PERSONAL WORK

My 'personal work' portfolios are a visual catharsis; projects photographed as series' rather than as single images. My photographic raison d'etre over the last few decades has been to search for 'dreamscapes'; single standalone images with an arresting engagement for the viewer. These images are showcased in my current portfolios.

It was John Blakemore who turned my attention to photographing projects; series of images, rather than single photographs. He gave me some sage advice, “if you always seek the dramatic, you will never make a series of images”. This is seemingly so simple, yet for me, it was an epiphany. If standalone photographs are the visual equivalent of an 'announcement', then photographic series are more a 'conversation'. They're perhaps a more soulful visual representation of our introverted self, the quieter aspects of our character. Photographic series are the yin to the standalone portfolio image's yang.

Here you will find a celebration of the mundane, a celebration of the everyday: scenes that we would otherwise walk past without giving a second glance, but scenes that punctuate our lives with beautiful hidden visual treasures. From the understated pastel pinks of a frontage destined for demolition to a birthday message sprawled in graffiti to adorn the decaying hull of a wooden boat.

One of my favourite ways of revealing such delicate visual flavourings is to capture them on film. A return to my traditional roots and a celebration of the celluloid epoch, albeit using the best modern emulsions. The glorious understated pastels of Kodak Portra 160 and the gritty soulful silvers of Kodak Tri-X are my current favoured flavours; they’re delicious in the pathos and gravitas they bring to our imagery, just beautiful.

I’m loving the creative process of shooting these images: I hope you enjoy looking at them and that you enjoy my fascination with these filmic styles as much as I do.