What comes to your mind when you think of Benidorm? Golden beaches? Heat waves? What about the gaggles worn by stag or hen groups as they stumble from bar to pub? You’re not mistaken. Jack Kenyon’s latest series, Benidorm Golden Years, shows the hidden charms of this Spanish seaside resort.
Jack, fresh from his India trip, where he was disappointed to miss a camel show, has taken off again. He was headed to Benidorm because he enjoys taking photos of beaches. He tells Creative Boom that his work is characterized by “hard light, vibrant colors, and subtle humor”.
Benidorm has all of these elements plus a dystopian background with high-rises running along the beach. I had always wanted to shoot there, so I booked a week of shooting in March without any idea how it would turn out.
Jack initially had no intention of focusing on the older residents in his area. After noticing them on the beach doing mobility exercises, Jack was immediately drawn to them. “I could have concentrated on the hungover teenagers cooking in the midday sunshine, but the gentleness and love of the greying couple was more attractive.”
Jack was surprised to see that Benidorm is also a popular destination for Spanish tourists. “Each morning, I would go to a popular coffee shop with Spanish visitors. They would quietly enjoy their cappuccinos while outside, sunburnt stags were trying to fight against a lamppost as they staggered home after all-nighters,” Jack explains.
While I was in the area, they co-existed peacefully.
Jack says that the memories they have of their holidays in Benidorm must be a major factor. The amazing weather, affordable properties, ex-pats, and the wide variety of English fry-ups are also likely to be a big draw.
This does not diminish Benidorm’s appeal to young couples. Jack observed many Stags and Hens enjoying themselves. He reveals that Benidorm is still a great place for Stags and Hens to have a wild time. Other beach towns are trying to discourage them.
Benidorm’s unique landscape further enhances the appeal of its photography. Jack adds, “I find a few things surreal.” The bizarrely tall palm trees, the high-rise building backdrop, and the sheer amount of older adults walking along the promenade are all examples.
Jack’s photos combine all of these elements to create an impression of a larger-than-life place. Jack’s series does not only rely on photos. He experimented with short videos on his smartphone to better understand Benidorm’s people.
He says that making short videos on his phone was fun, and it helped him with his photography for this project. “I found that it was much easier to take pictures with my phone rather than a large camera, particularly at the beach where it is often inappropriate.
“I felt less pressure to produce videos, because they wouldn’t be included in my ‘professional photography portfolio’. I was able to experiment more.” “All this freed me up to wander around and just take pictures.”
Jack’s work is centred on gentle humour, and he discovered that motion captures it better than still photography. “I’m still trying to figure this out but an example would be my project documenting healthy adults who use mobility scooters instead of walking along the beachfront or using a bike,” he concludes.
“I took a good photo that captured a part of the phenomenon. I then made countless videos that captured much more.” Certain things are better translated when they’re in motion. It’s fun to explore what they are.”