My Philosophy

For me photography is far more than just a picture taking exercise. Deep within me is a creative urge, and probably a frustrated artist too. I realised long ago that I do not have any real ability with a pencil or brush, and so I turn to my camera, and photography, to express my vision.

I love the whole process of photography; - the search on location to find the image, and the subsequent work to get the best viewpoint. The light I use, (it's amount and direction), is an integral part of successful picture making, and I try to ensure that it is appropriate to the image I'm capturing. Technical considerations are important too, hence most of the time I use a tripod to ensure sharpness, and to give me the freedom to use any aperture I like. I always strive to get the image right, at the taking stage. This is part of the craft of photography!

At home the images are subsequently processed from the RAW file, and localised selections and adjustments made to yield the best possible final image. I  often admire the creativity of the digital fiddlers who spend hours in front of a computer creating and assembling their imaginary images.  It is just not for me.  I like the purity, honesty, and integrity of location photography, the thrill of chancing upon the unexpected, and the discovery of an exciting shot in an initially unpromising place. 

Very few of the pictures I take are about luck, - they are worked for, they are sought out, and they are captured with as much care and consideration as I can muster.