BEN SMITH

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002 - George Georgiou

© George Georgiou

George Georgiou, who is of Greek Cypriot descent, was born and bred in London, England. He has spent most of the past two decades living and photographing extensively in the Balkans, Eastern Europe and Turkey, where he lived in Istanbul for five years and which was the subject of his first book: Fault Lines/Turkey/East/West.  He describes his work as having "focused on transition and identity and how people negotiate the space they find themselves in." 

On returning to London in 2008, he started work on the project which became his most recent book, Last Stop, an exploration of his home town photographed entirely through the windows of the city's double decker buses.

George has exhibited all over the world, including MOMA in New York as part of the 2011 new photography show. Awards include two World Press Photo prizes in 2003 and 2005, The British Journal of Photography project prize 2010, Pictures of the Year International first prize for Istanbul Bombs in 2004 and a Nikon Press Award UK for photo essay 2000.

In episode 002 George discusses:

  • Getting 'ungraded' ("worse than an F") in his photography A' level

  • An early introduction to celebrity and glamour photography

  • Travelling and working alongside his wife, photographer Vanessa Winship

  • Experiences during the Kosovo conflict and Serbia

  • Moving from B&W film to colour digital

  • Whether he has '1000 true fans'

  • Funding a photobook through Kickstarter

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