A Passion For Photography
Finally...
It's taken me way too long to get here. To spend my time and passion creating images that I love and that hopefully other people might appreciate too.
We change as individuals; I couldn't envisage myself doing this just a few years ago but here we are.
The images I now create weren't a long term passion but a slowly evolving view of art.
Probably in a few more years I'll have moved to something slightly different but for now this is me.
I like the works of Saul Leiter and Mark Rothko and love the challenge of combining these two icons way of seeing the world into a canvas where the pieces are provided by the streets of towns and cities. I'm not a huge fan of capturing people or "moments" or the emotions of a riot like many famous photographers have done so well.
Mine is more about creating something unseen, it's there but no one sees it in normal life; this is Saul Leiter but combined with the abstraction that is Mark Rothko.
My aim is to create images that someone would hang on a wall simply because they like it.
Not because of a story or a moment; just because they like it.
WHY LEICA?
I started photographing weddings professionally in 2014 using my existing Nikon gear. I explored other brands always looking for the "best" cameras and lenses to ensure I provided a great service to my clients; I used Sony and Fuji in addition to Nikon. I "upgraded" to mirrorless cameras when they became available. Whilst I don't think I chased every new piece of equipment I certainly kept very up to date.
And then in 2023 I finally felt I was "good enough" to explore Leica.
I got a Leica M9 and a 50mm lens.
Hmm...
I guess challenging is the best way to describe it. Some days I loved it but others I felt the totally manual aspects slowed me down to a point where it got in the way of what I was trying to photograph. Yet I did enjoy it's uniqueness and superb quality images.
But the problem was always me - my experience as a wedding photographer meant being able to instantly capture a "moment". What was required was for me to slow down, think, see and create; eventually the Leica mad me do this like no other camera has ever done. I changed from the M9 to a nearly new M10; I added lenses and practiced whenever I had a spare couple of hours.
Quickly my style began to emerge - a melange of Saul Leiter and Mark Rothko; abstract created from street scenes.
Now the Leica M10 is my favourite camera I use outside weddings - although I must mention that I also adore the old Nikon Df which I'll cover elsewhere.
Nikon Df image - Sleepers in the grass