I am trying to be a photographer. Mostly in my spare time. Mostly analogue. Always slow and steady. I don’t know what I want before I go out shooting. Just following my instincts. Hoping some sort of project will emerge from the negatives of its own accord. I know what I like, but I don’t know why. My plan is to trust the process and allow it to flow through me. At least, that’s my excuse…

My usual method is to choose a random place, go there and walk. Could be the middle of a city, or the middle of nowhere. I’ll take a couple of cameras - 35mm and medium format - as well as my little digital snapper. I walk and I take pictures.

Something will catch my attention, some play of light and shadow, form and structure. If it makes me stop and take a second look I’ll frame it up. At this point, with the camera to my eye, I try to forget the context or what I’m trying to achieve and just see the image. Deciding to press the shutter is the most difficult part. I avoid justifying it to myself and only see the image. If the image is right the shutter will fire by itself and that will be that. Some of my best images are the ones I don’t remember taking. And the worst are almost always the ones I was most certain about.

Working mostly in black and white because I’m trying to save money by developing and scanning at home. I’ll move on to colour at some point, but black and white suits me for now. The whole process has been a good lesson in patience and careful work. It’s also a special kind of magic that never abates.

My aim is to capture the spirit of the places I see. To show how it feels to be there. Not in a contrived and laboured way. It’s just that I’m there. The place is happening to me whilst I have the camera in my hand. All I have to do is get out of the way and let the experience find its way through. If I can do that than I will consider myself successful.

If you like what you see let me know. It will give me hope. And that is invaluable.