Street photographer Interview #3: Derek Darke
Last year the street photography world embraced a new magazine: designed specifically for street photographers and with the content sourced from street photographers - people like you and me.
The magazine, ‘Klick’, is the brainchild of Derek Darke, a passionate street photographer himself and a veteran of a fair few of my workshops. I thought you may be interested to hear more about Derek’s journey and about the the magazine itself. Buckle-up for the third interview in this series! (the interview is timely - issue 3 is published today and you can order a copy here).
1/ What is Klick?
Klick is a magazine for street photographers, by street photographers. Published quarterly, it includes images, reviews, ideas and articles submitted by our community of talented street and documentary photographers, and the content is chosen on a completely democratic basis. It’s about showcasing the unsung heroes of our art. In many ways, due to its design and quality, Klick is more than just a magazine and is designed to sit on a bookshelf rather than read and throw away. Certainly something to keep.
2/ How did the idea originate and what motivated you to make it happen?
I sometimes liken street photography to Blues music. Musicians and lovers of music spend their early lives enjoying their own particular style but then often turn to the Blues as their music of choice; it’s musicians’ music. I have dabbled in photography all my life but it wasn’t until relatively recently that I found this thing called ‘street’. I was instantly hooked. For me, street is photographers’ photography. I attended workshops, joined social media groups, bought books (and additional bookcases) and tramped the streets. It soon became apparent that I wasn’t alone and that there is a thriving community out there doing the same thing, and that many are supremely talented.
With my own street photography, my hard drive was filling up with images but only I saw them and enjoyed them. I have a website where I share some of my photographs, I post on social media and often collect likes, nice comments and useful critique, but that all feels a little fleeting. Then I created a couple of projects and sent the images off to be made into zines. Well, that was it: I was seeing my work in print and the feeling was magical. I felt both proud and humbled as I distributed them to family and friends, and it was then that I began to wonder about the experiences of others.
What if this community I mentioned came together to share their images and ideas in print? It seemed to be a win-win, as contributors would see their photos and articles in print and others could enjoy the experience of a community magazine. The spark of an idea was born.
3/ It seems like an ambitious project to get off the ground from a standing start - how did you gain momentum so quickly?
I appear to thrive on impossible projects, particularly when they start at ground level. I think it's about the learning process more than anything. I had decided it was time to shut down my previous little business and move on, and needed something to occupy my mind and time. Based on the ideas I’ve just described, I decided to look into creating a photography magazine - although I had never attempted any sort of publishing before. I looked at magazines, both in print and as downloads, to try to formulate an idea of style and content, and then looked into the process of compiling and printing.
Affinity Publishing software was recommended to me and it was indeed ideal for my purposes; the next few weeks were spent learning how to use it and I designed and had printed various magazines in different formats to see which worked well. I discovered though, or should I say rediscovered, that I am not strong on design. Thankfully I know those who are. You and I, Brian, had a couple of meetings to discuss just that. Over a pint or two we discussed fonts, page designs, size formats… yes, the normal pub lad chats! There was also the issue of a website; I have built a few in the past but design remained an issue and I managed to get a little help there from family.
The magazine design was decided upon: square format, quality print and paper, and a contemporary style. In other words, something that people would want to keep. The next consideration was content. Would the submissions arrive? The word was put out and I waited. I started to get emails asking whether certain pieces were relevant and I also identified members of our community and asked if I may include their work. I soon had enough to fill the first issue of Klick.
This was where the joy of doing what I was doing really started to kick in. Choosing images, reading and editing articles, getting to know photographers’ work and mindsets. This was what made it all worthwhile and it had come together exactly as I had hoped. I guess it had taken me about nine months from idea to publication, although I did move house to another part of the country during that time. Was it worth it? You betcha!
4/ How can street photographers get involved?
The first thing I need to say is don’t be shy, don’t be nervous and don’t think you are unworthy. This is a community project and everything will be considered. The most important thing is the images: they need to be interesting and good quality. Some narrative is needed, whether for a single image or a set. But if you’re not confident as a writer, don’t worry. Send in what you are comfortable with and we will do the rest. I edit and sometimes rewrite what arrives from contributors, before sending it to my editor who then does it properly.
There is also a ‘three image challenge’ in each issue and no narrative is necessary for this, just three images with a single theme. Articles without images but interesting points are also very welcome.
I can’t repeat this enough: Klick is for street photographers, by street photographers. Submissions should be via the website klickmagazine.com but any questions or comments are welcome via email. There is also a Klick Community Facebook group where images, news and thoughts can be shared.
5/ Looking further ahead, what are your ambitions for Klick?
With issue 3 about to be published, it’s probably past the point of saying it’s early days. From a personal standpoint, I intend to carry on for as long as the interest of the readership and contributors is there. Material arrives regularly and the readership is strong. I think the real challenge is to grow and maintain that readership. After all, the whole project is about creating a Klick community and the more members the better. Hopefully I shall be able to post overseas at some point. Getting the word out is my next major task.
6/ What does it cost and where can I buy a copy?
The printed copy costs £15 which includes postage within the UK. Unfortunately I cannot send outside of the UK at the moment but there is a downloadable version costing £10 and available worldwide. These are both available from klickmagazine.com
My own view? Well, I think Derek has done a terrific job. This is a thick magazine, produced using quality materials, and it deserves a permanent place on the bookshelf. I love the way most of the content is democratically sourced from ‘ordinary’ photographers (rather than big names), making it a great conduit for the telling of your own stories. So don’t just read it - get involved!
Website: klickmagazine.com
Email: klick@klickmagazine.com
Instagram: @klickzine
Facebook Group: search for Klick Community
