Thursday 30 January 2008...clear blue skies, long shadows, crisp air...the perfect opportunity to go for a photowalk along the Hastings-St Leonards promenade. Starting from The Marina Pavilion and heading east towards Hastings my mission was to soak up the atmosphere, follow the light and capture a variety of fresh new images.

The Marina Pavilion, Bottle Alley, Hastings Pier all threw up their own unique photographic opportunities. But it wasn't until I was on my return journey west that I noticed the White Rock promenade telescope. I had always known that it was there but I had never had a true 'photographic experience' with it. The sun was starting to set and the possibilities looked promising.

As opposed to taking shots of the telescope I just focused on the lens. I flipped the telescope around and started viewing the world through the lens and it's then that I had my 'decisive moment' and I started taking pictures...I was more than happy with the results!

All of this got me thinking...Wouldn't it be great if we could do the same with ‘old school’ perceptions of Hastings and St Leonards? Yes, just f-l-i-p them.  A recent comment on Flickr stated that a photo of an elderly couple looking blankly at a wall just about summed up Hastings.

Yes but only if you want it to. Poor and unimaginative images of Hastings create the sensation that it's a pretty poor and unimaginative place to be in. But what happens when a diverse and talented bunch of photography enthusiasts start to create their own unique and creative vision of Hastings? And what happens when they come together to collaborate and share their vision with the rest of the world?   

Yes, outdated perceptions get 'flipped' and in the process people start to view Hastings through a new and exciting lens....