A keen photographer, camera collector, classic car enthusiast and award winning web designer.
I am proud to have been born in Liverpool. My early years were spent in the Wirral peninsular, first New Brighton, then Moreton, then Heswall where I lived for 15 years. Then I moved to Ruthin in North Wales. After I left home, I lived in Chirk, before moving to Leicestershire. I then moved back to Ruthin, finally moving to Chester in 1987.
I have always had an interest in photography thanks to my father who, like many of his generation, could only afford to use photography to record family life by doing his own processing (in the Bathroom). I joined Heswall Photographic Society, only shortly after its founding, and started doing my own developing and printing.
I was accepted for a course in photography at the famous Regent St. Polytechnic School of Photography in London, but was persuaded to take a safer job in industry where I did a sponsored sandwich course in Business Studies. After working as an Industrial/Work Study Engineer I joined the family business as Production Manager and later Managing Director. During this time I created a website (now defunct) which won me ‘Craft Site Of The Year 2001’. I also did a course in website design at the Open University (where I had previously done a BA Hons degree in Psychology). When this business was eventually sold, I became an Accountant, where I worked first in Recruitment and later in Automotive. I am now retired.
In the 1970’s I spent some time with relatives in Paris where I roamed the streets with my camera, building a unique collection of “street” photographs, a genre I am still enthusiastic about. After organizing Heswall’s first annual exhibition I became their President in 1971/2. In 1973 I left, giving up serious photography altogether. However after my first marriage broke up in the early 1980’s I joined Rhyl Photographic Society. In 1987 I remarried and moved to Chester. After a few years of living in Chester I was persuaded to join Chester Photographic Society. At first I just enjoyed the lectures but when we acquired a personal computer and a colour printer I was again able to pursue my hobby. I organised the Chester PS programme for 13 years until April 2019. During my tenure I booked many well-known photographers. After a couple of years outside the committee I have agreed to be the Treasurer in the 2021/22 season, after being the club’s auditor for many years.
Like many amateur photographers I really feel that my work has flourished since I acquired a digital camera back in 2001, thanks to the freedom to experiment and the immediacy of the results (not forgetting the saving of film costs). I love roaming the streets of Chester (or any other urban environment) and taking “street” photographs. A project I loved doing was photographing the well-known artist Edward Povey in his studio in Bangor. I am also interested in classic cars and currently own a 1970 Triumph GT6 which I have just restored again after 40 years of ownership. Naturally I enjoy visiting car shows to take pictures!. Another interest is in Architecture, I was a member of the 20th Century Society. I am also a member of the Royal Photographic Society and my Associateship panel used a series of images I took of the forgotten buildings of Chester’s ill fated “Northgate Project”. I have had pictures exhibited several times at the Open Art Exhibition in the Grosvenor Museum, Chester.
I have recently added a page listing the main cameras I have used over the years. My current cameras are a Sony A7iii camera (which I acquired with contributions from family and friends on the occasion of my 70th Birthday), my late father’s Nikon D700 (as I have inherited some good Nikkor lenses) and my much used iPhone! The latest of these incredible smartphones use a very clever system when the light is poor or non-existent – they take several images in quick succession over a couple of seconds, discard the blurred ones and combine the rest into a relatively low noise image.
I also have an extensive collection of old and not quite so old cameras (see separate page) and I am a member of the PCCGB and the Exakta circle. I recently put a film through my Nikon FM2 having been attracted to analogue cameras again! In the future I intend to put more of my camera collection into use. Recently I took some photos with my Minolta XG, which I found lovely to use, although the results are a little grainy. I have just bought a B&W film and some chemicals to develop it with my old Paterson tank. I now need to decide which camera to use!