Through a Lens Greenly: our local photography studio - more than just tinged with green

                       The Atterbury Road studios of Green Lens, converted by Yev and his business partner

Last week I finally got round to visiting Green Lens Studios at the bottom end of the Ladder, in Atterbury Road. I've been meaning to go along to this or that event they run there for an age now, but somehow never quite got round to it.

A couple of weeks back, Yev Kazannik, the Russian co-proprietor invited me down to have a look see. Sounding for all the world like a Dane with his lingering affricate consonants, Yev's passionate about Green Lens, what it does and its roots in Harringay.

                       Yev Kazannik, co-proprietor of Green Lens Studio with his ancient polaroid in front of a kitchen cabinet taken from                                                        a house in South Tottenham and tailored to fit a wall in the upstairs space.

Perhaps my lack of grasp on what Green Lens does or what their values are was part of why I'd never visited before. So I set to it to address those gaps.

Yev was a warm and charming host and patiently explained what Green Lens are all about as we drank tea and munched health bars. Our conversation was punctuated by occasional breaks for me to take a snap with my iPhone or for Yev to take a picture with his wonderful ancient Mamiya Polaroid camera. 

                       There's a comforting but not overwhelming scattering of bric-a-brac at Green Lens

I had no idea quite how much Yev and the Green Lens team see themselves as part of the neighbourhood. As we chatted I learned that Yev and his business partner don't sweep in from Islington each day as I'd imagined. They live right by the studio in a basement flat on Wightman Road.

The studio's work portfolio is threefold. First they have a commercial stream. This includes photography work for some impressive clients like Google. The other two streams are underpinned by a connection to the community and a passion for the sustainability agenda. They run events on their own account and are also increasingly making the studio space available for a range of classes such as yoga and so on.

Some of the community work is delivered on a commercial basis. This includes both photography and classes. Yev was keen to make it clear that they're very careful not to compete with jobbing local photographers. So, for example they don't typically do wedding work etc.

The other area of community work, and one that Yev is keen to expand, is pro-bono work where either their studio space or their skills are given to the community for free. Last year, for example, they hosted a London Bike Power Workshop about generating electricity through pedal power. They also do a lot of work with local sustainability groups including Transition Finsbury Park.

Having met Yev now, next time I see an event posted by Green Lens Studio, I may even just get myself down there and join in. My advice to you is that you think about doing the same.