It has been three years since I ‘left’ this blog, and in some respects, photography- although it wasn’t a conscious leaving, more of life getting in the way. I moved to a new city, Brighton, where I have now lived for almost exactly three years. I am now a teacher of art and photography at secondary school, and will complete my first year of teaching in July- an accolade hard won, but fiercely held on to.
Ironically, it has been the process of teaching others about photography that has connected me to my own practice as a photographer again. It is once again rightfully in the centre of my life, after being pushed to the side and inhabiting only a few stolen moments, with long months of neglect in-between.
Two specific events have also brought me to this moment. Firstly, I was given a new camera for my 26th birthday in November, a beautiful Bronica medium format that is so enjoyable to shoot with that it’s very hard to put it down! Secondly, joining Brighton and Hove camera club, at which the very first event was a photographer called Stewart Weir, who spoke about the importance of just making new work and not overthinking it or trying to label it too soon. Which is exactly what I have tried to do for the last 3 months of shooting.