Get Ready to Squint: Simon Roberts’ Blurry London Photo Book
Get ready to squint, London! Renowned photographer Simon Roberts, a familiar name whose sharp eye even saw him serve as an official artist for the 2024 General Election, is about to drop a book that's anything but clear. His latest project, *After London*, features 52 iconic city landmarks – from the majestic St Paul's Cathedral dome to the quirky, hunched silhouette of the Walkie-Talkie – but here's the twist that'll have you rubbing your eyes: every single shot is intentionally blurry and completely devoid of people. Forget your reading glasses; this isn't a printing error, it's a deliberate artistic statement!
Roberts isn't just messing with our vision for kicks. This intriguing collection is a thoughtful, part-paean to great impressionists like Whistler, Turner, and Monet, who famously captured London in a dreamy, ethereal haze. But the inspiration goes deeper, drawing its chilling title from Richard Jefferies' 1885 novel, also titled *After London*, which depicted a post-apocalyptic city submerged by natural catastrophe and plunged into a barbaric, people-less future. Roberts' eerie, out-of-focus photos echo this dystopian vibe perfectly.
“Each portrays a faintly recognisable London scene, yet is emptied of human presence,” Roberts explains, creating “vistas suspended in a strange hush.” Imagine familiar sights looking “unstable, submerged, or already slipping back into the embrace of nature.” It’s a stark, compelling contrast to the endlessly reproduced, crystal-clear tourist snapshots we're bombarded with daily. Roberts' profound aim? To “resist cliché” and challenge our very perception of the capital in an age saturated with its imagery.
So, the big question is: will you be captivated and moved by this unsettling, out-of-focus vision of a London reclaiming its wild side, or will you feel like you're just looking at someone's botched phone camera attempts? Releasing on January 15, 2026, *After London* promises to be a major conversation starter, whether you absolutely love it or just can't quite focus on it. It’s a blurry journey into a future that’s both beautiful and unsettling, urging us to look closer at what we think we know.
Roberts challenges conventional london attraction photography by intentionally blurring iconic landmarks to create dreamlike impressions of the capital's most recognizable sites.
Roberts' atmospheric photography captures the bustling energy of central London districts where soho government jobs and creative industries intersect.
Roberts' unconventional approach offers a fresh perspective that could inspire photographers who visit London photography exhibitions and galleries throughout the city.
Roberts' distinctive blurry aesthetic offers a fresh perspective on london museums photography, capturing the capital's cultural institutions in an entirely new way.
Students studying in london photography will find Roberts' intentionally blurred perspectives offer a fresh take on capturing the city's dynamic energy.
(Source: https://londonist.com/london/books-and-poetry/after-london-simon-roberts-blurry-photos)
