Impulsion
To know ahead of time what you're looking to photograph risks only photographing your own preconceptions, which is very limiting. Impulsion is a distinct gallery where those pictures that caught my eye - and just photographed 'that to which I instinctively responded', are displayed. I like to think that they're proof that some exposures shape themselves.
AUTUMN - 10.2008
Autumn colours become the thing of dreams and memories. Swathes of woodland dressed in autumn colours are the usual image we have. In contrast to convention how effortless this single tree conforms to seasonal demands. Its isolation seems a privilege, or is it not alone the cropping deceiving the spectators?
WOOD STANWAY, GLOUCESTERSHIRE - 05.2009
At Lower Coscombe to Stumps Cross the hill climbs steeply. A rider gathers a reticent horse, returning downhill with the animal resisting progress. It's 10.22 on a cloudy Bank Holiday and rain looks promising, and I capture the moment. Then drink coffee carried in my pack and continue my walk.
FROZEN CONTOURS - 02.2009
The sun shone brightly on a cold February morning. An impetuous walk along a swollen river Avon, Worcestershire provided an opportunity to experience crisp, chilly air and listen to geese far across the flooded fields. Puddles lay between tractor tracks their frozen surfaces shining in the sunlight, and occasional footsteps pierced nature's glass the sound of cracking breaking winter's silence.
PILADE OUT - 02.2009
Discovering these stacked plastic horticultural trays some marked with ownership seemed to mimic human life and frailties, architectural calamities, and economic recession. A disused, dilapidated, overgrown wasteland resembling an abandoned city neigbourhood. Once functional and useful, now unused and discarded. Scrapped, dumped in this disposable age. Tomorrow's another day. 
RIVERSIDE GRAVEYARD - 02.2009
The ravages of time always seem to bring out the melancholy in me. Once the pride of the farm, but now a gutted, rusting old workhorse this tractor is no longer loved and admired. 
BERKELEY FAMILY BIBLE - BERKELEY CASTLE - 10.2008
My eyes were drawn to the tied bow round the bible of the Berkely family. The castle, an ancient fortress home has been lived in by the same family for over 900 years and its rich heritage is part of English history. Displayed in the 'Morning Room', once a chapel, it is probably rarely photographed amongst a host of other antiquities and architectural curiosities.
WHITE STOCKINGS - 11.2008
A pastiche of a Jack Vettriano print was the idea I had while photographing a 1940's fashion shoot at Stanway House, Gloucestershire in the autumn of 2008. Between sessions with two pairs of models, I managed to capture the ideal pose with one of the models. The prominence of leg, stockings and shoes is the essential point. The anonymous, cropped face creates a voyeuristic feel, the spectator's eye travels round the entire picture seeking some evidence of the figure, but she remains an unknown woman.
ENVELOPE OF HOT AIR FLOATING OVER WORCESTERSHIRE - 05.2009
My work done I stand hands on hips looking at the hill. Children in a field pull kites behing them, running as if point-to-pointing. When the the roar of rushing gas sounds above us the kites fall to the ground, colourful shattering bundles like shot pheasants. Their chargers stand peering skyward. Smiles erupt on little faces at the large balloon almost hovering above them. They shout. They wave. Another burst of flame. Two passengers wave from the basket. The children shout, "Hello". It floats slowly away, to land a few fields away.
CUCUMIS MELO - 06.2009
Planetary bodies are spectacular to view when it's accepted that to capture the image some pretty serious kit has to be employed. So it was with delight that I announced to a group of friends that I had achieved a result by photographing one of Jupiter's satellites, Galia with a telescope owned by a local college. All but two friends believed me...
WOODCHESTER SNAX - 06.2009
The realisation that all roads don't always lead to Rome leapt into my head when I formulated a reportage project: A46 Roadside Cafes. This arterial road is donkey's years old, some, if not most, must date to the Romans anyway. Until I'd studied a road atlas did I know it's route and destinations. Amazingly it runs between Bath and Grimsby. One town clearly established by the Ancient Romans, the other a fishing port. Paul and Sharron Holt are owners of the Woodchester Snax cafe in a glorious wood covered layby, twenty miles north of Bath. It is in fact the last southernmost layby eaterie on the A46. Paul and Sharron are a great couple and have owned the business for fifteen years. Highly recommended!
