“Ran For Miles”

From 2004 - 2010 I exhibited extensively around the world. From late 2010 until now I have turned down almost every exhibition I have been asked to do. The only ones I have been involved with have been a very small group exhibitions, for which I submitted a handful of images and never really talked about.

I guess I just needed time off. Giving up pro-photography (See Bio page if you want to read about it…if very very bored) and reverting back to just enjoying photography again, I guess I didn’t want any pressures. I wanted to let it all breathe for a while, shoot images, share some of them but just not think about it all too much.

Several times in the past two years I have started a new book project or started planning an exhibition only to stop half-way through. I guess I wasn’t relaxed enough with it yet and to be absolutely bluntly honest, I was a little afraid of what people would think of my new images. 2 years ago I started using my iPhone more and more for photography until it became my only camera.

For whatever reason, this was something I was slightly embarrassed about, especially around the often stuffy, old fashioned and rule-enforced world of traditional exhibitions and the traditional photography community.

Slowly this slight embarrassment faded away. Over the past 2 years I have watched with fascination as people picked up their phones to shoot photos more and more. And shared these images. Not only within the sterile confines of traditional galleries, but in coffee shops, bars, houses - in fact any public place where they could find to hang or stick their images, it seems to have been done. 

Then, of course, their is the internet. Like it or loath it but the growth of instagram and the multitude of incredible apps now available for different phone formats has changed the photography world forever. In my humble opinion, mostly, for the better.

So I have spent two years watching this all unfold. I viewed countless blogs on a daily basis, have attended many different exhibitions and talks and generally just followed with increasing fascination and joy about the changes photography was going through.

I shot many images, shared a few and did the occasional blog post but generally I just needed a little time out. This was definitely a good move.

Any lingering embarrassment about the iPhone now being my only camera has been totally and utterly eradicated. I am proud of the methods I use to take photographs and proud of the images created.

So it is time to get my photos back into the world again, or what tiny part of the world who may be interested! 

The thing I want to do most is collaborate! Sure their will be plenty of solo projects but I want to talk to other photographers, big and small, about book projects, exhibitions, talks…anything really. For me the most exciting part of photography right now is that just like the music industry the rule book is being torn up. It is time to re-invent and to make your own rules.

I am as interested in exhibiting my photos on random wall in a small town as I am in a prestigious gallery in a major city. Feel free to get in contact at any time.

This coming Thursday a new exhibition of mine will open in Northern Ireland, in collaboration with a renowned and highly respected artist. I will post details tomorrow.

Thanks for reading!

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