Award winning photography

August 30, 2023

It's been a while since I've posted a blog, but award winning photography is always worth talking about!

'Visual Communion: the art, architecture and craft of the Eucharist' will be published in the spring of 2024 using one of my award winning images to illustrate an essay on Tracey Emin's piece 'For You' at Liverpool Cathedral.

This work, in pink neon, reads 'I felt you and I knew you loved me'. It is situated above the west doors of the cathedral. My image will be used to illustrate an essay by Deborah Lewer, called 'Gothic Shadows, Little Lights and Big Neon: Rethinking the Contemporary altarpieces'

The shoot was commissioned by White Cube, London. The images were nominated for and won several awards for Tracey Emin, one of these being the ACE Award for Art in a Religious Context 2009. Nominated by Tim Marlow, Director of Exhibitions, White Cube, London.

'Coloured glass, light and text have been the cornerstone of art in Christian worship for centuries and this work combines all three but as pink neon. The artists own feminine handwriting - a rare element of Christian iconography - reads 'I Felt You And I Knew You Loved Me'. Its material and the fact that it is not functional nor built into the fabric of the building might suggest that it is temporary... The permanence of the Liverpool commission is significant and indicates risk-taking with conviction on the part of he Cathedral. The material and the message are ambiguous - by which I mean they could exist with equal weight in a secular setting - but set above the red sandstone of the west door the work carries a very simple and direct message, intimate as well as contemplative.' Gill Hedley reporting for the ACE award for Art in a Religious Context.

Tracey Emin (b. 1963, British) lives and works in London and France having trained at Maidstone College of art and the Royal College of Art, London. Her work is frequently highly personal and confessional and ranges between traditional modes of craft production to painting, sculpture and installation.

Book title: Visual Communion: the art, architecture and craft of the Eucharist
Collected essays to be published by Brepols (Belgium)
Edited by Laura Moffatt and Christopher Irvine
Anticipated Publication: Spring/summer 2024

The piece viewed from the Dulverton Bridge

The three lancets of the Benedicite window soar above the piece

Josephine Butler Biography

September 02, 2020

Work has been thin this year for obvious reasons! It's quite nice then, when out of the blue, an image from a job that I did in 2012 is requested for use in a book. The job in question was the centenary window and sculpture created by Helen Whittaker in memory of Josephine Butler, at St Gregory's Church, Kirknewton, Northumberland.

The image will be published in a biography about Josephine Butler written by Jane Robinson and is due out in October.

https://jane-robinson.com

#Save the Arts

July 12, 2020

First posted on Instagram.

In the current situation a very important message, just had to put it on my blog as well!

To all professionals in the Film, Television, Theatre, Entertainment and Arts world, join the challenge to post a photo of you in your job. Just a picture, no description. The goal is to flood social media with our profession. Copy the text and post a pic. #savetheartsuk

Henry Holiday in the time of a global pandemic

April 02, 2020

When I first started my career in Photography I didn’t do any work for free 'it doesn't work out' a fellow Pro had advised me. Now I'm established I like to try and do one job a year free for a deserving cause.

In 2018 I was contacted by the Liverpool diocesan heritage officer, 'would I be interested in a commission to photograph all the stained glass in St Chad's, Kirkby'.

On completion of the St Chad's job he contacted me again 'would I be an advisor on a panel looking into reordering my local parish church' the project involves a guide book and I offered to do the photography for free starting with the windows. I didn't know much about the stained glass in my local church, but to my surprise it turns out there's a connection with the previous job in Kirkby, all the glass in St Chad's is by Henry Holiday and the Victorian Chancel in my local church also has windows by Henry Holiday, they do stand out (for more info on Henry Holiday check out my blog 'Long ladders, Long brushes').

2019 turned out to be a very busy year and every time I had some time for the project the church was in use, so here we are, global pandemic, churches closed and my business flat on it's back, seems like a good time to get the job done! Details of some of the Chancel windows below.