Photography

I view life through a view finder in my mind's eye. Every moment is a snapshot in time. It's why I adore candid photography so much. People going about their day, unaware of the observing eye. It really finds them at their most honest. Just as the environment can't pose for a photo, you find the greatest depth not only in those shapes present but also in those absent.

The perfect photo doesn't happen by itself. It needs thought, composition, lighting, and most of all luck. Capturing a feeling is more than all of this. It takes the emotions of the photographer. Images like the one above are testament to this. My goal was to capture the sense of curated nature in the Yorkshire Sculpture Park. Such a beautiful place that came about by the skill of hardworking groundskeepers, holding the natural world at arm's reach. It reminded me of a cage at the zoo - a constricted view through an even smaller lens.

Examining the divide between nature and humanity, the real truth is the chaos. We seek control over a force that will inevitably overcome us as a species. You might think this is bleak - or maybe even nihilistic - but I see this as the true beauty of the world.

We are a part of the natural world just as we want domain over it. The hilarity is that even our misjudged control is inherently chaotic. It's a wonderful thing to find the intersection of these. Where some see graffiti and "vermin" I see exactly this convergence.

City-scapes fascinate me. Councils attempt to create monuments for people to marvel upon, but I find greater joy in the accidental monuments. Those fair few moments where wandering through the miasma of humanity brings you a peek at a rare spectacle.

I've travelled to many places, and I always take my trusty Nikon D5600 when I visit a place for the first time. It's never for a particular purpose other than recording my travels. I'm not cut of the selfie cloth - I much prefer my surroundings to be immortalised. More often than not it forms part of my archive of primary research for future design projects.

Wandering through the world with an open viewfinder and an open mind, is - in my opinion - the best luxury a person can find for them self. See the people not just going about their lives, but see them enjoying life themselves. Shopping, laughing, travelling, reading, talking with friends, and simply living. Nothing else can give you a greater grasp on the human spirit, than to see it unabashed and unfiltered.

Use every free moment you have to absorb life in all its forms, since humanity is fragile and nothing lasts forever.