I have been a photographer for over twenty years. But mainly working for a single company both as a photographer and in other roles, whilst carrying out my own photography. I have therefore been in a lucky position of being able to take plenty of personal work without having to be commercial. Having said that, over the years I have photographed weddings, portraits, made many print sales through a local gallery and published ranges of postcards and greetings cards. In the last year I have been making excellent headway into the process of re-editing images and shooting new work for a new range of cards. It is interesting what one finds that has slipped through the net previously and what works best for the square format of the cards I am designing.

As this process has developed I have been mulling over how my photography has changed and it has occurred to me that I bought my first SLR 30 years ago. A second hand Olympus OM10 when I was 15. I soon moved to Canon with which I have stuck ever since moving through several film cameras and onto digital with the 5D range.

30 from 30: As part of this reflection I have given myself the task of picking 30 photographs from down the years. Roughly, but not exactly, selecting one from each year and seeing how they have formed me as a photographer and how I have developed and improved.

The best time to start something is now. So said a wise man. Probably. It may have been more like ‘there is no time like the present’. Either way, it is pertinent advice. So I have decided to accelerate a new entreprise (that has been brewing for a while) in a time of unprecedented turmoil and anxiety and double down my efforts of developing a greetings card company - a process I expect to take a year for commercial readiness.

I conceived this project a while ago but as with side-projects the development was slow, with priority given to my day job (for a nationwide photographic company). I have however been furloughed during this crisis so I have time to devote to this.

A really high quality matt finish print on very slightly textured card stock.

In all honesty I already have the foundations; I have spent 20 years taking photographs that are clamouring to be seen and have spent a lot of time exploring my archives for suitable material, deciding which images would / may work as cards and then editing them down and down. I have researched printers, found one with good ideals, high production values and beautiful papers and had some samples printed. I will soon have an expanded trial printed. The ones I think work best are the most simple; they are quickly absorbed and should stand out in a card stand. The range is (and will expand as) a collection of landscapes, cityscapes, flora and fauna and an uncategorisable collection of what I call amuse-yeux. These are moments of subjects, light, amusements that resonate and make interesting or unusual pictures. Importantly I think people like them, will buy them, send them and share them.