Peterborough press snapper David Lowndes to be celebrated in style with photographic book celebrating 50 year career

A special edition coffee table book is being created to showcase a Peterborough photographer in his “true, personal light” as he gears up to celebrate a 50 year career.

David Lowndes, affectionately known to many as Lowndsey, started working for the Peterborough Evening Telegraph - as it was once known - in 1973, as a trainee photographer.

During his career as a press photographer, he has seen 50 mayors, five bishops, 30 Posh managers and nine MPs.

And, for readers with special photographic knowledge, the snapper started out using ‘medium format cameras’ with black and white film - which was then hand processed and printed in darkrooms.

Fast forward 50 years – interchangeable lenses and 35mm cameras aside – David’s work and dedicated photographic service to Peterborough is now being celebrated in a new book, shot by his friend and former colleague, Nick Elliott.

Nick was already a staff photographer on the photo desk at the Peterborough Evening Telegraph when David joined - with David going on to take Nick’s job.

Nick questioned what was happening this year to celebrate the milestone anniversary and, after much thought and shadowing David on jobs for one week, he is going to publish a special edition book.

‘Amazing achievement’

Nick, who is now a rock art photographer, has shot the style of the book like a ‘rockumentary’ and is keeping the majority of photographs a surprise.

Nick said: “It’s an amazing achievement isn’t it? I thought this would be a gift to David, which would end up in a coffee table fine art book and possibly end up in an exhibition.

“This is a really, really nice collection, it will be a fantastic book documenting David’s fiftieth year, the last year.

“There are various concepts I’ve chosen to do which shows David in his true, personal light.

“I’ve been shadowing him on shoots and I know this will be a really nice body of work.”

David said being a photographer runs in his blood.

His uncle Graham used to be the local cameraman for ITV Anglia and BBC Look East along with his cousin Jonathan.

David also met his dear wife, Jean, who was a reporter on the Peterborough Advertiser and his cousin, Christopher, was photographer on the Peterborough Standard.

“Not much happened in the city without one of us hearing about it,” he said.

“Throughout the years it has been an honour and a privilege to be at the front of special events happening in the city, including many Royal visits, Posh matches, East of England and showground events.

“There have been sad times, the passing of my wife, colleagues and friends, the Fengate explosion, many accidents, fires and a number of high profile murders.

“But there have been many great moments – meeting lovely people and celebrities. And funny jobs where I got an elephant stuck in a shop doorway, a horse stuck inside a newsagents, a wedding party covered in soot from two steam engines and the day we ambushed the rock group Queen on the Nene Valley Railway where they were filming a secret video.

“There are far too many stories to tell. It's been a great career to document in pictures the history of Peterborough over the last half century.”

Nick’s plan is to get the book finished and ready before Christmas – as deliberations are underway between the pair whether to place the book on sale.

‘He’s number one’

“Our friendship is really tight,” Nick added.

“The mutual respect we have for each other professionally is massive.

“His family, background and history runs in parallel with mine. For me it all started with the Peterborough Evening Telegraph many years ago, so there’s a lot of reminiscing of stories and characters. We had the same chief and deputy chief photographer.

“He’s extremely good at his job, he’s number one. I think it’s an amazing achievement in a very tough genre.

“It’s been very enjoyable being together even in the short time together making this book, we have had a giggle and we are getting some fantastic work. I have carte blanche to do what I want to do. This body of work will be something Dave can have for the rest of his life and hand down.

“It was never a book which was designed to sell, it is purely a gift from one creative photographer to another and a very dear friend.”If you would like to show interest in purchasing the book - 50 Years On The Job and I’m Still Up There - you can email Nick Elliott; details of which can be found on his website.