An award-winning photographer who has captured every Notting Hill Carnival for half a century is set to hold an exhibition this week.
Ian Watts has chronicled the event through his lens since 1976 and is putting his work on show ahead of the carnival this weekend.
It will be the 60th carnival and his work will be beamed in huge screens as part of the Carnival 60: Ian Watts at Outernet exhibition.
Ian told Metro he was a teenager living in a youth hostel in Kensal Green, northwest London, when the project began.
Armed with a Praktica camera costing £36, he headed out to the carnival in what would become a love affair with one of the biggest events on the capital’s calendar.
But his first experience would be a harrowing one when, amid racial tension, there were clashes between some of the crowd and police, resulting in hundreds of injuries.
He was caught in the skirmish, and as he was swept along, took images of the clashes which would become iconic.
He told Metro: ‘I was living in a youth hostel as a teenager. I went to carnival and there was trouble between some of the crowd and the police.
‘There were a lot issues between the Met and parts of the community at the time and a section of people decided they had had enough.
‘I got swept along and started taking pictures as I knew as an observer I needed to get a record of this. It was difficult as there was lots of pushing and shoving but I caught what I could through the lens.
‘I wasn’t scared, I just knew I needed to get a record of what was happening.
‘Obviously at the time there was no digital camera so you had to develop the film afterwards and see what you have got. My images were strong I think my work has stood the test of time.’
Despite the violence, Ian says that the vast majority of his images represent the joy and family vibe which is the true character of the carnival.
The three-day event, which attracts more than three million people annually, will start with family day on August 29 this year.
Ian continued: ‘It’s all about the joy, the music, the family, I love it.
‘Of course it has changed over the years and is now much bigger event. People come from all over the world. I walk around and take pictures which sum up the spirit of the event.
‘Now I have a digital camera it’s easier in that I can take loads more pictures. There is always something going on and the music really appeals to me I’m really into it.’
Ian has Jamaican heritage but says that carnival is for everyone.
’The carnival is a true celebration for everyone, it’s a truly international event. I think there should be an expansion of the carnival and that it should be able to spread out a bit. It’s such a huge draw now.’
Ian, who also works as a cameraman on documentaries, will have his work shown on huge screens at arts media venue Outernet. His photographs will also be on display at the carnival.
He added: ‘The Outernet exhibition is the culmination of a long photographic journey.
‘It is particularly meaningful to see photographs made with humble analogue cameras and film in the 1970s and 1980s displayed alongside my more recent digital images.
‘These photographs span generations of technology, but the people, energy, creativity and spirit of Carnival connect them all. For me, this is more than an exhibition of photographs.
‘It is a record of a community, a culture and a changing London. It is a personal journey that began with a second-hand camera and has continued through many years of photography and filmmaking.’
Carnival 60: Ian Watts at Outernet is free and runs August 27 – September 2 at Outernet London, Charing Cross Road.