ARMED with their cameras and a thirst for storytelling, photographers John Hanvey and Gary McNally, along with assistant Frank McNally, are known to spend their Saturdays hanging out at 2 Royal Avenue in Belfast’s city centre and seeing what colourful characters turn up.
Originally known as Wallflower Belfast, their self-funded project, which aims to promote empathy and understanding through photography, is currently going through a transitional period and changing its name to PicStory, to better reflect their mission.
“We’ve known each other for 20-odd years,” John recalls.
“We came from a camera club background, starting as amateur photographers, and we spent a lot of time doing different types of photography from landscape and street to environmental and portraits.”
Initially the pair started snapping portraits of parishioners from St Mary’s Church on Chapel Lane.
However, as Gary explains “for lots of different reasons it didn’t quite work.”
“But that’s when we started to think we were on to something and that it could be quite interesting just maybe not in that setting. So we thought we’d try it out on the street.”
The duo moved to Berry Street and began photographing people against the backdrop of a brick wall decorated in graffiti.
“We were addicted almost immediately,” Gary confesses.
“And I think what made it different was that we were in one place, people came past us it wasn’t a case of just roaming about - we had a specific space.”
Now they find themselves situated in 2 Royal Avenue in the city centre.
“We took a photograph of Paul, one of the front of house guys for Royal Avenue and he said because of what we were doing, the manager might be interested in hosting us.
“So, we went in and asked and they said, ‘Yeah, give it a go’, and now we’re regulars,” Gary recalls.
They believe the space helps people feel more at ease and encourages them to engage with the project.
“The very nature of being at 2 Royal Avenue, which is a safe, creative space, means more curious people tend to come into the building so you’re attracting the right type of people.
“Whereas the level of cynicism is much higher once you go out past that door,” laughs Gary.
Although street portraits have started to become more of a trend due to the accessibility of apps like TikTok and Instagram, what really sets the PicStory project apart is the sense of empowerment and connection it gives to many of the people taking part.
“It touches on so many different things,” Gary explains.
“Particularly post-Covid, I think a lot of people feel quite lonely and the word humanity has been used quite a lot to describe our project and how it has help restored people’s faith in humanity.
“Because it shows that people do still care about other people, and John and I try to make it light-hearted and fun as well.”
Gary and John aren’t looking for glossy facades or superficial shots. They are far more focused on capturing who the person is rather than their pose.
Therefore, as part of the project, subjects fill in a questionnaire, and their answers accompany the photograph when the pair share it on their Instagram page.
“It’s about photographs and a story,” Gary asserts, “so if you’re not interested in the story, we won’t be taking the photograph.”
“The questions typically ask things like ‘What are you biggest challenges?’, ‘Where do you feel most alive?’, ‘What wisdom would you pass on?’ – questions that provoke.”
“They’re quite taken back by them,” John adds.
“Because they’re maybe things that people haven’t thought about before.”
As a result they have received a plethora of personal accounts, anecdotes and advice from their subjects which range from asylum seekers to local celebrities (including weather presenter and documentary-maker Barra Best).
“I used to taxi and in a way it’s similar to that,” John continues.
“You become everything at once, people will tell you their life story in 10 minutes.
“And it’s the same in Royal Avenue, people come up and start talking and most go away with good thoughts and associations.”
Now, under the new PicStory name, John and Gary hope to grow the project and meet more interesting people from all over Northern Ireland.
“John and I really enjoy it and we think others enjoy it as well so the aspiration would definitely be to grow it.
“We’re really keen to keep our feet on the ground in terms of doing it locally here in Belfast but we want to start and plant the seed and see if there’s someone up in Derry or down in Dublin who might like to do this – and I think there will be,” Gary enthuses.
