Spotlight on Photographer and UAL Foundation Diploma in Art & Design alumni George Hutton, 28 years old from Whitby, who recently had a series of his images documenting Whitby’s Goth Weekend and its participants published by i-D as a part of their straight-up series, “a long running series i-D does where they feature full length portraits of people in different places or at events and accompany them with questions and answers.”

George said the opportunity to feature on i-D’s digital platforms came about through a contact, he explains “I had been approached by a writer I know called India Jarvis a while ago about an idea she had to pitch to i-D about young people and British Folklore and she wanted me to take the photos for it. The piece went really well and after it was published it was coming up to Goth Weekend in Whitby. I decided to send an email to the editor who we had been in touch with for our Folklore piece and asked if they would be interested in me shooting the Goth weekend for their ‘Straight-up’ series. They said they would like me to do it and sent over 10 questions to ask each person I photographed. I spent the weekend taking photos and then the deadline was very quick so I had the final images and Q&A’s back to them by Tuesday.”

“I’ve grown up in Whitby so the Goth Weekend has always been something I have visited to spectate but its only as I’ve got a bit older and having a camera with me that has made me look more specifically at the people and the outfits” George said, with the weekend increasing in popularity he reflected on the increase in photographers saying “The goth weekends just keep getting bigger and bigger and attracting more tourists and participants. At the Goth weekends there is hundreds of photographers as it is a very interesting event and held in the backdrop of a small northern fishing town so I think the Goths get a lot of photographic attention throughout the weekend but its always nice to be a small part of that and when the work gets published its nice to get it to a wider audience and showcase the individuals in the photos.”

Despite moving away from the town he said Whitby still inspires him, “in particular the people and the range of landscapes and industries within such a small area.”

George also previously spotlighted the weekend for Dazed & Confused, for that opportunity he said “on the Friday of Goth Weekend, they put out an Instagram story asking if there were any photographers in the North who would be able to photograph Goth Weekend for them. Quite a few people who I know had seen the story and sent me it. Luckily I was in Whitby already so I sent her a small portfolio of my work. She got back and said she’d like me to do it and I headed straight out to start taking photos.”

George said he started out in his career “assisting mainly fashion photographers” after studying Fashion Communication and Promotion at university. He explains “I was freelance so it still left me with some time to carry on taking my own photos and building up a portfolio of work. A lot of it was, and still is, just personal work that is self directed that I do just because I love going out and taking pictures. Doing this helped me build up a portfolio so when I want to pitch any ideas I already have some previous work to show.”

Speaking of his time studying our Foundation Diploma he highlighted Lecturer Lynne Carverhill, “I had Lynne as my tutor and she was great. She really pushed me when I was putting together my portfolio for university interviews and I don’t think I would have got an interview or into Central St. Martins if it wasn’t for Lynne’s guidance.”

When asked if this impacted his career he said, “yes because without my foundation I wouldn’t have gotten into the University that I did and met the people on my course and got to where I am now. I enjoyed the work I produced and the time it gave me to figure out what I wanted to do.”

Currently George is working on his ongoing project “called @portrait_of_brew on Instagram where I take photos of people with their cups of tea and then show the shade of tea and have them write how they have it. This is just something to keep me busy and allows me to go out and take portraits of people while having a nice cup of tea. I have also just finished a year of monthly pieces for the Yorkshire Dalesman magazine with my friend Cameron Hill who does the writing. Where for 12 consecutive months we visited people and workplaces all over Yorkshire to showcase different aspects of our home county. This was a lot of fun but it was also challenging to have a deadline to produce work every month.”

Check out more of George’s work on Instagram: @george_huttonn visit his website here.

The Foundation Diploma in Art & Design is a post-18 course designed to help you discover your creative direction and take your next step with confidence. This is a transformative year where you will explore, experiment and specialise – while building a portfolio that opens doors to top creative degrees and careers. Find out more here.