Guardian Camera Club: Mark Pearson on photographing your area

Brick Lane bikes : Cycling is a great way to get around East London, and there are plenty available for hire on Brick Lane. I tried taking this one out of focus because I didn't want it to look like a Barclays ad, and I quite like the effect Photograph: Mark Pearson/Flickr Barber : Brick Lane isn't only a tourist hotspot; it's also home to a thriving Bangladeshi community Photograph: Mark Pearson/Flickr Rough Trade East : Rough Trade is a 5,000-square-foot independent record shop, which includes a cafe, 'snug', and desks, and puts on regular free music gigs on a high-spec stage. And that's not to mention the CDs, vinyl and other musical offerings which can keep visitors entertained for hours Photograph: Mark Pearson/Flickr I ♥ Brick Lane : Brick Lane is home to dozens of curry houses, who advertise themselves with neon signs. This month's assignment was to present your area in a travelogue style. While this set of photos doesn't necessarily represent a typical holiday brochure, I think it illustrates plenty of reasons for visiting Brick Lane. All these photos were taken in about 2 hours on the same night when I got back after christmas, as this was my only chance to take the camera out this month! Photograph: Mark Pearson/Flickr Invader : Brick Lane and the sourrounding area are a hotbed of street art, with ever-changing designs and murals, such as this piece by Invader. It's always worth keeping your eyes open! Photograph: Mark Pearson/Flickr Boxpark : Apprently this is the world's first pop-up shopping centre. Basically a pile of 60 shipping containers masquerading as cafes, galleries and trendy clothes shops! Photograph: Mark Pearson/Flickr