So , we sat together and chatted and then Tim mentioned that they didn ’ t do a night class in Photoshop but why don ’ t you do the HND ? I told him “ I can ’ t because I work – I ’ m a professional Tree Surgeon ” and his reply was “ You can – It ’ s only 16 hours a week !” I ’ ll cut a long story short , I came and it was fantastic . As an artist , it ’ s always been there but I can ’ t paint and I can ’ t draw but I love colour so it was just for me then as soon as we entered the Dark Room that was it really .
3 ) Is it the Darkroom that interested you from the start ?
Well , I came to learn Photoshop but , as you know you ’ ve been through it you drop in with your pinhole camera on the first session and nothing gets rid of the magic of watching a photo develop . You could stare at one for 3 hours on Photoshop and see it progress but it ’ s not the same as seeing one magically appear and I still get that – I love my process .
4 ) Do you have an artistic background ?
I ’ ve got an Uncle that ’ s a serious painter but no , it ’ s not a family thing it ’ s always been a fascination with abstracts , shadows and colour I don ’ t need a defined image , however my family can look at me a bit daft .
5 ) Which Photographer inspired your art ?
The process that I use now probably Sally Mann , but for general imagery it ’ s Josef Sudek and Ralph Eugene Meatyard the unfocused image , where no defined context within it .
6 ) How much preparation do you put into taking a photograph ?
A lot thanks to the process you know , talking about the wet plate collodion process , so a single image will take me 15 minutes really , when its refined through an exhibition on site , you know the tin faces exhibition , but as long as my darkroom is set up , my mobile darkroom and I have some kind of background in mind it ’ s been mainly portraiture . One of the next projects will be a bit of landscape after I ’ ve done something with that tin of brass sitting on your desk .