Jim Mortram : SMALL TOWN INERTIA
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smalltowninertia.bsky.social
Jim Mortram : SMALL TOWN INERTIA
@smalltowninertia.bsky.social
1.3K followers 1.4K following 650 posts
With my community I help make long form photography stories that broadcast the realities of being marginalised.

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/iar/small-town-inertia-2

https://buymeacoffee.com/smalltowninertia
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Hit the ALT for the testimony.
#smalltowninertia Stood at the broken window of his apartment, smashed by Police gaining access after Simon collapsed after a seizure. “I don’t know what happened. It was night-time and my neighbor was outside and heard a noise that must have been me and my front door was locked and I had my keys in the door so he phoned the ambulance people up. The police smashed my window, you know how they break into doors, really rough, they had to do that and climb in the window. They found me on the floor and I was right out of it then the ambulance came and they asked me the usual questions. I’d been sick on the floor, cut myself when I fell so I was taken up to hospital and kept in for a day and had to have an x-ray on my neck as I damaged the bones when I had the fit. I don’t know what I cut myself on.” From Vol 1 of SMALL TOWN INERTIA coming soon on Image & reality press. @imageandreality
October 23, 2025 at 5:49 PM
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October 23, 2025 at 11:34 AM
smalltowninertia.bsky.social
ALT has the info ✌️🙏
#smalltowninertia One of the reasons for revising Vol 1 of SMALL TOWN INERTIA was to permit me to include some extra testimony & pictures, like this one with Stuart. Stuart was one of the first people I ever documented, the encouragement he gave me, at a monumental junction within my own life, I’ll never forget, he gave me a chance, as a human being and as a fledgeling photographer and as a friend. Stuart, his kindness & friendship in a very real way changed my life & in turn the lives of many others. As I began work on what was then simply called “Market Town” he was the very first person to invite me into their home, that day I made this picture with him. My favourite quote of his will always be “Love is the eternal where we are not so in the physical.” Links to pre order Vol 1 & 2 in my bio 🙏✌️
October 17, 2025 at 11:12 PM
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Many thanks @huckmagazine for the excellent feature pre the release of Vol 2 of SMALL TOWN INERTIA this October by @imageandreality 🙏✌️
September 26, 2025 at 11:40 PM
smalltowninertia.bsky.social
#smalltowninertia2 Cathreen, resting.
September 23, 2025 at 8:07 PM
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#smalltowninertia2 James. Waiting for news regarding his part time job at the N&N hospital amidst reports of multiple layoffs. James has worked for the hospital for 15 years.
September 23, 2025 at 8:06 PM
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Many thanks to Issak Muk for rewarding my trust in him for a excellent article in HUCK magazine.
September 23, 2025 at 12:58 PM
smalltowninertia.bsky.social
You can get an education in photography by watching Paul Auster's 'SMOKE'.

That's why I've quoted some of the dialogue in my preface to SMALL TOWN INERTIA Vol 2

“You’ll never get it… if you don’t slow down my friend.”
September 19, 2025 at 12:32 PM
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#smalltowninertia2 Just off a video call with Staci where I was able to screen share the final PDF for Vol 2 of SMALL TOWN INERTIA & recorded her reactions.


