Belgradestreets

Andy Townend was educated, lived and worked in London for many years. In February 2011, he moved from Sydney to Belgrade, the capital of Serbia, with his Spanish wife, Fatima, and their young son, Alejandro. He has been working in the city ever since.

Andy's original goal for belgradestreets was to capture the essence of the city with a series of weekly photographs, street by street. Soon enough, the idea took on a life of its own and the photos became a journal. It became not only a record of life in Belgrade, but also a unique perspective of someone still finding their way through the complexities and colour of a big city that is completely new to them.

He set out to capture images which tell the story of how Belgrade's streets create the spirit of the city and its fascinating and diverse people. In short, Belgrade had captured Andy's heart.

He discovered a unique city not yet overrun by global culture and repetitive brands. Every street in Belgrade, however rundown, overflows with life, colour, history and character. They are the streets of a city full of life, determination, memories and hopes for the future. It is a friendly city which throws its arms open, enthusiastically welcoming visitors into its embrace.

Belgraders have seen hard times and yet in spite of this, possibly as a result of it, take life as it comes, devoting much of their passion to the enjoyment of life. A city that has been through so much cannot remain reserved, living its life behind closed doors, instead life pours out onto the streets.

Photography is Andy's passion and he strives to capture places and moments to record a sense of a particular time or a specific feeling. His work on belgradestreets is held together by the same blend of contradictory emotions that bind Belgrade together as a city. There is a deep melancholy to some images but even at their most intense they evoke the humour and light of the city.

This is belgradestreets through Andy's eye.