I’d picked possibly the best time to visit the Highlands area, end of Autumn, because the colours on the trees and the heather on the hills were absolutely stunning. Yellows into golds, reds, ambers, ochre. We’ve all seen the pictures, but in real life, it truly stops you in your tracks. The times I was driving through the countryside with my mouth agape, lost for words, were numerous…

Paul and I were discussing the little old barbershop one day while I was having a tidy up. You know when something is an institution of the community when someone like Paul, who is most definitely not from the North Wales area, knew of the Criccieth barber. He also knew that the shop had been taken over when the guy eventually decided to retire and how the young chap that took it over basically ran it into the ground. I was quite disappointed to hear of the sad fate of such a foundation of the small town.

I’d got to Harlem about 20 minutes before Flamekeepers opened, so I found the nearest coffee shop for a drink and soaked up the atmosphere. It was a perfect pre portrait shoot preparation. The jazz artwork on the walls, the tunes over the sound system and people watching again. This is the other thing that’s different from Manhattan, people in places like Harlem, Brooklyn etc. are living their lives, real lives, honest lives.

So this project is about those people. Friends, acquaintances, strangers we’re lucky enough to share a few moments of our lives with. My hope is that it not only shows those people how much I appreciate our meeting, but maybe you, dear viewer, will take a moment to think about your appreciation for your friends and acquaintances.

It was a love affair that lasted from around the late 1980’s through to this year, 2021. Not a bad run I think you’ll agree. But something changed. Was it me, was it them? As with all affairs of the heart that come to an end, questions were asked, accusations were made, plates were flung… wait, no, I’m getting carried away here…

Questions were indeed asked though, by me and my requirements in a camera system going forward. I feel a little history is needed to get a grasp on why saying goodbye to Nikon as my choice of camera system is such a big thing.

Now portraits are tricky. Some of the best known portraits in the world are taken by photographers of celebrities. And because the subject in the photo is a celebrity, quite a lot of the time, that’s all there is in the frame. White background, beautifully lit, with a great personality in front of the camera in black and white… winner winner, chicken dinner. But if I were to put myself, Joe Nobody, against a white background, well lit, black and white conversion… Meh! So what?