I live in the north of England with my partner and our two dogs/tiny furry benevolent but dictatorial overlords*.
When I have to talk about the things I love, it’s hard not to wax lyrical to a degree verging on the obsessive about photography. I love getting to know people and hearing all their stories. I love documenting memories for people to pass their stories down to their loved ones decades from now. I don’t always have the words but I can always put it into pictures and as such I will usually have at least one camera in my hand at any given time.
Outside of photography I currently love:
T.V & Film:
I love shows like Ted Lasso (Im a massive Brené Brown fan) as well as Schitt's Creek and The Good Place. I LOVE both vintage movies and the work of Wes Anderson. In both cases I love the way the movies are almost framed and staged like theater productions, the dreamy vibes, the beautiful soundtracks, the deadpan humour and obviously in Wes's case, the glorious and meticulous symmetry and whimsicality.
YUM.
Music:
There’s nothing I won’t dance to, I always get a second wind as soon as a band starts to play during wedding receptions and you’ll always find me right in the thick of the dance floor at your wedding. My Spotify is full of T Swizzle (say what you want that show is a SPECTACLE and I’m having a moment), mixed in with Laura Marling and a selection of 90’s pop rock bangers at the moment. Because music is so emotive and transports us straight into other memories and feelings, I like to shoot with music wherever possible. Before we shoot together I'll ask y0u for some playlist requests so that we can really set the scene.
Podcasts:
I’m no history ‘buff’ but most of my favourite podcasts are history based at the moment, see Hist-Off and You’re Dead To Me. That and Off Menu, Like Minded Friends & anything of Joe Lycett’s I can find on Audible
Misc:
- I'm a nicer person after a coffee
- World's ok-est skater. My friend and I tried to recreate Torville and Dean's Bolero performance on quads in lockdown. They say we might get sued for copyright because we were IDENTICAL to Torville & Dean. My friend is not famous for telling the truth, but this is still the pinacle of my sporting achievement.
- If you put the milk in tea first, you're an animal.
My Work & My Approach
I love the work of Wes Anderson, photographing connection and most of all, colour. When he was still here G, (my Grandad) spent a lot of time going through old photo albums with me featuring his life during the war and then coming home to start a family. I can't tell you how special it is to me now. I feel so lucky to be able to get to know him and my Granny as people in their own right, before they just so happened to be my G-Units. I implore you, document it all, (or even better get me to do it) print them out and pass them down.
I am deeply sentimental, savoring the 'moments in between' and the little things that tether us to moments, to feelings, to people, to a time. I think this is why I adore storytelling through photographs so much.
I was raised on Morecambe and Wise, it left me with the profound belief that humour and silliness are essential for a life well lived. I also think thats a pretty great rule of thumb for a great set of photos. Our best, most authentic, true selves are on show when we're just enjoying ourselves. Very few people enjoy being told to stand still and do a nice smile. I know there will be people in your family that will want images of you like this and we can do the obligatory 'Facebook profile shot' if you like. But thats as much standing there saying 'cheese' as I'll ever ask you to do. It's my aim to make sure that what we create together are genuine 'moments' and memories to be cherished and passed down.
As seen in
*they’re a miniature schnauzer and a miniature dachshund, but with like, STRONG big dog energy…