I've heard it said that,
“everyone has at least one book inside them waiting to be told”, this could well be true. But this age-old adage could also apply to all good serious photographers, every photographer has at least one good photographic project within themselves. For me, photography is more than just an exercise in creativity; it's a never-ending process of learning and visual challenges. The Spanish painter and sculptor Joan Miro once said;
“You can look at a picture for a week and never think of it again. You can also look at a picture for a second and think of it all your life”.
Such a true statement. I have a collection of images that have stayed with me throughout the majority of my life, and one in particular which led me into the world of photography. I have been extraordinarily fortunate or lucky, to have sustained a career in a profession that I truly love. With fingers crossed, long may it continue.
For me, photographic projects are as vital to me as the work I do for my clients. My projects over the years have given me some important clues about the work I want to do and should be doing. Indeed personal photographic projects are crucial for my own understanding and establishing my particular point of view. In recognising our own standpoints, we can create stories that resonate and connect with people with similar interests, but also and just as importantly, with others outside of this perspective.
Educating through photography, capturing stories that would otherwise not be seen or told, informing and producing thought-provoking imagery, illuminating people's thought processes on topics and situations, understanding the universals of the human condition as well as its struggles. It becomes easier to relate to others with whom we may have no experience or knowledge with. This for me is one of the reasons I embarked on a career in photography, to tell stories and to see other lives, different to my own. My sense of curiosity is never-ending, regularly and annoyingly jumping into a new idea even before I've finished my current project. But by recognising where my interests lay, it's only then that I can provide content that's telling, informative, insightful and hopefully entertaining…. Oh hang on, I’ve just thought of another great idea...