Portfolio
Wickham Manor, Wickham Rock Lane, Winchelsea (From Travels at Home)
As a photographer I’ve been far more influenced by painters and illustrators than I have by other photographers and my work reflects this. Perhaps it’s because had time, talent and circumstances allowed I should like to have been a painter myself – of watercolours, since that is the nearest thing to painting with light that I can think of and it is capturing this magic of light and colour that appeals to me. And I paint with my camera instead, getting up at sparrows to chase the light and drawing inspiration from a wide and eclectic range of artists from J.M.W. Turner to Claude Monet to Eric Ravilious, with perhaps a special nod to Edward Hopper.
Travels at Home
When the pandemic closed borders and kept everyone at home, I satisfied my travel urges by bringing my cameras and tripod with me on my morning bike rides and shooting these excursions as though they were magazine travel assignments. Along the way I rediscovered the joy and wonder of travelling at home, seeing the familiar with fresh eyes, while the images that resulted from these journeys found a home at the New York Times.
Montecristi Panama Hats
Creamy as silk, costlier than gold, a Montecristi Panama hat is the pinnacle of the hat weaver’s art. The finest specimens contain over 4000 weaves per square inch and are the product of months of painstaking labour by artisans following century-old traditions in and around the town of Montecristi, Ecuador. I’ve long been fascinated by the artistry and history of these iconic hats and have written extensively about them. These images are from a photo essay that appeared in the New York Times.
Cycling Photography
I’m an unabashed cycling romantic and for the past couple of seasons I’ve had the pleasure of photographing cycling events organised by the boutique Scotland-based touring firm Echappee whose team of guides (mainly former pro cyclists), soigniers and mechanics lead corporate clients up and over some of the most iconic passes in the Pyrenees and the Italian Alps – a line-up that includes such legendary ascents as the Col du Soulor, the Col d’Aubisque, the Tourmalet, the Mortirolo, Passo Gavia and Stelvio.
People
