The Psychic Lens
The Psychic Lens: Surrealism and the camera
Atlas Gallery – 24 November 2016 – 28th January 2017
Twelve photographs by Man Ray and two by Bill Brandt; well to me that’s an exhibition worth investigating.
Category Archives: General
Leica Factory and Store Wetzlar
LEITZ PARK – 2016
I was fortunate enough to visit the new Leica Camera AG headquarters complex at the Leitz Park in Wetzlar, Germany earlier this year. The architecture is fascinating as it is based on the Leica lenses design.
Photographing Adders (Vipera berus)
Adders will only use their venom as a last means of defence
The adder is not an aggressive snake, but is the only venomous snake native to Britain.
Vogue 100: A Century of Style
Manchester Art Gallery from 24 June to 30 October 2016.
Buzz Aldrin – The Photographer
Buzz Aldrin – No Dream is Too High
Recently, at the Forum in Bath, I had the pleasure of listening to Buzz Aldrin talk about his life.
Strange and Familiar
Strange and Familiar: Britain as Revealed by International Photographers
Curated by Martin Parr
Barbican Art Gallery, Barbican Centre, UK: 16 March – 19 June 2016
Utopia-Dystopia
Is the world utopia and are we dystopia?
This series of images is one of many studies I have done looking at the world from a utopia-dystopia viewpoint.
Grayson Perry: Who Are You?
The Vanity of Small Differences – Grayson Perry
Exhibition at Victoria Art Gallery, Bath – 9 January – 10 April 2016
Ai Weiwei
Ai Weiwei is a visionary, a philosopher and a spokesperson for human rights issues. His art creates awareness and poses questions which communicate clearly across many cultures.
Saul Leiter Exhibition
Saul Leiter Exhibition At The Photographers Gallery – 22 Jan – 3 Apr 2016
Thanks to The Photographers Gallery, I had the chance to see Saul Leiters (1923-2013) work, up close and personal.
Julia Margaret Cameron – Exhibition
Julia Margaret Cameron – V&A Exhibition
I first saw Julia Margaret Cameron (1815 – 1879) work at the Dimbola Lodge museum, which use to be her home on the Isle of Wight.
The Photographers 2015 Exhibition
The Photographers 2015 – Beetles + Huxley Gallery and Osborne Samuel Gallery
The Photographers 2015 exhibition is an annual event held by two leading London art galleries, Beetles+Huxley and Osborne Samuel.
Photographing what is in your Garden
Common Toad
I recently photographed “toad of toad hall”! Well I like to think so because I grew up listening to voiceovers by Johnny Morris on Animal Magic, who added human characteristic to all animals and creatures he met.
Event Photography
Frampton Country Show – Sunday 13th September 2015
This year’s Frampton fair was once again a big success with thousands of visitors attending. The major attractions included parachutists from ‘Jump 4 Heroes’, an aerobatic display and a jousting reenactments that also incorporated the signing of Magna Carta on its 800th anniversary.
Victoria Hillman Zoologist And Wildlife Photographer
Wildlife and Nature Photography
I caught up with Victoria Hillman a scientist by training with a BSc in zoology and a self-taught photographer. We discussed Victoria’s current project “Forgotten Little Creatures” and I ask how she approached wildlife photography.
Olympus OM-D EM10 Mark II
A day with a Olympus OM-D EM10 Mark II
It appears that the Japanese camera manufacturer Olympus has returned to its mythological roots, by which I mean Mount Olympus.
Bristol Balloon Fiesta
Bristol International Balloon Fiesta 2015
The 37th annual Bristol balloon fiesta took place on the 6th – 9th August with over 100 balloons ascending across the city of Bristol.
iphone – Never be without a camera
iphone and instagram
Never be without a camera…. the obvious tip for good photography.
Photographing nature respectfully
In the field with Victoria Hillman
I recently worked with Victoria Hillman setting up a natural photography course, which focused on being respectful to the environment.
Leica M9 Photo Walk
Leica M9 Photo Walk – Bristol
Exploring and photographing the streets of any village, town or city is always exciting and rewarding. I usually find several moments or subjects to photograph that redefines my views of the place.
