TO THE LIGHTHOUSE
Lockdown Swansea by smartphone and bike
With only one session of outdoor exercise allowed per day during the early stages of the covid-19 lockdown in Wales, photographer Nick Smith decided to use his daily bicycle ride to capture images of his hometown Swansea. Leaving behind the pro tools of his trade, he used only a smartphone and the free photo-editing app Snapseed to produce this celebration of Dylan Thomas’ ‘ugly, lovely town’.
The result is To the Lighthouse, a slim volume of photographs recording a prolonged period of spring sunshine along a coastline strangely devoid of people. During a period of just over two months he cycled as far as the Mumbles Lighthouse more than 70 times, setting himself the challenge of taking just one photo per day, while following five strict self imposed rules. Nick Smith’s new portfolio provides an upbeat view of a seaside town that was at the same time suffering from the economic effects of lockdown that no-one will ever forget.
“Nick Smith shows just what an iPhone is capable of… in the right hands.”
Lesley Williams, Editor, The Bay