From the V&A museum's Figures & Fictions Exhibition

It’s a boom time for photography in London at the moment, with significant exhibitions currently running at the V&A, Museum of London and the Deutsche Börse photography prize exhibition at the Ambika Gallery. I can’t remember a time when this has happened before.

The V&A’s exhibition is particularly good, with a wide variety of subject matter from a selection of contemporary South African photographers working across Africa. Pieter Hugo’s menacing shot of a Nigerian man with his captive hyena is there, as are a selection Nontsikelelo Veleko’s fresh street fashion portraits.

In addition to these well-known photographers there were lots of new faces documenting unusual aspects of life, which to me is important in a photography exhibition. Sabelo Mlangeni’s shots of cross-dressing men in rural South Africa show a side of South Africa I was completely unaware of. And Terry Kurgan turns his lens on the portrait photographers based in a Johannesburg park. A selection of their handiwork displayed alongside shows the pride people take in being photographed, something being lost here in the UK with the ubiquity of camera-phones.

On Friday 18 March, a determined gang of huggers armed with ‘free hugs’ signs and smiles arrived on Carnaby Street.

Their mission: to give out as many free hugs as possible to passers by. Many people were cynical at first, wondering what the catch was, but those who went for a hug all left smiling. Given all the disasters, wars, and cuts going on at the moment, it was great to be involved in a small event designed simply to cheer people up. And even though I was supposed to be on photography duty, I was even ambush-hugged by a passer-by!

Check out more photos here: www.sharpsharp.co.uk/photography/album/72157626296497538/geurrilla-hugs-on-carnaby-street.html

Find out more about Geurrilla Hugs here: www.guerrillahugs.com

Lake of Stars article

Lake of Stars’ press coverage continues to build with a spread in the Metro newspaper.

Both the printed and online editions featured my photography. They used a shot of the Noisettes’ heart-warming acoustic set with the Jacaranda school choir, plus a photo of this sharp-looking Malawian festival-goer. This is probably my favourite photo from this year’s Lak of Stars – the colours, the lights and the big smile really sum up the festival.

You can check out the original shots below.

Festival-goer at Lake of Stars

Noisettes acoustic set with the Jacaranda School choir

Café Oto in Dalston was a suitably off-kilter location for the launch party for Inch-Time’s The Floating World album. Icarus and AM/PM also played live to a crowded (but rather dark) room. View the rest of the photos.

Congratulations to Stefan for putting this atmospheric album together, get your copy at mysteryplaysrecords.com. While you’re there, don’t forget to order your limited edition Mystery Plays Records screen print by the talented Stefanie Posavec (and I’m not just saying that because I’m married to her).

Thanks to Q Magazine and Dumfries and Galloway Life for featuring my photos in their coverage of Malawi’s Lake of Stars festival.

Q used a shot of Mistajam which I took as dawn appeared from the far side of Lake Malawi. I had to stay up until 5.30am at the Beach Bar to get the shot, life is so tough sometimes.

My photos also accompanied an article in D&G Life by Sid Ambrose, organiser of the Wickerman Festival, all part of a raft of press coverage that Lake of Stars generates each year.

See my full collection of photos from Lake of Stars here: www.flickr.com/photos/sharp-sharp/collections/72157625238586924/

The Lake of Stars festival in Malawi is a unique festival, with huge acts from the UK and Africa teaming up on stage and also getting involved in local development projects. Add in the stunning location on the shore of Lake Malawi plus a crowd of party people from every continent and it all makes for an amazing experience and an amazing place to take photos.

Acts included: Noisettes, Afrikan Boy, Get Cape. Wear Cape. Fly, Oliver Mtukudzi, Peter Mawanga, Mistajam (BBC Radio 1Xtra) and Eddie Temple Morris (XFM).

You can view more photos from day one here: www.sharpsharp.co.uk/photography/

Photos are available to purchase for editorial use, email info@sharpsharp.co.uk for details

All photos © Steve McInerny 2010

A bit of a coup for the Lake of Stars crew, getting Kiss FM dj Sinden to come and play an African-flavoured set.

See the rest of the photos here.

This is a self-initiated project to raise funds for Ganet’s Adventures School, a rural primary school in Malawi. While in Malawi in October 2009, I organised an art activity for the students, and photographed the origami stars which they created. These photos were then used as Christmas card designs, printing was generously donated by Preview Design. Over 2,500 cards were sold, raising over £1,100 for the school.