Wildlife off the U.K coast
Puffins, Puffins and more Puffins… oh and a rabbit
The beautiful island of Skomer is set just off the Welsh coast. It is a scenic and tranquil Wildlife trust reserve, which is well worth visiting.
Photographing Properties
Frampton Court
I was recently asked to photograph Frampton Court, a privately owned listed building steeped in history.
Coastal photography
Perfect place for photography
Tranquility can easily be found along the beautiful North side of Gower. The marshes and sandy beaches are fenced off by a woodland barrier that removes the busy technology world we live in.
The North – Exhibition
The World Of Glass St Helens
This series of images were taken outside Liverpool’s Metropolitan Cathedral and to me visually symbolise the feel and character of Liverpool.
Illuminate Bath 2015
Illuminate Bath 2015 festival
Great show of projections and illuminations that can be viewed at several historic sites, such as The Roman Baths and Pulteney Bridge. This is a must-see exhibition.
Leica M From The Photographers View
Celebrating 60 Years of Leica M
Hear how using Leica cameras have inspired some of the best modern day photographers. . Each photographers has picked one of their favourite photograph and shares the story of how it was captured. These short videos are very inspiring and give you an insight in why everyone aspires to a Leica M Camera.
Bath Christmas Market
The Bath Christmas Market
Eighteen days of festive celebrating and shopping, this is a great time to see the city of Bath. Over a 150 wooden chalets surround the Bath Abbey and Roman Baths. The market traders offer beautiful handmade gifts, decorations and best of all in my case food and local beers.
Nick Dimbleby
Interview with Nick Dimbleby
This month I had chance to catch up with UK based photographer Nick Dimbleby who has extensive portfolio of automotive images. Nick has worked for Jaguar, Aston Martin and Land Rover to name a few. I thought I would find out how Nick became a commercial photographer.
Cheltenham Races
A day at the races
The official UK launch of the Olympus 40-150mm f2.8 pro lens at Cheltenham racecourse gave me an opportunity to capture a day at the races. I tried out two Olympus lens, the new 40-150 and the 75mm f1.8 with the sole intention of recording a general overview of the event. Photographing the build up before a race, the crowds, the hats, the jockeys and of course a race.
Autumn Colours
The 9th November 2014
I headed out early, in the slanting autumn light. My aim was to capture the warm colours of the changing season. The rich reds, browns and yellows leaves merge together with the green grass and blue sky creating a vibrant artist pallet. There is always something magical about this time of year and from a photography point of view it is like Christmas.
Film Noir Experiment
Film Noir
A motion picture style developed in the 1940s and 1950s, which became iconic due to its contrasting lighting. The filming approach would often create a very eerie, bleak and stark mood. Elongated shadows would add suspense and where synonymous to the genre.
Rene Burri 1933-2014
Rene Burri A Photographic Master
Swiss photographer René Burri knew when to capture a precise moment. Burri captured some of the most striking and dramatic black and white images ever taken. As a photojournalist Burri traveled extensively throughout Europe and the Middle East. In 1963 his travels took him to Cuba, where he had the opportunity to meet and photograph the revolutionary Che Guevara.
Dennis Hopper – The Lost Album
Dennis Hopper: The Lost Album – The Royal Academy Of Arts
Dennis Hopper, the actor who stared in classic films such as Apocalypse Now, Blue Velvet, and the iconic Easy Rider, was also an accomplished photographer. Hopper said that his photographs never made him a cent, however they kept him alive.
Frampton Country Fair 2014
Frampton Country Fair 2014
The sun rose on another warm, sunny day in England. Yes you read correctly, sunny and England in the same sentence. According to the Met Office, this September has been the driest on record for a century.
Panasonic GH4 Stills
Stills from video
Recently, I had an opportunity to take the Panasonic Lumix GH4 on a brief photo-walk around the historical market town of Dursley in Gloustershire. I concentrated on shooting short video clips, lasting around ten seconds, to test the new 4K video systems.