September 16, 2025 at 3:03 PM
smalltowninertia.bsky.social
How chronological events can tell a story.
September 16, 2025 at 8:02 AM
smalltowninertia.bsky.social
Alt for info ✌️
Everything is gaining pace as we head to the deadlines to send files to the printers. For the revised 5th!) edition of SMALL TOWN INERTIA Vol 1 I selected a picture of David & made a few design changes to the cover. This revised edition has many additional & unseen photographs & expanded testimony drawn from the archive of audio testimony I have amassed. Vol 2 is almost ready, in the last couple of days I received the intros from Jason Williamson of Sleaford Mods, economist Paul Mason, author Jamie Thrasivoulou has written another incredibly powerful poem, Sir Stephen Fry has also written for the rear cover & the artist/activist Dolly Sen has created a dynamic piece of graphic art. I am so thankful to all for their involvement & for supplying such great context, passion & commitment to Vol 2.
September 15, 2025 at 6:37 PM
smalltowninertia.bsky.social
Hit the ALT for words.
https://open.spotify.com/show/4oOnPplYSeCKIYqopCK3ra?si=fAI8pwZCT_yR1vmD6MpAnw Many thanks 🙏 to @unofphoto @photolifepod for the opportunity to speak, share but above all, I think, for the friendship, constant & unwavering. There are so many people we meet on our journeys in life. Some can project sincerity, a rare few live it & have it. Sincerely, Grant has had my back from the very first baby steps of my personal photographic journey. In many ways a kindred spirit. One with a knowledge of photography that I have always revered & respected. A constant source of inspiration, an illuminating mentor & a rational, supportive, caring voice that has really helped me time & time again. Grant gave me confidence when I had none. Helped me through the hardest of times. Gave me opportunities & gave me insights of his own life, sharing. From being the first person to publish my work to this our latest conversation Grant has been here, for me. Maybe, no, certainly more than anything else I respect my friend, whom consistently amplifies photography & photographers with a passion that possibly only the late, great Bill Jay had before but also in a way that only Grant can do & does & what an incredibly important archive of interviews he has single handedly built from nothing. All for photography & photographers. All out of love. When something is made with love, it has the ability to withstand most anything. Next time you make a picture or share someone else’s work or communicate about photography, do so with love as the instigator. ❤️✌️ Podcast out next week.
September 15, 2025 at 1:18 AM
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#smalltowninertia2 I wish photographers valued their life experience as much as manufacturers of their tools.

The lives lived inform what to do with the tool.

ALT for context
I wish photographers valued their life experience as much as manufacturers of their tools. The lives lived inform what to do with the tool. A competent photographer can make a great picture with any camera. The constant fetishisation of product versus person is erroneous. More posts advocating the humanity behind/within photographs lest it be forgotten that photography is at its core human. The process, tools, delivery system are the least important components.
September 12, 2025 at 9:14 PM
smalltowninertia.bsky.social
#smalltowninertia2 What does long form photography mean to me?.

I made this portrait with Julie 15 years ago, she was the first person to wish me happy birthday today.

Thanks Julie!.
September 10, 2025 at 6:59 PM
smalltowninertia.bsky.social
All repect & love to Chris & to his loved ones.
Chris, your work & the work you made with EXIT had a huge impact upon my life.

You showed me what a photobook could be, something more than a stutus symbol or a coffee table book. Something deeper, something that cuts a line through time.
September 9, 2025 at 1:49 PM
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#smalltowninertia2

Five bucks a month (Localised pay = where you are it’ll use your currency!) or £3.72 is all it takes to become a supporting member at Buy me a coffee enabling me to not stay ever deeper in debt to make this work!.

Link in bio 🙏
September 4, 2025 at 9:48 AM
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#smalltowninertia2 1 to 1 mentoring

