BIOGRAPHY
My fascination with landscape photography grew alongside another passion which began back in 1950 when at the age of six I walked the "Lairig Gartain" with my father, ever since then I have spent most of my free time walking the hills of Scotland and Northern England.
My first camera was acquired nearly twenty years later, however it wasn't until much later that I realised the only way to convey my feelings for those moody landscapes was to print my own work, and so began a learning curve which continues to this day. My philosophy on learning the many varied techniques available to the darkroom printer has always been to first identifying the methods needed to suit the moody and dramatic style I hope to acheive, then learn by trial and error.
That perseverance was soon rewarded with acceptances and awards in Photographic salons around the world, an Associateship of the Royal Photographic Society (ARPS) was followed by a Distinction of the Photographic Society of Great Britain (DPAGB). Portfolio's and single images, covers and centre page spreads have been published in many magazines including:- "Amateur Photograpger", "Photo Technique", "Practical Photography", "Black & White Photography" and "Outdoor Photography".
1996 was a good year for me being awarded the coveted title "Ilford Black & White Printer of the Year" to complement the Ballantines International Award I had won earlier.
2001 another successful year starting with my first solo exhibition "Back of the North Wind" at Folly's Gallery in Lancaster and ending with an invitation from Terry Hope to provide work for a new book. Along with well known photographers like John Claridge, Simon Norfolk and John Swannell I contributed work and technique for Terry's "Landscapes developing style in creative photography" which was published the next year by Rotovision. One unusual result of this was being asked by a French theatrical company if they could purchase one of the images for use as a backdrop to a play opening in Paris.
A highlight of the following year was receiving the Gold Medal from "Best of Friends, a collection of images by members of "Friends of Creative Monochrome".
My learning curve has since been extended to Digital Printing, the trials and tribulations of this journey appeared as a three part series in "Black & White Photography", a magazine I have also contributed to as a victim of their "Printers Art series.
My first camera was acquired nearly twenty years later, however it wasn't until much later that I realised the only way to convey my feelings for those moody landscapes was to print my own work, and so began a learning curve which continues to this day. My philosophy on learning the many varied techniques available to the darkroom printer has always been to first identifying the methods needed to suit the moody and dramatic style I hope to acheive, then learn by trial and error.
That perseverance was soon rewarded with acceptances and awards in Photographic salons around the world, an Associateship of the Royal Photographic Society (ARPS) was followed by a Distinction of the Photographic Society of Great Britain (DPAGB). Portfolio's and single images, covers and centre page spreads have been published in many magazines including:- "Amateur Photograpger", "Photo Technique", "Practical Photography", "Black & White Photography" and "Outdoor Photography".
1996 was a good year for me being awarded the coveted title "Ilford Black & White Printer of the Year" to complement the Ballantines International Award I had won earlier.
2001 another successful year starting with my first solo exhibition "Back of the North Wind" at Folly's Gallery in Lancaster and ending with an invitation from Terry Hope to provide work for a new book. Along with well known photographers like John Claridge, Simon Norfolk and John Swannell I contributed work and technique for Terry's "Landscapes developing style in creative photography" which was published the next year by Rotovision. One unusual result of this was being asked by a French theatrical company if they could purchase one of the images for use as a backdrop to a play opening in Paris.
A highlight of the following year was receiving the Gold Medal from "Best of Friends, a collection of images by members of "Friends of Creative Monochrome".
My learning curve has since been extended to Digital Printing, the trials and tribulations of this journey appeared as a three part series in "Black & White Photography", a magazine I have also contributed to as a victim of their "Printers Art series.