Nights Out Aren't What They Used To Be

The experience of a shower but in imagery, view this whilst playing rain sounds and the image becomes visual texture.

Street photography has been around since the inception of photography as a medium. It's a genre of work that I enjoy both researching and creating as it presents us with a vision of everyday life otherwise unseen and unknown. whenever I'm not working on a commission or project I like to soak up the atmosphere of my home city Manchester looking for the sights and scenes which epitomise what it means to be Mancunian.

A collection of images intended to capture the 'unseen' effects of isolation on the 'unseen' individual living alone.

As 2020 was drawing to an end I was thinking about how much time I had spent away from family and friends and how the restrictions on gatherings and meetings was affecting not only myself but everyone throughout the country. I took the time to experience some of the festiveness of Christmas that I missed by not being able to gather with loved ones by vicariously enjoying the displays of my neighbours. I found it interesting how each household celebrates in different ways yet how similar the message is across all homes.

Jasmine is my rescue dog and best friend for many years. I often walk with her to and from places I need to go and most often to a place where I can play games with her in a semi controlled way. This series was a personal decision to let Jazz take control of several walks and lead the way. Mainly as I found I tended to also be rushing and hurrying around our pre-set route and destinations. I found myself thinking of what she sees and smells and how she interprets the world. I also thought of how I myself was the cause of our hasty walks and with this series I took the time to enjoy the experience of being with her.

This collection of images was captured and collated after a recent shopping spree, of photographic books for research, revealed various types of messages, items and notations within used copies of the titles I bought. Each one a little peek into a strangers life, past and connection with the book. I found it interesting how it related to my own past experiences with being gift books but also how, where and when the notes were made or placed within the book.

'Home is Where The Heart is' was a project I completed with the support of Coffee4Craig, a Manchester based homeless charity. This project was intended as a question of the representation of those who are in a position to call themselves homeless after personal circumstances have lead to them requiring help to find shelter, food, clothing and other sources of medical or personal support. As apposed to the architypal image of individuals in these circumstances the project was to connect the subjects with an audience in a way which created a sense of uniqueness, individuality and equality. Each story and person has their own specific needs and their own story to tell in how they became homeless and ultimately progressed on to anew chapter in their life.

Salford, Manchester has always been a particularly hard hit area by poverty, lack of engagement, education and general well being. However with the growth of MediaCity the area has become known for the northern hub of high earning creatives and media. Against a backdrop of the lowest national rates of life standards the idea of accessibility's blocked by the inherent financial and education struggles of the local residents.