A PUB worker who was furloughed during the pandemic has been using his free time to capture candid shots of the city in lockdown.

Joseph Flack from Seven Dials said he had not picked up a camera for almost 20 years, since he was a child, but now he is hooked on his new hobby.

The 29-year-old started taking pictures of nature during the first lockdown, but was inspired to document the city and its people during the pandemic.

He has been busy taking photos during his daily exercise throughout the lockdowns, including striking portraits and street photography.

The Argus:

He said: "I've always been interested in photojournalism and it's an odd time.

"Obviously in lockdown I couldn't go anywhere with my camera, so I thought why not start taking photos here.

"I grew up in Singapore and have travelled around the world but I've never been anywhere quite like Brighton.

"I've been here about two years now and it's such a welcoming place.

"Even though it's been such a hard time, a lot of the people in my photos seem happy and are just getting on with their day - that's what I like about it.

The Argus:

"If you were to take the masks away in some of the pictures, they would not necessarily strike you as a really dark and depressing time."

Joseph uses a combination of film and digital photography and says he prefers the style of black and white images.

He often tries to strike up a conversation with people, at a distance, before taking their picture.

Joseph said: "One of the first photos I took was of a man eating fish and chips.

"If you get someone talking about something they care about, it allows you to see them more of them - rather than them focusing on a photo being taken.

The Argus:

"It's a bit nerve-wracking taking pictures of any random people but it has definitely improved my photography skills, and my people skills too.

"I've not had any negative encounters."

Although Joseph said he may one day exhibit the pictures, for now he is quite content spending his time taking and developing photos.

He said: "I used to spend virtually all my time working in a busy pub. I didn't really have time to think between that repetition of going to sleep and going to work.

The Argus:

"I know this period has been a really bad time and I'm looking forward to when things reopen - but I hope it has also given others time to find what they enjoy and what they want to do."

You can view more of Joseph's photos on his Instagram page.