Essex Chronicles is my exploration of the northern coastline of the Thames estuary, focusing on our interaction with the everyday places that occupy the land alongside it. It's an area I know well and I wanted to document the very varied mix of industry, leisure and human habitation which seem to sit side-by-side all along the coast (along with lots of nature and wildlife). Together they contribute to the identity of the entire area.
The mouth of the Thames, in the south eastern corner of the UK, is one of the country’s largest inlets and a major shipping route in and out of London. It's also the home of ‘Estuary English’ accents and lazy stereotypes, but it has always been a source of inspiration to artists and writers.
Mark Massey is mostly self-taught, focusing on documentary and portraiture photography. He studied graphic design at college, worked in London as a magazine designer for 20 years, and is now a freelance graphic designer / photographer based from his home county of Essex. His community is important to him, so local issues have formed the focus of several of his personal projects.