You know the drill… hit the ALT for all the info 🙏✌️
#smalltowninertia2 1 to 1 photography mentoring is now available with me. Message for all the info. I specialise in mono photography, long form documentary, interview techniques, audio recording, sequencing & post production of pictures & how to find/develop stories & maybe most importantly how to maintain your mental health & keep your mojo rising when your backs against a wall. 🙏✌️ Dave Stelfox wrote in The Guardian that “Mortram’s rich, black-and-white images possess a timeless quality that invites easy comparison with the classic documentary work of such British photographers as Chris Steele Perkins, Paul Trevor and Chris Killip.”
September 3, 2025 at 11:37 PM
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The face of a wolf that really wants what you’re eating!.
September 3, 2025 at 7:30 PM
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Hit the ALT for the info 🙏✌️
#smalltowninertia2 With the revised Vol 1 & the brand new Vol 2 of SMALL TOWN INERTIA coming out late October I need to make a few changes to the way I do things as I embark on Vol 3. Working full time as an unpaid carer for my Ma leaves just a few hours a week for me to head out & work with my community on these long form stories as we create a unique portrait of the underclass in the UK in the 2000’s. I need your help, if you appreciate what you see & read please consider buying a coffee to help the behind the scenes, even consider a subscription. 🙏✌️ https://buymeacoffee.com/smalltowninertia Link also in bio Many thanks, without your support none of this work could have been made, if you’ve ever invested in one of the prints I’ve made or bought me a coffee… you’re a part of the DNA of this body of work.
September 3, 2025 at 8:09 AM
smalltowninertia.bsky.social
#smalltowninertia2 Hit the ALT for all the info 🙏✌️
#smalltowninertia2 Si & Kirsty Si & Kirsty went online to join their first NA meeting last night, I found a local meeting called 12 monkeys beginner group for them. Together we went through their testimony, which they really, as always want to share, to share to show what’s really happening. As ever I’m so proud of my friends. Addiction doesn’t stop them being people I love. Nor should it. Above is a transcription from our most recent talk together, pre proof reading & design etc for Vol 2 of Small Town Inertia. We didn’t spend the last 16 years making sacrifices & giving all we have to make these books a reality for them to be coffee table books. My community & I will fight so fucking hard to get them into the public consciousness where I truly believe they could provoke long overdue dialogue that could instigate sweeping reforms to how the power in the UK neglects the underclass & how as a broader society, most either look on in contempt or look away in apathy & abstinence from the reality. You can help in a vast way by directing people to this channel, friends, send your MP’s here, send anyone you can think of that might be those few rungs up the ladder that’s in a position to amplify this testimony in a way I simply cannot by myself. ✌️🙏
September 1, 2025 at 10:27 PM
smalltowninertia.bsky.social
#smalltowninertia2 Si 2013

Hit ALT for info.
#smalltowninertia2 Si 2013 Today I shared a couple of hour video call with Si & his wife Kirsty. They are in a bad way. Cocaine flake. Dealers. Debt. After our call I made as much research as I could finding Narcotics Anonymous meetings, Rehab help, anything to help them get on the path to getting clean. They have made the first step by wanting it. I’m shocked at the absolute lack of proactive help from social services or their carers. I also wrote up a plan of attack of things for them to do, 24/7 helplines & as I type they are on their first NA meeting via Zoom. So frustrated that I can’t drive, even if I could there’s no way I could possibly afford to run a motor, cabs want over £100 return for a trip just two towns away. Bus is too time consuming whilst I’m also caring for my Ma & Pa. So I’ve bent my own rules & entered a few photography competitions Sony World etc in an effort to get some money. It’s so weird to me that to dedicate a life to making this work & to be proactive with care & support, entails essentially playing the lottery just for a chance to survive. Anyways, I’ll make it work, better than work, to make the best work possible as my community & I have some amazing people & stories lined up for Vol 3. Much work to do!. Peace ✌️
August 31, 2025 at 8:15 PM
smalltowninertia.bsky.social
What’s a photograph of yours that gives you an emotional kick in the face whenever you see it?.

ALT for more.
One of mine that haunts me is this one of Carlos watching the news in confusion, recoiling in fear at reports of planned deportations via Brexit. He has HIV & was terrified he would go without his life perpetuating medication. A few months later as a result of the stress he would attempt suicide by hanging. Drop your links to pictures in the comment so I can find yours.
August 30, 2025 at 8:57 PM
smalltowninertia.bsky.social
www.kickstarter.com/projects/iar...

Preorders still open.
August 30, 2025 at 2:31 PM
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Kodas 5.
August 25, 2025 at 10:48 PM
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Someone wants a treat!.
August 25, 2025 at 8:20 PM