About Me

I graduated in June 2007 with first class honours from the Birmingham Institute of Art, after studying photography at A-level at Coundon Court School, then moving on to a HND in photography at Solihull College. During this time my work has received many awards, including the Elizabeth Arrowsmith Award for the Arts from Solihull College (2005), a Rhubarb-Rhubarb Photography Festival bursary (2006), George Jackson travel bursary from the Birmingham Institute of Art (2007), a Fuji Film Merit (2007) and in 2006 I was also the winner of the Shots/Corbis Student Photographer Award.

I have worked for the past 5 years in various photographic jobs, from lab processing, commercial portraits and assisting various photographers which have all given a strong grounding to my personal fine art documentary work. I currently work in a contemporary art gallery which supports and inspires my personal work.

I also teach part-time on the HND Photography course I graduated from at Solihull College.

I have experimented with many different styles and methods of photography throughout my education, to arrive at my current practice which in 2007 involves using a large-format field camera and slide film. I enjoy using these traditional techniques and long exposures which lend themselves to a slower, more meditative process of working. I recently discovered that my great-great granddad at the turn of the century was working in the landscape with similar techniques, which makes me feel that my affinity with this process comes from an unconscious place.

I discovered my fascination with photography as a child and began photographing in my parents fields and the surrounding countryside of Corley, an area that I revisited for my major degree project, ‘Alternative Suns’. I believe my photography is linked to this formative stage of my childhood. I grew up being very aware of the conflict between urban and rural areas. The process of creating ‘Alternative Suns’ has sparked off a massive area of inspiration which has lead to an understanding of my current practice, which fundamentally involves documenting the way in which humans change the landscape. I am fascinated by the way in which the landscape changes and adapts to human habitation and this is something that I am continuing to explore with my present project, to be completed in 2008.