Some of my favourites from a few days spent at the wonderful St. Mary's High School in Gerrards Cross. I used to be one of these pupils many moons ago, so it felt quite special to be able to go back as a fully fledged adult and photograph for them. 30 years on a few things had changed, but I still had flashbacks of running down the corridors and playing in the playing fields. Needless to say it felt like the school had shrunk, but I'm guessing I just got bigger...
Read MoreFitness is a simple pleasure
For most of us, movement is a simple pleasure. We may have been targeted by sports marketing and the commercialisation of fitness, but contrary to their sales pitch, staying fit and healthy doesn’t need to cost. It’s only our self belief that can get in the way.
Sport has become one of my biggest pleasures in life. It has brought me friendship, appreciation, inspiration and physical and emotional strength. So working with Haringey Council on this project to help improve health and wellbeing in one of the poorest boroughs in the country, was a real privilege.
I spent a couple of days wandering round Haringey, exploring local cheap or free ways to keep fit and healthy. It was heartening to see how much is going on behind the scenes and how many lives have been changed through simple shifts in lifestyle.
My favourite moment was meeting and watching two homeless men use the free outdoor park gym whilst putting the world to rights. Sport has a very special ability to level and connect people.
“Do not let what you can not do interfere with what you can do.”
– John Wooden
The chaos of darkness...
As part of a campaign for the service Nightstop by De Paul, this series of images explores darkness, fears and vulnerabilities from the perspective of a homeless girl.
Read MoreFreedom of expression
A whirlwind of energy, positivity, colour and personality. This is freedom of expression in every sense of the word. It was incredible to be a part of such a positive, powerful force for change and acceptance.
Thank you Matt as ever, and the Naz & Matt Foundation for taking me along… I hope this documentation will help to showcase your ultimate aim... the freedom to be yourself.
Read MoreBringing back personality
Inherently, people want to work with people they like.
Yet ironically, we’re increasingly doing business online and hiding behind our computer screens. So personality and transparency online is as important as ever.
Thankfully, we’ve moved on from the staid, dull company head shots and are increasingly using the ‘about us’ pages to display photos that allow the company personalities to shine through. Your photographs should entice potential clients to get in touch, if they don't then you're missing a big trick!
All companies have a brand personality. I think it’s important to balance this with an honest reflection of the individual personalities who make up that company.
Here's a little selection of my favourites from the past few months, to inspire you. Each is very different to the next - some may resonate with you and your brand and some may not, but each is an honest reflection of the individual personality and their values.
Read MoreIt's all in the eyes... Photographing Paul McKenna
I can't claim to have been hypnotised, but I was mesmerised by Paul's charm and energy. A great guy and a pleasure to photograph...
Read MoreRediscovering the emotion of film photography
I've just been reminded of that wonderful emotion you can get from film photography when I picked up my holiday photos, and may have shed a little tear! I recently treated myself to a Leica M2 and trialed my new toy on holiday in New Zealand with my sister.
It's an emotion we've all sadly lost since the onset of digital. It's the excitement of reliving your holiday when you're back in the throws of reality, the apprehension of whether they've come out okay and, when you see them for the first time, it's the memories and emotion of the holiday that comes flooding back. For me, it's also that little bit of magic that film (especially Leica film!) manages to create… a subtlety that digital just can't seem to process.
I also took a Canon G12 with me, in case, god forbid, I'd put the films in wrong or managed to lose them en route home. I'm pleased with the photos I took - I had time to retake and perfect each photo, to manicure each one in photoshop afterwards and to create some beautiful photos that I've plastered on Facebook to show the world what an amazing trip we had. But by the time I got home I was bored of them. My impatience had got the better of me, and I'd looked at them so many times during the holiday that any emotional attachment to them had gone.
My film photos are entirely different.
I took the film photos for me. Not to post on Facebook, not to show people how amazing our holiday was. But to remember a journey of a lifetime and the little moments that were special to me.
The Leica M2 has no light meter. So I have to compose the shot, measure the available light with my (1950's) external light meter, then set the settings on the camera to match, and maybe adjust it by a stop or two to add drama or to make sure there's no overexposure. By this stage my sister's found the whole process very amusing, has been distracted by something different and got bored of posing. But that's the beauty of it. I've captured an unassuming, natural moment. The whole process allows you the time to think about what your capturing and take photos with meaning, not just a snapshot.
There's one photo which made me cry and summed up so much about my holiday to me… so many good times all rolled into a photo. It's a personal photo that won't hold much to anyone else, but if you look at it enough you might be able to appreciate the magic of film and some of those emotions and good times… And maybe it'll inspire you to think a little more about the pics you take and maybe even to take a roll of film with you on your next holiday!
Space and simplicity.
It's not often that I take to a studio. But it's good to break from tradition every so often, so to spend a couple of hours with the fantastic photographer Robert Taylor, in a London studio was a real pleasure. I photographed him, he photographed me.
For me a portrait becomes interesting when there's a story to read into. For that reason I tend to photograph in natural environments, using natural light. In contrast, a studio offers you a blank canvas and allows you to create your own story. Space and simplicity can be beautiful and allows the character to shine through. Robert you were a breath of fresh air to work with... great fun, insightful and intelligent. Look forward to working with you more in the future :-).
It was tough to narrow down, but here's my favourites...
Read MoreFarm life...
Not just any farm life... this remarkable family have built their organic farm from scratch. Their journey started in a little shack, on the land they bought to develop their dream. Gradually over the years, they've expanded to produce more and more products, that feed a growing market for organic food in Colombia. A very special and inspiring day being taught the value of chemical free foods and the power of determination and having a dream! Thanks again to the team at More Local (see post below for more details on More Local).
Read MoreRemove the tourist goggles...
It's very easy to travel through a country with tourist goggles on and not really see the country at all. Unfortunately, the most publicised hostels and travel companies in Colombia are often foreign owned (they're savvier about marketing and PR), and you can easily stick within the comfort of your own language, people and culture if you really want to.
Refreshingly though, there are a few enterprising Colombians trying to encourage tourists to understand the country through the eyes of the locals, and fund the Colombian communities at the same time.
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