Biography...
Background
 I
was born and raised in the Scottish
borders and Edinburgh before
moving to Plymouth in 1970, aged 11. My interest in photography first
took hold as a teenager and after 30 years pursuing other avenues of
creativity in my business life, I again seriously picked up my
camera.
My first experiences with cameras were at
school, where I tried and enjoyed bw photography and made good use of
their darkroom. As for my studies, I had an equal aptitude for both
science and art but ended up going down the business route in my
career. I'd pick up my camera again from time to time - I've owned a
couple of
Zeniths and a Praktica at various times - still getting a lot of
enjoyment from both the taking and in the results.
But only with the onset of digital cameras
could I get serious again - no messy chemicals and much more control
than
in the wet darkroom ..and the ability to dive in and out as my busy
lifestyle allowed, I took to it like a duck to water... I could get the
sorts of end
result I was after that were beyond my wet-darkroom skills back when I
was a teenager, messing with 35mm film, enlargers and developing baths.
In 2007 some friends in the local art
community encouraged me to go public and,
after having some work published in print magazines, I've been
displaying with
good success in local galleries.
The BBC took enough interest in a photo
essay I did on urban decay,
lost spaces and industrial ugliness,
to feature an article about it on their web
site.
"His fascination with the black and white genre, interest in
perspective and strong lines in his photos, truly shows Plymouth in a
striking and arresting light". As a result of this, they recently commissioned an essay from me,
"Plymouth - Intimate glimpses of hidden and changing character" (now
set to music).
At the beginning of 2010 I made my
work available online via my
Zazzle shop on posters, cards and gifts
and they have been selling well. Zazzle is an internationally
recognised and respected print-on-demand supplier with a customer
satisfaction and returns policy second to none.
Each of my designs there can be purchased
as-is or personalized with a loved one's name or other text.
Desiderata
on "I have Time" is my most popular seller - check for it in the slideshow
below. It's a great bedroom wall poster for teenagers with angst, and
good for adults, too :)
Fetching ...won't be a tick!
Inspirational guidance
The full
Desiderata by Max Ehrmann. Go placidly amidst the noise and haste...
This poem
has
inspired young adults who are coming of age since the 1920's and is as
popular today as it ever was. It has been given as a gift by loving
parents, grandparents, godparents and aunts and uncles as essential
life-wisdom ever since it was written.
They've
found it
to be one of the few ways for such wisdom to get past those raging
hormones and support the upcoming generation through their rebellious
years and beyond!
Artist's Statement
There's something raw about well-executed
black and white photography that has always reached in and touched me
deeply.
Colour is all fine and dandy - some shots take my breath away in their
appeal to my higher senses. But it takes b&w to pluck at my
more basic, primaeval instincts. I think it's that connection which
attracts me to this genre.
Light/line, tone/texture,
pattern/perspective and structure/abstraction; when I see them in
everyday scenes and objects, all it takes is the right convergence, the
right viewpoint... there's beauty to be found in
the most unexpected of places.
About my work
I'm told my photography shows a keen eye and
incisive observation and that I find and reveal powerful imagery in the
everyday and the mundane. I hope so, and invite you to
reassess the familiar with fresh eyes and listen to the story I'm
trying to tell.
And on the darker
side, if I can occasionally draw you into an exploration of the cold,
clinical, and bleak.. ..then I've achieved my aim.
Current and previous galleries where I've
displayed
- Park Art, Tamar Science Park, Plymouth
- Martin Bush Studio Gallery, Royal
William
Yard, Plymouth (map)
- Kaya Gallery, Barbican, Plymouth (map)
- Kaya Gallery, Totnes (map)
- Gallery
Guest House, Plymouth (map)
- Duchy Square Centre, Princetown (map)
- Masa, Royal William Yard, Plymouth (now
demised)
Some achievements
 Roland
Levinsky Building used as the cover shot for the January 2012 Plymouth Magazine ...
 Barbican
By Night used as the cover shot for the November 2011 Plymouth Magazine ...
 Haystacks
and Tracks reached Nominee status, one
step before Winner, in the 5th Annual Spider B&W Awards,
2009/2010, Nature category.
 Curve
Of The Neck selected and published by the BBC
in Oct 09, on their In Pictures blog with the theme Minimal. This shot of Benjy
was taken at the Miniature Pony Centre on Dartmoor. All
foals are presently named after Tors on Dartmoor - until they run out
of Tors...
-
Walking
The Dogs and Haystack
And Tracks have both been shortlisted for potential selection
by the Editors in this year's Photographer of the Year competition.
- My photo essay Plymouth—Intimate
glimpses of a
changing character was commissioned by the BBC and used in
the relaunch of their Devon web site in
September 09. It made lead story! See my essay on the BBC Devon site. If
you like, see it set
to music on Youtube by my good friend, thereminist Gordon
Charlton (Beat Frequency).
