February newsletter: it’s all happening!

I’ve been busy!

Not so much with making images but with making plans that, I hope, will allow me to spend more of my time around photography and creativity. My cards and prints are in another couple of outlets locally. More importantly, I am creating partnerships that allow me to teach creativity both to established photographers and people who want to learn. I have always enjoyed the training sessions I have run in my day job (I am a certified brain-friendly trainer). So it is wonderful to have some opportunities to carry this over to my creative life.

What I’ve been up to this month

This month I seem to have been mainly planning workshops! Here is a run-down of everything that I have planned:

The Vision: I am partnering with Rob Knight to deliver a five-week online course designed to push creative boundaries and create new inspiration for participant. It is particularly suited to people who want to challenge their image making. The Vision will be running 14th April to 19th May and 6th October to 10th November. More details here.

Commercialise your book project: I am partnering with Adrian Beasley on a half-day online course for people who have produced a Blurb photobook and would now like to produce a commercial version. The session will cover print specification, how to convert your Blurb files into print-ready files and key commercial considerations if you plan to sell a book. The first session is now sold out but there are still a few places for a session on morning of 3rd April. Also please let me know, if you would like a similar session on sending files from Affinity to a print company. More details and booking here.

How to take great pictures with your smartphone: I am planning some half-day and one-day smartphone photography workshops in the beautiful Wiltshire towns of Corsham and Bradford-on-Avon. These will include a session on practical smartphone photography tips, a guided photo walk and feedback on your images. The full day session will also include in depth tuition on how to edit images using Snapseed. Hit reply to this email if you would like to know more.

I have also still found time for some creativity. I have been making some more images around Bath. You can see one at the top of this article.

What I learned this month

My exploration in Bath showed me that inspiration can be found anywhere. I was saddened to see a post on social media recently where someone who lived on an island felt that they had nothing left to make photographs of. I spent a happy hour and a half making images of torn stickers on lamp posts and similar subjects. (See my social media for a few more images that I made on the walk.) One can make a project out of anything!

What are my plans for next month?

I would like to get MindGhosts to the printers this month. I am also working on a second part to this project.

Another experiment that I am trying is to write some words and then make images around the theme that I am writing about. This is a slightly longer-term project. I need to create a written piece that I am happy with, decide how the piece might work visually and then go and make some images.

What I’ve been writing about this month

My most recent piece was a light-hearted discussion about the similarities between photography and Masterchef. It provoked a lot of responses: thank you to everyone who replied. Perhaps I should write another article like this. Are there any other TV programmes that you think photography might be similar to?! You can read the article here. I’d love to hear your thoughts on it.

What have I been reading this month

I am deep into Ian McGuire’s The Abstainer. Although it doesn’t have quite the power of North Water (which I recommended in a previous newsletter), it has taken me to a place I didn’t know. And it has a gripping plt as well.

What have I listened to this month

I really enjoyed seeing Sea Power live again. They were touring their album Do You Like Rock Music? For its 15th anniversary. It has aged well. But on this tour I was struck by the breadth of the soundscape that they have created.

Make sure you keep in touch

You can follow me on Twitter, Instagram and Mastodon as well as Bluesky. Please also e-mail directly: I really appreciate receiving personal e-mails from you. Please share images and projects send me recommendations for reading, listening, exhibitions, blog articles and more!

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