A chance conversation in 2007 about wedding photographs got me interested in photography and recording human relations and emotions. Breaking my leg buying coffee at a rugby training session afforded me eight months in bed and the time to learn all about the technical side of photography. 

 

The opening of the Railway pub as a music venue opposite the offices of my then company Fury, a design agency, led to me developing a passion for the rawness of people in the moment. The office space had room for me to set up a studio and take portraits, learning the essential skills of lighting for photography. 

 

The arrival of arts organisation Metal in Chalkwell in 2009 opened more doors for me and I had the chance to participate in an exhibition entitled Show Flat. My naivety and lack of experience in this field was overcome by my years as a fashion student in the 80s. And so, at the age of 47, I found I had accidentally become a respected and well-thought of photographer. 

 

The East coast and the Thames Estuary have been the backdrop to my explorations of light, cloud, water and the rhythms and currents of nature.

 

In 2015, author and social historian Rachel Lichtenstein commissioned me to take photographs for her book, Estuary – Out of London into the Sea. This opened my eyes to the real beauty of the Thames Estuary and gave me a new perspective on the area I had known all my life. This changed the way I photographed the landscape here and led to my enduring fascination for fluctuating cycle of moods and tones of the estuary. After London, an exhibition of photographs from the book took place at the Whitechapel Gallery.

 

In 2016, Metal Culture in Chalkwell invited me to exhibit in Chalkwell hall, I named the the exhibition - From the shore and beyond, it was part of the Estuary Festival hosted by Metal, the Festival also used a large collection of my images for the marketing of the event.

 

In 2016, the Beecroft Gallery in Southend on Sea invited me to stage an exhibition of my estuary landscapes. Called Beyond, this exhibition allowed me to show images taken purely for myself, capturing a moment on the water just for the sheer delight of looking.  

 

Since 2021, I have been working with Creative Estuary providing the imagery for their marketing, whilst also creating design for them too.

 

My future plans involve publishing a book of a decade of estuary images and heading off to explore more of the enigmatic coast of Britain and all that that has to offer.