 Caught
by the surf selected and published by the BBC
in Aug 09, on their In Pictures blog with the theme Dance. The shot was taken in
Winter on Felixstowe seafront.
 Rotting
Boat Carcasses selected and published by the BBC
in July 09, also on their In Pictures blog, this time with the
theme Time.
- Urban
Ugly March 2008: The BBC featured me and my photo essay on
neglected and derelict spaces of Plymouth. See it here...
 Rectilinear
Mosaics earned me a place in the Hotshots section when
it was published in the October 07 issue of Digital Camera
Magazine. It's a hot of the archiecture of a building in Arundel
Street, close to Temple tube station, London.
- Warner Holidays used some of my images of bowlers in a tv / cinema advert.
 One,
Two,
Three - Snow! - although not a finalist, it was an editor's
choice in the Photographer Of
The
Year competition 2007, Digital Camera Magazine.
- A piece about my Parkart
exhibition
appeared
in What's
On South West magazine.
Contemporary Photographic
Influences
Influences beyond photography
- Martin
Bush contemporary abstract painter.
- Kizzy
Colins contemporary artist, whom I thank for drawing my
attention to the potential for art in the meanest urban spaces.
- Godel,
Escher, Bach: An Eternal Golden Braid,
a book
 by
Douglas R Hofstadter.
- Nicolas Ridley, one of my
ancestors - well he must have been an influence somewhere along the
(gene) line!
Links to other great photography
and
photographers
- Lorri
Freedman As well as having a fine portfolio, Lorri also
blogs on photography
and
Photoshop tips and tricks.
- Melissa
Ayr, abstract artist
Melissa Ayr is an international
expressionist abstract artist. Her
art is on the cutting edge of color with bold flowing blends of light
and dark. Her style is colorful, vibrant and full of texture. She
incorporates high energy, fluidity, growth and life.
- PixiPort
Fineart Photography Gallery
A site devoted to the promotion and
inspiration of photo artists, writers and photojournalists.
For almost a decade, Pixiport has showcased artists and connected them
to collectors, licensers, and the world.
Art and advertisers are reviewed and selected through evaluation.
- Evan
Jacobs
Evan's work is stunning and evocative.
I was particularly impressed
by his people gallery and anyone interested in this type
of photography should see his work and take note. The
accompanying
music is a real treat, too!
- Guy
J Brown
Guy is a master of muted high dynamic
range colour and produces fine monochrome images across a
number of genres.
- Darkness
and Light
Black and white pictures of London,
Oxford, Cambridge and the Lake
District - atmospheric sepia and black/white photographs of England by
Derek Langley.
- Ian
Woolcock Photography
Landscape photography from Cornwall and
further afield by Ian Woolcock.
- tony
cobley photography
Tony's a local professional
photographer based in Ivybridge,
offering services which include commercial and
wedding photography, stock images of the
Westcountry and photography workshops / camera tuition.
- Rob
Barron
Rob is a fully-qualified professional
teacher and photographer of 40 years experience. An accredited Adobe
Photoshop tutor, Rob regularly teaches individuals and groups.
- Devon
Photography
Andy's site features photography from
various locations in Devon
along with a few out of county images and some macro and floral work.
- Didgi
Widgi
An online urban canvas art and urban
photography gallery featuring contemporary abstract art,
black & white and pop art.
- Devonscenes
Photography
Malcolm's
landscape photos include the South Devon coast between Dartmouth and
Burgh Island, seascapes and other scenes of Devon including Dartmoor.
Local links
Well, I live in Plymouth, Devon and thought
you might be interested in some of the great sites about this historic
coastal city with a huge naval tradition.
- Mayflower
Steps - Plymouth Past and Present
All about Plymouth, covering a little
of The Blitz and a lot about
the Pilgrim Fathers, their voyage in the good ship Mayflower
and
their first years in Plimouth Plantation.
Suppliers
I use
There's no better recommendaton for a
supplier than one from a
customer...
- Great
Art
A huge range of quality art material
from this UK supplier.
- Cotswold
Mounts
Photo and picture mount manufacurer—I get all my
mounts/matts, backing board and bags here.
- On-line
Paper
The
name says it all. This is where I buy the fine art photorag paper I use
for all my hand-printing. (The secret is in the paper!!)
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Quotes
Here
are some of the nice things people have been saying about my work:
Marilyn Whiteley...
Quayside Moorings:
A wonderful portfolio! I especially like the "pattern" and the
"texture"
shots.
In this one there's not only the texture but the strong
composition. It's taken by a master of monochrome, but I think the bit
of colour adds to it.
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ChipStephan...
Fruiting Wild Oat:
Beautifully simple and complex. The background is exquisite.
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