Update!

•July 2, 2010 • 4 Comments

Early last month, K-chan visited me here in England. When it comes to photography, she is certainly my muse and I took her portrait with a wide range of cameras and films. One of which was Kodachrome 64, sadly no longer with us. My film was sent to Kansas (by way of Switzerland) to be developed!

With the exception of Kodachrome (which can only be developed by the lab in Kansas), I am now self-processing all C-41 and E-6 colour films myself. All thanks to a kind friend who, having turned to digital, gave me his old JOBO processor – hurrah!

Oxjam!

•April 6, 2010 • 2 Comments

Some of my favourite shots from last weekend’s Oxjam event…

Winter II

•February 22, 2010 • 5 Comments

I miss the warmer climes of Tanegashima but it has to be said, everything looks a lot nicer when it’s freezing cold!

IR Portraits

•February 17, 2010 • 3 Comments

Portraits taken with the Speed Graphic/Aero Ektar combo and shot on Aerochrome infrared film.  A big thank you to all my models who showed great patience while I tinkered with the giant set-up!

Island memories

•January 23, 2010 • 4 Comments

A couple of old negatives unearthed…

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Winter

•December 17, 2009 • 3 Comments

Rediscovering the Wirral..

Getting used to large format photography, the Speed Graphic/Aero Ektar combo is a real winner!

Mum and Dad..

Unearthed some old negatives that I never got round to scanning, K-chan on a beach in Yakushima, Efke’s lovely IR820 infrared film..

Ojiisan during a summer festival, Maenohama beach prior to the solar eclipse..

I am shooting a wedding on Boxing Day, entirely on film using 35mm and medium format cameras – photos coming soon!

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K-chan

•November 5, 2009 • 1 Comment

K-chan with our friend’s baby, Kai. Weekend before I left Japan..

K-chan visits me in England – yatta!

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Prologue

•October 14, 2009 • 10 Comments

A prologue to a new chapter in my life, the return to England. It has been two months since I arrived back home after five years on the island of Tanegashima and surprisingly, the transition back into English culture has been relatively smooth. There are times of course, that I wish I was back in Japan but they are becoming less frequent as I re-discover the country I once knew.

I began looking at things in a new light. Carpets and wallpaper seemed alien to me after living in an apartment where tatami and fusuma were the norm. Chopsticks and soya sauce have been replaced with cutlery and HP sauce.  Rubbish bins with their wonderful green lining are a novelty – everyone seemed to take their litter home with them in Japan.

As I begin my new life back in England, I also begin a new phase in my photography – large format! Unlike my use of 35mm and medium formats, shooting with an old view camera is a slow and meditative process and one that I have fallen in love with.   The below photographs were taken with a Graflex Speed Graphic and an old WWII lens that was originally designed to take aerial shots of enemy targets!

A new environment for sure, but my passion for film photography hasn’t wavered and expect lots of new work here on my photoblog.  I am keen to exhibit my work and meet fellow photographers both on the Wirral and in Liverpool. If you are reading this and would like to meet up for a cuppa and some photos, please get in touch!

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