk.gov.uk/time-tide and East Coast Sixth Form students. I spent two days working with the students to capture the essence of the building combining the historic to the more recent contemporary space which is now occupied inside the hall. A wonderful space for circus workshops and street arts creation and training facility offering residencies to artists and companies. It is open to local people and has a great variety of workshops and dancing on offer for all the family.

The students final work had been enlarged onto big poster boards and displayed around the building for the public to see and read the information about The Drill House.

 

A great project. Thank you Tricia Hall and Seachangearts.

 

The Drill House, 150 Years

The Drill House, 150 Years, Copyright, Debby Besford, May 2018