Arts & Culture
by Aspect County

If you are interested in photography there is a dedicated festival happening on the south coast in Hastings. The Through the Lens Festival of Photography (TTL) is taking place at St Mary In the Castle, Hastings, from 31 August until 8 September 2018.
On Saturday 1st September, the organisers will be welcoming five world renowned and inspirational speakers from the photographic industry, who will each be delivering a presentation sharing their experiences and influences and giving us all an insight into the world of photography as seen from the inside. Guest speakers include Magnum photographer Martin Parr, documentary photographer, photojournalist and photobook collector who is known for his photographic projects that take an intimate, satirical and anthropological look at aspects of modern life.

Mark Power is a member of Magnum Photos and Professor of Photography in The Faculty of Arts and Architecture at the University of Brighton and has a wide and varied career producing several notable projects including the shipping forecast. His work has been likened to that of Tony Ray Jones.

JJ Waller is a highly acclaimed Brighton Photographer and publisher who will be both exhibiting and talking about his series of photography books that document life in the English coastal towns of Brighton, Blackpool and St Leonards on Sea. At the Festival he will talk for the first time about how his St Leonards work was produced over a nine year period and the reasons why he thinks this book has been such a huge success.


Peter Dench, photojournalist who works primarily in advertising, editorial and portraiture photography and whose work has been published in a number of his own books, exhibited and won awards.

Finally, Antony Penrose, who will be talking about the life, times and work of Lee Miller. Penrose is director of the Lee Miller Archive and Penrose Collection at his parents’ former home, Farley Farm House. Together with a question and answer session, and a book signing, this is sure to be an event that anyone who admires these photographers and their work will surely not want to miss.

In addition to this day of talks, there will be a week’s exhibition of work in the crypt gallery of St Mary in The Castle, which will be featuring the work of prominent photographers including Peter Dench, JJ Waller, Inge Gottfredsen, Ian Berry and fine art photographer Kirsten Reynolds. 

Photography on this page courtesy of JJ Waller and Peter Dench.

For tickets and further information go to www​.ttlfest​.co​.uk