LATEST
THE PHOTOWALK PODCAST
Ep 465: I was terrified, but I’m a survivor!
Published 10th January 2025
“Jack Lowe’s Lifeboat Station Project is a profound photographic tribute to the courageous British lifeboat crews who risk everything to save lives at sea. Using a Victorian camera and wet plate collodion methods, Jack makes powerful portraits that honour the resilience and humanity of these everyday heroes and today, he is on the show to talk about his incredible undertaking and risk-taking. Jack’s project has taken a toll, though, both emotionally and financially, and he discusses and reveals how that has affected him personally.“
Enjoy the whole episode or skip to Part 1 of my conversation with Neale from the 25 minute mark and Part 2 from 1 hour 22 minutes:
2 HOUR LISTENSCOTTISH FIELD MAGAZINE
21st November 2024
RNLI ‘200 VOICES’ PODCAST
Commemorating the 200th anniversary of the RNLI
No. 192: Talking Pictures with Jack Lowe
Released 25th February 2024
“In an age of selfies, photographer Jack Lowe uses Victorian methods on his quest to capture lifeboat crew from every RNLI lifeboat station. He tells us why.“
As the RNLI celebrates its 200th anniversary of saving lives at sea, it has been an honour to be asked to be one of the 200 voices representing the charity’s history.
The publication of the podcast is very timely too, in the week that my Women of the RNLI exhibition opens at the National Maritime Museum.
Be sure to listen to episodes 135 and 140 as well, which feature my conversations with Dover’s Tony Hawkins and Kirkwall’s Dupre Strutt respectively.
17 MINUTE LISTENEXPOSED NEGATIVE PODCAST
A conversation with Greg Funnell and Tom Barnes
Season 2, Episode 17
Released 9th August 2023
“On today’s show we have a really frank and honest chat with Jack Lowe, Wet Plate photographer currently shooting ‘The Lifeboat Station Project’ a long term portrait project. We find out how it runs, how it’s funded and all about the highs and the lows.“
Visit the Exposed Negative website for resource links to the topics we discussed:
EXPOSED NEGATIVENATIONAL MUSEUMS LIVERPOOL
Podcast: Heroes on the Mersey
Released 25th November 2022
“The Mersey River makes this great city, but who was there when the tide quite literally got too high? James Clarke became a local hero for saving lives from drowning in Liverpool, and today countless others risk their own lives to save strangers at sea in the RNLI. Could their shared ethos be just the thing we need to overcome the planet’s biggest challenges yet?”
I’m proud to have been one of Megan McGurk’s guests in ‘Heroes on the Mersey’, the latest episode of the National Museums Liverpool Podcast.
We covered a lot of topics in a short space of time, including:
Selflessness, courage, community ethos, farewells, things going wrong, beauty in the utilitarian, the environment, the climate crisis, the economic crisis, necessity, kindness and putting others before ourselves.
Have a listen here (Megan introduces me around the 12m05s mark):
WITH COURAGE, NOTHING IS IMPOSSIBLE
A film about the project by Sean Tucker
Released May 2022
BBC NORTH WEST
29th March 2022
A chat with Yunus Mulla from BBC North West about The Lifeboat Station Project during my visit to Hoylake RNLI lifeboat station.
BBC RADIO MERSEYSIDE
30th March 2022
I spoke to Paul Salt live on BBC Radio Merseyside on 30th March 2022 during my visit to The Wirral:
LISTEN HEREWARSHIPS POD
22nd January 2022
Now for something a little different! A conversation with my pal Iain Ballantyne, naval historian extraordinaire. We chat about the links between the Royal Navy and the RNLI with some of our respective stories thrown in for good measure:
LISTEN HEREFFOTON WALES
One Image / Un Llun
17th December 2021
Ffoton Wales kindly invited me to tell the story behind one of my photographs for their One Image series.
I chose to record a few words about the day we made the Tenby RNLI crew portrait, an image currently featured in an exhibition at The Riverside gallery in Haverfordwest until 23rd April 2022.
It’s one of 26 prints of the Welsh RNLI lifeboat stations I’ve photographed to date which are held in the National Collection at the National Library of Wales in Aberystwyth.
LISTEN HERELET’S EXPLORE MAGAZINE
Empowerment Issue, December 2021
From the endeavour of the creation to the smell of the ink, what a wonderful way to end the year with a delivery from the Dutch publication Let’s Explore Magazine, which contains an essay I wrote about the project across five double-page spreads [three of them pictured above].
Creator, editor and general one-man-band Kilian really has excelled himself — another grand pedestal for the RNLI volunteers!
Order a copy here or via the button below.
I also have a handful of copies here in the UK, which I’ll make available to members of The LSP Society in the New Year.
ORDER HERE JOIN THE LSP SOCIETYLAUNCH! ON THE SEA
Original Motion Picture Soundtrack
Winter 2021
The soundtrack to the cinema film featuring 17 of my portraits is now available to stream via Spotify, Apple, Amazon and the appropriately named Tidal…
…or search for ‘launch on the sea’ within those streaming services and it should appear.
It’s an original score — Track 9 ‘Women in the Crews’ was written to accompany the sequence where my portraits appear in the film.
My audio recordings with Wing Munro and Angus Budge are also dotted about but mostly feature in Track 10 ‘Every Second Counts’.
I can’t stop listening to it. Hopefully, it’ll be a dreamy nautical accompaniment to your day too.