EFFERVESCENCE - 08.2009
Effervescence, what a great word. When I reached for a can of dry ginger I never gave the word a thought. It was only after the tab was pulled and the gas escaped did I see the boiling up of the liquid; the hiss and froth bubbling into the light from the depths of the can. For a second or more the lively, vivacious release seemed to generate vivid images. A face appeared in the bubbly fizzle. Yes it was there, prying eyes gazing up at me. Or was it my imagination?
MOVING TARGET - 08.2009
The sun shone. People, families and children filled the park. A glorious colourful fun fair had been set up but no one had ventured into its attractions. Ghostlike it dominated one corner of the expanse of grass. Other activities occupied everyone's attention and the prospect of new sport seemed inevitable.
BUT IT'S ONLY A MILK BOTTLE ... - 12.2009
Funny isn't it. You go to the fridge yank out a litre bottle of milk (plastic naturally), use, and consign what's become today a cheap food, to its place in the door shelf. Do any of us consider the carbon footprint and the effect on global warming - no. Well I'm not going to either. I think we're all getting a little too much carbon-lunacy thrust at us. What I did the other day was to finish the contents and proceeded to pulverise the container. Twisting it like a piece of old rag it fell from my grasp landing on the floor at my feet. Instantly I grabbed my camera and 'click' it was recorded. It has now become a celeb, because after uploading it to my favourite photographic stock site it has been used over and over again, bought as a print, and now saved by a mad collector in the US. It only goes to show anything, especially the things you never think of, can become an iconic image - and you'll never understand why... 
HIDDEN ROMAN MOSAIC - WINCHCOMBE, GLOUCESTERSHIRE, ENGLAND. - 01/2010
We decided to walk the Cotswold hills around Winchcombe on the gloriously sunny, cold new year day 1st of January 2010. A hard frost covered the ground and trees, demanding further investigation; we donned our boots and winter gear and set out. Our walk aimed at finding the Roman villa in Spoonley Wood and our objective was reached after a rest alongside a stream to drink hot coffee. Under a simple cover we exposed a magnificent mosaic, dirty from years of neglect yet still retaining its magnificent quality and beauty. The villa remains are the largest in the neighbourhood. It's one that ranks among the most important Roman houses in England; its large granary measures 54x34 feet and is constructed like a church with naves and aisles, called a 'courtyard villa' it was probably built in the 2nd century and continued to the 4th century; Spoonley Wood villa is often cited as the classic example of this type of building as it was the first to be discovered, being excavated in the late-1880's. Mentioned in Bill Bryson’s Notes From a Small Island. “On a hill above Winchcombe, you see, there is a little-visited site so singular and wonderful that I hesitate even to mention it.” Hesitatingly however, I do commend the site for a visit.
WAYPOST FOR TRAVELLERS - 01/2010
The Teddington Hands signpost, dated 1676 which stands by the side of the main Cheltenham to Evesham road, A435 near the Teddington Hands roundabout is close to the Tibblestone monolith, a stone column dating from the prehistoric times. The juxtaposition of both cannot be a coincidence. Man, ancient, past and present have used this route for milleniar and I guess will do so for many more.
ROSIE LEE - 02/2010
The wonderful reflective properties of stainless steel has captured the moment when a lady and tea are to become united. I'm amused by Cockney rhyming slang hence the title, 'Rosie Lee'. In this vein you may not Adam and Eve it when your Mince Pies don't see how the photograph was taken. There she is, her Boat Race facing the teapot, hand outstretched, but Butcher's Hook again and I dare say you'll not see a camera. 
SHAMELESS WASTE - 03/2010
Today's habitual and anti-social process of dropping litter has serious result on the environment. In my opinion most people are not doing enough to halt the continuing habit to just discard rubbish not in a bin but just where they stand. This threepence deposit-worth bottle top did little to influence the owner to return the bottle and top way back in about 1970 or earlier. The inducement from manufacturers stopped hastened no doubt from nobody interested in a perfectly worthy process - we're all paying for it now.
NO PARKING - 04/2010
I came across this scene once I'd turned a corner. If I'd been a traffic warden the urge to slap a ticket on the vehicle would have been too great to ignore. Clearly the vehicle's driver was taking a rest. The passenger was ungoing some personal difficulties herself, a deal of trouble with communicating exactly what she wanted; making not an impression upon the driver whatsoever. His praying stance was, I guess his link to his god in case a warden did emerge. Would it have made a difference? I abandoned the thought to stay.