Modern Artist In Print
Modern Artists in print – Bath Victoria Art Gallery
The first image I encountered at the Victoria Gallery’s new exhibition was not a lithograph or an etching (as I expected) but a photograph. To me this highlighted one of the parallels between being a fine art printer and a photographer that is the ability to reproduce limited edition print runs.
Miniature world
44ad Art space
44ad Art space in Bath will be holding their summer open show from 8th August – 23rd August 2014. I have had some of my work excepted for the exhibition which is entitled “Life in miniature”
Hover Fly
Macro test
The Hover fly is one of the more favourable inhabitants for any garden, as it preys upon pest insects. The Hover fly will perfectly suspend itself, silently looking where its next pollen search will be. It is this stationary position, which makes it a good subject to photograph.
Wimbledon 2014
Women’s Semi Final
It is hot and very still, you could not ask for a better English summers day. It is 3rd of July, the Wimbledon Ladies semi-finals and the competition looks wide open. I am in the crowd on Centre Court for the first time, my seat is high up in the spectator area and the view is surprisingly good.
Balloon flight
A balloon flight is a must do, if you get the chance!
The clouds put a gentle reassuring arm around me, as the balloon floated peacefully over the world below. This sense of calm and restfulness during the flight was truly magical. I felt the observational view really put a different perspective on the way I see the world we live in.
Five-spot Burnet Moth
The midday sun glowed in the sky and the light breeze patted me on my back as I climbed Cley Hill. The botanically rich mound is a naturists delight full of wild flowers, which act as high-rise flats to the swarm of insects that inhabit the hilltop.
The Circus, Bath – Magazine Cover
The Circus in Bath is one of the most celebrated examples of Georgian architecture in the city of Bath. The Grade I listed building was designed by the architect John Wood in 1754 and completed by his son in 1768.
Bath Fringe Festival
Bedlam Sunday – 1st June 2014
Celebrating street artists in Bath.
There is almost nothing better to photograph than theoretical street artists performing charismatic caricatures. The juxtapositions always provide unusual and intriguing narratives for the viewers.
Bailey’s Stardust
6 February – 1 June 2014 National Portrait Gallery
I visited the David Bailey’s Stardust exhibition in April and was intriguingly surprised by some of the work shown. No, it was not the iconic passport style portraits of “A” listed celebrities, which by the way I like. It was the inquisitive addition of a series of portraits taken on a smart phone.
Henri Cartier-Bresson: MOMA
Henri Cartier-Bresson: The Modern Century
I was fortunate enough to visit The Museum of Modern Art in 2010 and see the vast body of Henri Cartier-Bresson work on the sixth floor. The exhibition covered Cartier-Bressons whole career and included with many iconic images that I had seen before.
One Years Of Leica Photography
100 years of Leica photography, 100 years of captivating emotive images and 100 years of great photographers.
I have been inspired by so many photographers who have used Leica cameras, including Henri Cartier-Bresson, Elliott Erwitt, Robert Frank, Robert Capa and Tony Ray-Jones to just a few. For me a lot of these photographers have set the bench mark I aspire to.
The Specials – Brian Griffin
At the Format Festival this year I had the pleasure of meeting photographer Brian Griffin. We discussed his colourful career, which includes photographing many well-known characters ranging from Margaret Thatcher to Chewbacca from Star Wars.
Hidden Bath
I tried out a Fuji X-E1 camera with a 18-55mm lens, as I am looking for a credible alternative to my Canon 5D MkIII, for the days when it’s size and weight are not practical. My first impressions were good, the Fuji X-E1 is relatively intuitive and I was set up and ready to go in a couple of minutes.
Deutsche Börse Prize 2014
The Photographers Gallery is exhibiting the Deutsche Börse Photography Prize 2014 finalists. The standard of work is incredible high. The overall winter Richard Moss, produced very powerful, emotive and thought provoking work.
Introduction
I though I would start a page noting down some of my thoughts. This is normally called a blog however; the word does not create interest to me as it sounds like how a tortoise would move.
