HIS books adorn coffee tables and Christmas stockings around the city.

And now JJ Waller, one of Brighton and Hove’s best loved photographers, is releasing a new book capturing the city at its vibrant best.

Speaking ahead of its launch on Thursday, he described shooting in Brighton and Hove as like “going on safari”.

The new collection is the third volume of his JJ Waller’s Brighton series.

Describing his“modus operandi” in finding the perfect picture, he said: “I’m looking for something with a bit of longevity.

“I try to be original. I walk around the edges. At Pride for example, people photograph people in costumes. I would prefer to take pictures of the people looking at the costumes.

“I take my time. I see places when I’m walking around or on the bus and I think not now, and I can come back and get the best shot.”

He added: “For the cover shot I saw the person in the colourful spotty dress, below right, but there were 100 people around at the start of the parade. So I had to wait for the perfect moment.

“It ended up looking like it is just them strolling along Hove seafront.”

After a career as a street performer and comedian, JJ took an evening class at Brighton Art College. His tutors suggested he take a new degree course on photography led by Mark Power from photo agency Magnum.

He started out assisting another photographer before taking pictures of his former comedy colleagues such as Eddie Izzard and Paul Merton.

Talking about his current influences, he said: “I’m attracted to tatty things. Brighton in the 1980s used to be a but shabby but with progress it gets gentrified. But if you look around the edges you can still find it.”

His photographs have appeared in books, newspapers and magazines around the world. Notably in 2016 German airline Lufthansa published a photo essay about Brighton using his shots.

The front cover of the magazine featured his well known photograph of a man dressed as a lion texting on his phone next to the Madeira Arches. The headline accompanying the front-page was “Loony, laid-back Brighton: a place to live as you like.”

  • The book launch is at Waterstones, North Street, Brighton on Thursday at 8pm.