TUTELAGE - 04/2010
True guardianship can be seen in Venice. Magnificent buildings, artifacts and art, language and culture merge to unite into a glorious amalgamation of colour and sounds: a city unique by its position, aquatic reliance and timbre. I can never tire of its vibrancy and sparkling enthusiasm for life. The population adore their heritage and protect the city's fabric in an Italian way. My wife and I return regularly in April when the massive crowds have yet to arrive to see old aquaintenances, eat at Harry's Bar (a must) and soak up the Venitian delights; photographically its elegance, grandeur and the shabby-chicness belies all posibilities of artistic interpretation so I never attempt to do anything more than reportage. 
FORBIDDEN - 06/2010
A visit to Stonehenge two days after the summer solstice was interesting not because the place had visitors from around the world, but it signifies the authority's (English Heritage) view on the separation of the public from the stones that form the site's attraction. EH must believe they are quite in order to marshal all visitors to within a mere 80 metres of the prehistoric sarsen stones. How some younger people would have benefitted from running between the exceptional monument. I'm old enough to have experienced as a late teenager the heady 1960's. Together with friends we arrived at Stonehenge in 1965 and were able to wander amongst the structure hugging stones and without another living soul in sight. It was no more difficult as it is to walk to Belus Knap and enjoy its essence alone and silently. Progress is not always for the better... Let's face it Stonehenge has suffered much more from past generations than the current band of admirers who aren't exactly going to demolish the place. C'mon English Heritage lighten up. Thanks be to God you don't manage all the British cathedrals.
LOVELY HAT - 08/2010
Early in the morning after a evening full of events and a magnificent Edinburgh Tattoo had played its way out of the Esplanade for one more time, I walked up the Royal Mile, hub of the Fringe shows marketing, eerily silent at 8 am and spied an improvement to the street's statue of Scottish philosopher, David Hume. He was sporting a jaunty yellow traffic cone. Within minutes the police had arrived and removed it; those boys in blue north of the border certainly move fast. And silently as well...
NOT THE STREET IT ONCE WAS - 08/2010
I came across this road while searching for quite another one completely and just couldn't believe how this once long street had been a smart, distinguished suburb. The Victorians established its fine small terraced villas and the neighbourhood had a fine large church a few yards away. Today it's been sliced away. Behind the wall is a factory-looking building. What it houses I've no idea for the road was gobbled up to build a school - the 'factory' is probably the gymnasium or something similar. On this occasion the sky's colour is expressive, the light diminishing and the picture appears like a bizzarre stage backdrop - very unreal.
SMALLEST HOUSE IN BRITAIN - 09/2010
What is it about miniature things that makes folk interested and even obsessed. In some cases reducing the size of products is a logical process. The transistor I guess started the modern world's view on the usefulness of objects that were small and easily transported and their lowering manufacturing cost. One without the other. It also appears interesting that say the crucifiction scene can be modelled upon a pin head. Or that nanotechnology can create a mechanical device that can be swallowed by a patient and it completes an appendectomy emerging seventy two hours later via the rectum. I know I lied about that one, nevertheless some pretty remarkable things do exist. Curious then that some people consider other outstanding achievements of the undersized should warrant celebration. In fact certain object should never be considered for miniaturisation; the very idea of say, a telescope the size of a match or a football pitch that was perfect and fitted neatly on your dining table would cause problems not least how a 100,000 crowd could enjoy the game...? Image then a small house - why? My photograph comes ready for digitai manipulation like Google maps. Makes sense really.
BEYOND - 09/2010
This image was the result of serendipity, an unusual phenomenon where chance and opportunity meet. The original image was in fact a test frame that confirmed camera settings for future harsh monochrome photographs and where Erica was delighted to model. By chance a spectator viewed the picture and suggested manipulations to enhance it. If successful the opportunity for it to be displayed on an influential site was too much to ignore. The resulting photograph is quite a surreal image with implications of sinister overtones [it's been suggested] of deviantionism. Make of it what you wish. But to generous minded people it's a severe handling of a simple moment, but with any artwork interpretation sometimes introduces other thoughts. That's why I love photography. 
