In 2000 I was given a camera by my husband and began snapping anything and everything.
Very quickly I became so interested in the subject that I decided to join my local club, Smethwick Photographic Society, so that I could further my knowledge of the subject and meet new friends who shared this hobby.
I soon became a very keen amateur developing my skills and widening the scope of my photography which was initially based on film and darkroom work but then developed into the digital era.
I have found it an inspiring hobby which now occupies a lot of my time.
As we now have 8 grandchildren my photography provides an excellent means of recording their milestones and some lovely models for my portraits.
I moved to a digital camera in 2005 and reluctantly gave up the darkroom/bathroom and bought a computer. I am still battling with the computer and its software as I am not of the computer generation and it is a steep learning curve. The digital medium also meant I could for the first time produce colour images as well as black and white.
I feel that I am just beginning to find a style of photography that seems to suit me and am enjoying making images digitally at last. My work started to be exhibited widely in both National and International competitions and exhibitions and I gained firstly LRPS then ARPS. DPAGB and AFIAP distinctions followed. In 2014 I also gained an MPAGB which was very encouraging.
I enjoy the creative style of photography and think of the images that I produce as illustrations for the stories inside my head. In 2015 I won a medal in The London Salon of Photography exhibiton for just such an image.
My still life images are also great fun to do and very therapeutic as I can work whatever the weather with very few artefacts and without spending a lot of money.
The other area of interest is in alternative processes such as Cyanotypes, Van Dyke Brown and Salt prints which I do with a small band of like minded photographers in the darkroom at Smethwick PS.
Presently I am starting to look outside camera club photography to pursue a more personal style in my photography, but whatever images I make photography has given me an identity of my own, since for most of my life, I have been Wife, Mum, Teacher and Granny. Now I can add Photographer to the list!
My thanks go to the many photographers, too numerous to mention, that have given me help, encouragement and assistance and friendship over the years but I would like to give special recognition to the following:
Ken Huscroft and Bob Dallow, the darkroom grandmasters of print who got me started.
Dave Yates,for the patience to help me get the printing right.
Garry James, for his help in the beginning of my studio photography days and his continuing patience with the “slow learner” in the digital age.
Roger and Judith Parry, for always being encouraging and supportive.
Tim Pile for letting me join in the location model shoots which he plans so carefully.
John Timmins, who shares my passion for the countryside and is prepared to get up at silly o’clock for a sunrise and then stay until sunset.
And finally, but most especially, my long suffering husband Bob without whom none of this would have been possible.