The only way is Essex: From rollercoaster rides, walks in the forest and lounging in the sun, street photographer shares candid images of everyday life in the county
- Danny Jackson, 43, decided to capture the candid images of people going about their everyday lives in Essex
- The father-of-three, from Southend, said he hopes the images will 'bring people together during lockdown'
- Among the images are a group of pensioners watching the fairground and revellers soaking up the sunThe weird and wonderful everyday lives of residents in Essex have been revealed in a new photo series by a street photographer in an effort to raise the nation's spirits during lockdown.
Danny Jackson, 43, decided to capture the candid images of people going about their everyday lives on the streets and on the seafront near where he lives in Southend to 'bring people together during lockdown' and to 'remind them that hopefully soon life will go back to normal.'
Among the images the father-of-three was able to capture was a group of pensioners watching the fairground, revellers soaking up the sun and a family looking terrified on a rollercoaster.
Mr Jackson said he normally keeps his street photography to himself but decided to release a series of photographs now during the national lockdown.
Among the candid images Danny Jackson, 43, from Southend, was able to capture was one of a family looking terrified as they sat on a rollercoaster ride
The photographer, who decided to capture the candid images of people going about their everyday lives, was also able to capture a woman digging on a beach in Essex
One image showed a child pushing a skateboard along the sea wall as it perfectly aligns with a container ship on the water
The father-of-three, who decided to share his images in an effort to raise the spirit's of the nation, photographed a woman pumpkin picking in Essex
He said: 'I'm really missing being able to go out and about and photograph people going about their lives.
'I still take my camera with me everywhere I go, like when I'm out walking my dog. But I miss seeing life and things happening - there is less going on to photograph.
'Not being able to go out has made me look back over old photos I took in the pre-Covid days.
'It has made me reminisce a lot more about the good old days when we could go out and actually see people out and about.'I wanted to release those photos now as a way of still bringing people together during lockdown, to make them smile, and remind them that hopefully soon life will go back to normal.'
Mr Jackson said his candid street photography is about highlighting the 'eccentricity' of people in his home county.
This was captured in such photos as a woman out walking her Staffordshire bull terrier dog whilst dressed up as St George, or in his photo of a man diving into a lake from a tree.
The photographer continued: 'I see a lot of eccentricity and cheeky charisma in Essex people, and that's what I like to capture.
Another candid image captured by the photographer showed a family searching for truffles while walking through a forest in Essex
The photographer said he normally keeps his street photography to himself but decided to release his images to cheer people. Pictured: A man takes a nap while soaking up the sun in Essex
The photographs, which highlighted the 'eccentricity' of people in the county, also captured a woman out walking her Staffordshire bull terrier dog whilst dressed up as St George
'I read a comment from a street photographer recently saying there's never been a better time to capture street photography, as we can now document times that have never been seen before.
'But I don't totally agree. For me, the stuff that I like to do is about capturing human emotion.
'That's a lot harder to do when there's fewer people about - and those that are out are wearing face masks.'
Mr Jackson has so far grouped together 25 images for his 'This is Essex' photo series - but says he has 'thousands' more images from over the years.
He has shared a collection of his photos on Facebook - and says he has been 'surprised' by the response.
He said: 'I was quite surprised by just how much happiness it seems to have brought people.
Mr Jackson was also able to capture a group of pensioners watching the fair ground in Essex as they soaked in the sun
One candid black and white image captured a man sitting on a bench at Canvey Island which lies south of Essex
The photographer said that he had seen 'a lot of eccentricity and cheeky charisma in Essex people' and wanted to capture that in his images. Pictured: Two bikers soak up the sun at an event in Essex
'That's what I wanted to do - just give them a laugh for a few minutes, and bring them together, even if it is in a slightly different way.'
And Mr Jackson's photos are now due to be featured at Leigh Art Trail, an art fair that takes place in Leigh-on-Sea, Essex, each September.
But the photographer said his 'dream' would be for someone to publish his photos into a book of Essex street photography.
Mr Jackson's album, entitled This is Essex, are now due to be featured at Leigh Art Trail, but the photographer said his 'dream' would be for someone to publish his photos into a book of Essex street photography. Pictured: A woman falls asleep on inflatable as she soaks up the sun
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