This is the fifth edition of Street Source, a regular feature showcasing photos taken around Brighton over the course of a month by one of our photographers. The idea is to share spontaneous moments around town – be it incidental street scenes, snapshots of people’s lives or images of the city as a landscape. Each month we’ll have images from a different photographer. Here’s Francesca Moore’s document of a sleepless night in Brighton during July 2016.
This series of images captures scenes in the centre of Brighton, all a stone’s throw from the Town Hall, on a weekend night, from 2 ’til 5 am. They reveal how lively the centre of town is, and the long exposures suggest the activities of people in each scene; from late night revellers to those hard at work.
We’re blessed with inhabiting one of the most popular seaside resorts in the UK, and now that school’s out for summer, Brighton’s a city that won’t sleep for a while. For anyone that lives centrally, as I do, these pictures are dedicated to you – as you’ll be accustomed to the heightened noise, litter and smell of urine associated with summertime (all characteristics associated with being in the middle of town, but that we rarely make qualms about because it’s an awesome place to be).
Whilst the suburbanites are getting a good night’s sleep and you’re woken up by someone outside your window giving their best drunken rendition of ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’, perhaps you can take a look…
Host to numerous festival events, and close enough to the taxi rank and bus stops, The Steine is rarely unoccupied.
A brawl breaks out between Charles Street and Patterns, witnessed by onlookers on the bus that pulled up half way through the exposure.
Whilst friends gather by the pier under the moonlight, two guys step aside for a comfort break.
Safety patrols take place on the beach at night, a new scheme aimed at preventing crime and accidents. The trails of the quads’ headlights are interrupted by members of the private security team attending yet another brawl.
Shooshh…. don’t wake up the guy asleep on the wall (to the left of the bin).
The long exposure leaves faint trails of people walking down the ramp, a hint at more people making their way to the seafront.
It’s nearly 4.30am, people are partying hard at “BRIGHTON’S BIGGEST STUDENT NIGHT” and yet the early bird with a metal detector is already sweeping the beach for lost treasures; the trail of light from their head torch is the only trace of their presence.
Stags, hens and the impromptu party on the beach – it all happens in Brighton.
Whilst the other half party, people are still hard at work well into the early hours of the morning.
As daylight approaches I’m tired, the dog’s tired and it’s goodnight from me.
Words and photos by Francesca Moore
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