LEARN MORE ABOUT THE FILMCOUNTRY LIVING
The Lifeboat Chronicles, July 2021
What a treat to be offered so much space in the July issue of Country Living magazine. A wide selection of photographs are featured with a story behind each one — a very gentle layout with plenty of space to breathe.
I love the title of the piece too: The Lifeboat Chronicles.
Now on a magazine shelf near you!
THE NORTHERN GUIDE TO HAPPINESS
20th April 2021
It was great fun speaking with Alex Henry about the things that make me happy or, rather, keep me on course for achieving my goal of level contentment.
We talk about family, community, happenstance, social media, kayaking and, of course, The Lifeboat Station Project and the work of the RNLI:
LISTEN HERELAUNCH! CINEMA TOUR
A film celebrating RNLI communities across Scotland
Autumn and Winter 2021
Seventeen portraits and two audio recordings from the project have been incorporated into Launch!, a cinema release of archive film and video celebrating RNLI communities across Scotland.
Directed by Shona Thomson in a co-production with Screen Argyll, the 44 minute film is a wondrous and deeply moving experience. As you can imagine, I’m so proud that my work is seen as a fitting way to join the dots between the present and the past.
Launch! premiered at Mareel in Lerwick, Shetland on 20th June 2021 [pictured above] and it’s now touring cinemas across Scotland throughout the Autumn and Winter of 2021.
Cinemas screening the film are collaborating with local RNLI stations to celebrate the important work of their volunteers. Each event is different so look out for special extras like additional films of your local lifeboat, or an in-person discussion afterwards with RNLI crew, or a pre-recorded blether with the folk involved in making the film.
Take a look at the film’s dedicated website for full details of the upcoming cinema tour:
LEARN MOREApril 2021
I’ve been a huge fan of what3words since discovering it in 2019, particularly because it ties in with The Lifeboat Station Project on so many levels. As an ambassador flying the flag for what3words, we’ve now collaborated by fitting new decals to Neena (my mobile photographic darkroom) in recognition of our affiliation.
To be clear, no money is involved — just belief, passion and respect for our mutual endeavours.
If you’ve yet to discover what3words, it’s a simple way to describe and talk about location. It’s being embraced by all kinds of emergency services, organisations and individuals the world over.
Download the app and/or visit the what3words website to learn more:
LEARN MOREARCHIVE
THE INDEPENDENT WEEKEND MAGAZINE
Riders on the Storm, 4th July 2015
THE YORKSHIRE POST MAGAZINE
Saturday 13th March 2021
Leah Hunter from Whitby RNLI lifeboat station featured on the front cover of The Yorkshire Post Magazine as part of a piece about The Lifeboat Station Project.
The original glass plate was also selected to be part of the Great Exhibition of the North in 2018 in Newcastle upon Tyne’s Great North Museum, so this portrait has certainly enjoyed some prestigious exposure since making it in 2017!
Click here to read the piece [premium content behind a paywall]
BBC COUNTRYFILE
Clovelly, 24th January 2016, 7pm, BBC1
22nd January 2015
Blog post by Instagram: ‘Documenting the Brave Crews of British Seas with @lordlowe’
READ INSTAGRAM’S POSTTHE ONE SHOW
Friday 3rd May 2019, 7pm, BBC1
WHEN AMBULANCE MEETS OMNIBUS
A conversation between Jack Lowe and Daniel Meadows, hosted by Tom Broadbent
15th March 2021
“Happenstance and serendipity, that’s been the richest thing about being alive on this planet.”
— Daniel Meadows
Hosted by fellow photographer Tom Broadbent, this is yet another one of those wonderful career milestones — talking with fellow documentarist Daniel Meadows about our mutual love for community projects and connections.
You’ll need to become a member of The LSP Society to see this one. Full membership starts from £1 per month (simply pledge whatever you’re comfortable with) and then you can have instant access to this conversation on Webinars page in the Members’ Area:
JOIN THE LSP SOCIETYCOUNTRY LIFE MAGAZINE
Town and Country section, 6th January 2021
“It is even more surprising that it’s still the highest-resolution photographic process ever invented. You can see it in the images. The stresses of working on a lifeboat—the wind and the waves and the salt and the cold—can be seen in the cracks and marks on the boats and their crew.” — James Fisher
DAUNTLESS COURAGE
by David Carroll, December 2020
I can’t help but feel a deep sense of honour to be considered a worthy note on the timeline of the Dunmore East RNLI lifeboat maritime community. Huge thanks to David Carroll and Dunmore East RNLI lifeboat station.
ORDER THE BOOK 8 MINUTE BLOG POSTDOMETIC
Brand Ambassador
THE SKIPPER, IRELAND
February and April 2020
5 YEARS AND STILL GOING STRONG
5th Anniversary, 11/12th January 2020
MARITIME FOUNDATION: MARITIME MEDIA AWARDS
The First Sea Lord’s Award for Best Use of Digital Media
Certificate of Merit, 31st October 2018
Jack was awarded a Certificate of Merit by The First Sea Lord on 31st October 2018. It reads:
“For his dedication in his project to photograph all 237 RNLI lifeboat stations in the UK and Republic of Ireland, presenting the volunteers in an interesting and unique way, using photography on glass plates. The website is easy to navigate, modern and fully responsive. The project has a defining quality which captures the core values of courage and commitment in volunteers who risk their lives daily to save others.“
READ THE RNLI’S PRESS RELEASEEven more coverage here:
THE LSP MEDIA VAULTS