Author Archives: Doug

GOODBYE 2018

As we see the back of 2018, maybe it’s time to reflect on it in a historical context; 2018 was the 100th anniversary of the end of World War One – the Great War, the War To End All Wars. It’s perhaps sobering to think that 100 years ago Europe saw the year ahead as one where they would try and put Europe back together again – how times change! 

Whatever your opinion about the ongoing shenanigans surrounding the departure or otherwise of the UK from the EU, we would never have been able to have had the debate if it hadn’t been for those who fought in that, and subsequent wars.

I wish everyone what I suspect was all that those who survived war wanted; peace, love, health and happiness. x

The Silent Soldier Memorial

Life In A Dark Shed

I’ve often wandered past a tin shed behind some gates, and wondered what was inside. One day I went inside and met Trevor, who has worked there since the age of 14. His Father worked there too, up until 4 weeks before he passed away at the age of 94. With all the welding, drilling and cutting that goes on there is a lot of dust everywhere but Trevor says he is tidying it up. Whilst I was there we came across a letter from 1984, although Trevor said that he had found one from the 70’s recently!

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Who Tolls The Bell?

Campanologists that’s who! The sound of church bells ringing out is a part and parcel of town and village life in England, but how many people have seen inside a bell ringing chamber? My latest project involved creating portraits of bell ringers in their ringing chambers, which seemed like a good idea until I saw the steps I’d need to climb to gain access (and yes that’s my foot on the top step – and no I don’t have big feet!):

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On A Knife’s Edge

Or more accurately a knife’s edge on a river’s edge. Meet Tim who hand makes knives from reclaimed steel in his workshop on Lots Ait on the river Thames in Brentford. Tim’s a trained chef, and like all chefs he has a fascination with knives, but he’s taken it a step further and decided to make them himself.

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Pacy Portraits

Guess what I did over the summer? Yep I shot 175 Portraits in two days – mad but true. It was Chertsey Agricultural Association’s 175th Annual Show so they asked me to shoot 175 portraits of people at this years show, one for each year. Obviously wandering around a field asking a load of strangers if I could photograph them was right up my street (or field may be a better word)!

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The AOP At 50

The Association Of Photographers (AOP), of which I am a member, is 50 years old this year and to commemorate they are holding an exhibition of images by past and current members from the 50 years of it’s existence. The AOP50 exhibition has been curated by editor and consultant Zelda Cheatle and includes images by Brian Duffy, Terence Donovan, Anderson & Lowe, Simon Norfolk and Nadav Kander amongst many others. Wow! Where can you see this? Well the exhibition is currently on show with some big prints in the reception area of One Canada Square, Canary Wharf. And best of all – it’s free!

But wait there’s more; you can see an exhibition of current members work at the same venue on a screen in the reception area too, including my image called Sandbags On Portobello Beach (that’s Edinburgh if you don’t know), which even more fantastically is available as a limited edition print – get in touch for details or have a browse at what else is available here.

The exhibition runs until June 1st so don’t hang around…

Sandbags on Portobello Beach

The Kingfisher And I

When you think of Oxford you are probably more inclined to think of the University, the city of dreaming spires, punts on the river, the Radcliffe Camera, Inspector Morse, and you may have even stayed in the old prison which is now a Malmaison hotel.

You would be forgiven if graffiti wasn’t the first thing that comes to mind though, but, as I discovered during a recent reccé, there are some fabulous street art focused projects taking place in Oxford, most notably the Oxford Canal Mural Project initiated by local residents and the Oxford Canal and River Trust, which includes the fabulous Kingfisher mural below created by artist Richard Wilson.

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Oddly – Beer in the Thames

Or to be more precise beer made in the Thames – well, on an island in the Thames; Platt’s Eyot, a former boat builders yard that also made torpedo boats during the second world war.

Oddly is an independent brewery that operates out of one of the old boat yard buildings. Dilapidated and cold when he first moved in but home to this new and growing brewery.

Platt’s Eyot island
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Printagram

Printagram? What’s this? Well it’s not Instagram but something less instant; a magazine that I have published, consisting of work, both commissioned and personal. What’s it look like? Well here’s the front cover:

And where can you get this sought after new publication? Well, it’s available as a PDF here. It’s best viewed as a 2 page layout, which if you’re using Preview on a Mac can be set here:

If you’re all modern and funky there is also an ebook version available from here.

Enjoy it and if it’s given you any ideas that I might be able to help with get in touch!

 

Binary People

How much detail is too much? Modern digital cameras capture a huge amount of information, and with a seemingly endless search for more Megapixels (Phase One make a 100MP camera back which produces a 300MB image!) I decided to go back to basics; no, not film but binary which is the basis of all digital systems including cameras. What is binary? Well it means there are only two states – on/off, yes/no, black/white, true/false or 0/1 in computing terms. As an example a simple light switch is binary as it is either on or it’s off (dimmers don’t count).

Binary people is an ongoing personal project where I create portraits, mostly in profile, but solely in black and white, and take that term literally; there are no shades of grey, just black or white!

Despite these images being described by only 2 states the people in them are clearly very individual and clearly recognisable as the people (and dogs!) they are.