LINCOLN CATHEDRAL - 10/2010
My journey to Lincoln was not so much a pilgrimage more a visit to immerge myself in the wonderful architecture, craftsmanship and art that fill the building. It cannot go unnoticed that the cathedral is a magnificent structure rich in wonderful coloured stone and superb design. The visitors around me were busy observing every minutia while I observed them. I admired two elderly women sitting comfortably within the south east transept, its windows bright blue against the dim light. They whispered together. Was their conversation about their lives, husbands and children; many years perhaps as widows, partners long departed after early lives separated by war-torn Europe. They had walked to their seats from a large Services' Chapel covering the three services each separate alter bearing wreaths and messages to fallen troops past and sadly very current. The ladies formed a fitting scene and the picture captures a quiet moment of reflection. Someone recently commented on my obsession with 'people watching' saying it was not fitting, but I consider it's necessary to do it because at those moments I can take a small step into another territory and my photographs offer spectators a moment to share as well. 
SAY CHEESE - 11/2010
I love blue cheese and stilton in particular. I adore its flavour with matzos in particular; a blend of subtle tastes worthy of replicating time after time. Sometimes (always in fact) I'll wash it down with a good red wine, but that's my penchant; a lively Rioja or fruity Burgundy. Imagine my surprise when unwrapping a wedge of beautiful stilton bought at a wonderfully successful supermarket the other day, and the image of a panda (of all animals) was clearly depicted in the gorgeous blue veining. Reports of pictures of Jesus Christ burnt onto slices of toast are renown as is crop circles of our Lord. This bamboo shoot eating Asian bear is yet another example of life's strange occurances. Not one of moulded bronze or resin, but a true case of mouldy artwork. Some things have to be believed to be seen... 
SAINT-PIERRE - 11/2010
Corks in wine bottles are fast disappearing in favour of plastic or screw-top and even cartons. What's the world coming to? An easy answer, the paradox is clear. The thinking today is recycling is better than consuming natural resources. It's pretty controversal, but as far as I'm concerned a more manageable and progressive system can do both; improve recycling and sustain natural cultivation of cork maintaining employment, aiding economy growth and develop efficient national growth. It troubles me when industrialists and politicians gather together to wipe out traditional processes and promote a green future on the basis of better value for money yet ignore all issues in the policy to sell it to the electorate. Carbon footprint - what phooey! Why don't they realise the electorate is not stupid. At least the wine sold weekly in the UK, as long as it's over at least five pounds is providing wholesome, wine (not increased UK duty) tasty and a good buy when linked with supermarket discount policies. I just love a good Rioja, Chianti or a Burgundy'.
TRAFALGAR CEMETARY - GIBRALTER - 01/2011
Visiting Gibralter in the New Year was a wonderful escape from freezing British weather; an interval of warm sun on our backs providing pleasant thoughts and even smiles. The British dependency is steeped in history none so overwhelming as immediately after 21st October 1805. Horatio Nelson was dead and victory pronounced loudly. Casualties from the British fleet were taken to Gibralter where many died from their wounds. Near the Southport Gate is the Trafalgar Cemetary which bears witness not only to the courage of sailors and marines who died in battle, but also to the harshness of life in the past. As time marches on and generations come and go it is all to easy to overlook the fact that this rocky promontory has been a strategic military location. In today's rapid global, intercontinental age it's rate of change is as swift as ever. Not for military advantage though, but relaxed holidaymakers. Ship repairing noise and clatter exchanged for hissing coffee machines and whizzy motor scooters. Old naval dockyards replaced with pretty marinas, vacational apartments scatttered round pleasant courtyards; their residents jogging in groups running off last night's dinner.
ISLES OF SCILLY - 04/2011
The Garrison gate above Hugh Town, St Mary's is a bastion built around 1742 to protect the island. Today its structure dominates the promontory west of the town. The view through the open gate of the old quay and town beach captures the beauty and peaceful nature of the location. Photographed in April before the main tourist season begins gave us the freshness of the friendly island residents. A place destined to be visited again by us.
CAN'T SHOOT THE PIANO PLAYER - 05/2011
This pistol barrel heeled shoe with ammunition belt round the platform sole became the focus for a shot just because it was so spectacular. I've always thought ladies high heeled shoes are sculptural master-pieces, each having structural form and colour to rival the best artwork; and they're practical as well. To watch the model teetering with each step may not uphold this too well, but in all model shoots it is the shoes that command specific attention. Get it wrong and the whole ensemble fails - get it right and all is glorious. On one occasion this proved the case, the model was nude except for wonderful six inch scarlet heels. You simply cannot deprive a lady from her shoes and these pistol-packing beauties are right on target.
I LOVE HIM BUT... - 07/2011
