Competition Time - Black and White Photographer of the Year 2012

It's that time of year again - Black and White Photography Magazine's Photographer of the Year 2012 Competition.

I struggled this time - due to all sorts of emotional complications that 2012 will forever be remembered for - and only just managed to create a set of images and submit them in time for the final deadline. I wasn't sure what to create and for at least two days nothing seemed to work. Then these just happened. I don't know quite where they came from, but I like them. I think I just needed to switch off and let whatever it is that helps you out in these moments (creativity? inspiration?) take over.

I've managed to get through to the next round and the prints should be with them by now. Fingers crossed.

I'm on a bit of a mission to win a major competition within my lifetime.

The first three photograms (hand, crickets and damselfly were entered into the Black and White Photographer of the Year category). The final picture of the tomato plant was entered into the Living World category.

www.thegmcgroup.com

Tim Andrews' Parkinson's Project - Over The Hill

I was contacted some time ago by a chap called Tim Andrews, explaining that he had been diagnosed with Parkinson's Disease and was approaching photographers to see if they would like to photograph him for an ongoing project entitled Over The Hill.

After a while we arranged to meet and I invited him down to the Island to spend a day with me. The weather was drab and dreary and, because of this, all my plans kept changing on the journey to meet him at the boat. I tried to find a way to turn the day into something more productive and successful.

When we met we chatted for a while then off we went and I endeavoured to show Tim as much of the Island as was possible, stopping every few miles or so to stretch our legs and take photos. It was very relaxed and informal and we had a brilliant time of it, talking all the time and finding out about each other.

I think I might have said "give me a couple of weeks to get these pictures finished", but sometimes the work takes longer than expected as I try to gather the right elements to complete the piece. The photographs themselves can take a while to tell me the direction they wish to be taken. But we get there in the end.

Tim was a pleasure to be with all day and I hope that our paths may cross again someday.

Please visit Tim's blog for further reading on his Over The Hill project.
http://timandrewsoverthehill.blogspot.co.uk

 

Published work

A selection of recently published work taking the total count to 375 book covers in 23 countries.