What I’m Carrying With Me Tomorrow we fly out as a family. (Note I'm not writing this the same day its published!) On paper, it is just a short break away. A few nights, hand luggage only, the usual last-minute checks that always feel slightly chaotic no matter how many times you do them. But sitting here tonight, it does not feel like just a trip. It feels like a pause. A line between one stretch of life and whatever comes next. The T-Level 'ward' Leaving The Classroom Behin

I did not expect to spend part of November thinking about film cameras and risk management in the same breath, but that is how this little Prague idea crept up on me. It started as a simple conversation with Emma about packing for a short city trip. We booked three nights away as a quiet break for all of us, something that sits between family time and a chance to get out of the usual flow. It is not a photography trip at its core, although I have long since accepted that anyw

On the Night I spent Saturday night in a warehouse where the fog machines never stopped, the lights kept shifting from one colour to another before my eyes could make sense of the previous one and the bass felt like it travelled through the floor. This was Bassline Festival. I had AAA access, which meant I could walk almost anywhere, but you still have to make yourself use that freedom. It sounds simple when you say it out loud. You have permission to be here, so go. Yet I fo

Six months of this. That surprised me when I counted the entries, because it never felt like I was building anything structured. It just carried on in the background while life moved around it. One week at a time. One post at a time. One small moment that felt worth writing down. I think that is the part that catches me now. I did not begin this with a plan for consistency and I certainly did not expect to still be here half a year later. Yet the blog has become something I r

My birthday fell last week and brought the usual mix of everyday life and a bit of spare money from family. Instead of letting it drift into the Home account I put it straight into something I’ve wanted to try for a while. I ordered an Ilford and Paterson starter Home film development kit, a changing bag, and a few basics to set myself up. When it all arrived it felt more serious than I expected, like I had signed up for a new part of photography rather than another accessory

I spent a Saturday at an American football match. I was there as a paramedic, not a photographer, but I had permission to take a few photos during warm ups. I had my Sony with me and the 70 to 200 f2.8 GM, and I thought it would be a good chance to try something new. I have photographed a fair amount this year, but nothing quite like American football, so I felt a quiet bit of excitement building as I walked up the sideline. The light was bright. The pitch looked good. The pl

The shoot is rarely the problem. You pack the bag, double-check batteries, maybe argue with the tripod legs a bit, then head out and get the shots you wanted. The moment you’re home and sitting in front of a screen, though, that’s when the real of your photography workflow begins. The easy part is done. Now comes the work that quietly decides whether this whole thing feels like a creative process or a slow-motion file-management exercise. I’ve learned over time that workflow

Some weeks just move along without much to say about them. Others feel heavier, like they have been carrying extra weight before they even begin. This one has felt like that, not dramatic, just gradually harder to keep up with. It started out fairly normal, but by the end of the week it had begun to catch up with me, and everything else seemed to follow suit. It has been a typical mix of work and life on paper. A week of paramedic shifts with EMAS, a day of teaching ILS resus

We’ve just got back from a week in North Wales, and it’s one of those trips that already feels like a collection of small chapters rather than one story. Each day had its own rhythm. Beddgelert was our base, surrounded by the kind of scenery that makes you wonder why you ever leave the UK for landscapes. Between the rivers that cut through the village, the green valleys that stretch up into the mist, and the slate walls that hold it all together, it was one of those places wh

It’s been one of those in-between weeks where not much seems to happen on paper, but when you stop and look around, everything feels slightly different. The kind of week where things don’t necessarily move forward in big jumps, but there’s this quiet sense that stuff’s rearranging itself in the background. Last weekend’s C3 arts event set the tone for it, really. It was only my second one, but already it felt more familiar, same faces, same creative buzz, same relaxed kind of

There’s a bit of a rhythm to how I do things now. I take the photos, tidy them up, publish them, and repeat. Sometimes there’s a bit of a...

When Junior and I went to Lofoten earlier this year, we stopped at Hamnøy for what was supposed to be a quiet sunset. I’d seen the photos...

Every so often you stumble across a listing that makes no sense to anyone outside of the hobby. A cardboard box of battered cameras...

I went into the arts show at The Nest in Leicester carrying what was, in hindsight, far too much gear. I keep telling myself I will pack...

It’s not every week someone from a completely different scene tells you they’ve been looking at your photos and actually likes them. Not...

Other than cheap UV filters to protect the front of the lens, I’ve never really known much about them. In fact, I’ve had some cheap as...

I stood in the hobby room the other day, staring at the shelf of lenses like a man trying to pick a tie for a wedding he doesn’t really...

There’s this unspoken myth in photography, the idea that somewhere out there is the “perfect shot.” A frame so flawless in composition,...

I keep finding myself circling back to Voigtländer. They have a pull I didn’t expect. The Brilliant TLR gave me results I liked even when...

This past week has been one of those rare stretches where I’ve been able to get behind the camera more than usual, and it’s reminded me...