April newsletter: Holidays, photography workshops and a new course and book

What I’ve been up to this month

We finally got to take our 2019 Easter holiday in Gran Canaria! It felt very strange to be travelling abroad again after so long. This was primarily a family holiday but I did have some time to make new images. I found myself drawn to creating some colourful but minimalist images that are not in my normal style.

I also went on an Image and Word workshop with Adrian Beasley and Paul Sanders. This was my first residential photography workshop. We were based on Northam Burrows: a country park in Devon. It was fascinating to see how a everyone in the group interpreted the landscape differently I ended up creating a handmade photobook titled Striations. It focuses on the patterns that I found in the stones on the shoreline. You can see a video of the book here.

I have also started Rob Knight’s sequencing course and will tell you more about this next month.

What I learned this month

This month I learned how to create a photography project quickly. I went from visiting a location to having a handmade book in just three days. Sometimes it is good to go with the flow and not over-think things.

I also learned that I don’t have to make a project out of everything. Recently, I have tended to think exclusively in terms of bodies of work. Being on holiday showed me that I can make images just for the fun of it. It doesn’t have to lead to everything bigger.

What are my plans for next month?

Next month I have two big projects underway. The first is a webinar of how to self-publish you own book. I have received a lot of questions about how I went about publishing 1Point4 Miles (there are just seven copies left, by the way). So I thought I would share my entire experience in detail, including all my learnings and advice. This will be a live webinar in June and I plan to make it very affordable for everyone. I have an outline of what I will be covering and I will be starting on some slides very soon.

My other project will be my next book. My Dead Flowers In Vases images have had a very positive reception so I thought it would be nice to share them. I am still planning how the book will look. I will release more details soon.

Where I have been featured this month

Donna Doyle wrote a very kind review of 1Point4 Miles on her Attention Is Holy blog. Read it here.

What I’ve been writing about this month

My April blog was all about the power of emotional photography and what your images say about you. You may be revealing more than you think in your images. Please do read the blog here. I have already shared it on social media and it seems to have struck a chord with many readers.

What books have caught my attention this month?

I love making handmade books. I really enjoyed reading Making Books from the London Centre for Book Arts. It is full of achievable projects with simple instructions.

What exhibitions have I seen this month?

On a recent visit to London I spent two and a half hours at the Sony World Photography Awards exhibition. There is an incredibly diverse range of work and I was really inspired. By the time you read this the exhibition will no longer be on display in London but it is going one tour. Find out more here. The catalogue is well worth acquiring too.

What I have been listening to this month

After swimming late at night on holiday I had to listen to Nightswimming by REM from their Automatic For The People Album. It maybe 30 years old but it stands up well to a lot of modern music.

Make sure you keep in touch!

I’d love to see image and projects that you are proud of. And do send me recommendations for reading, listening and more!