Bookbinder Roger Grech and the Papercut Bindery
In exchange for some top quality saddle stitching on my new wrestling book, I paid a visit to Roger Grech’s workshop in Shipley to photograph him constructing a brand new book from start to finish. The photographs will eventually feature on his new website which is currently under construction. It was a real pleasure to […]
A few notes on self-publishing my new photography book – This Land
A few years ago I finished a project looking at cowboys and the landscape of the American west. I’d always envisaged getting the work published as a book with a mainstream publisher, but time, resources and the odd rejection letter got the better of me so I decided to put it on the back burner […]
Eilean Glas Lighthouse Scalpay, The Outer Hebrides
The Eilean Glas Lighthouse has had an fascinating past but unfortunately now has an uncertain future. The original building of 1789 was replaced in 1824 by Robert Stevenson. This beautiful lighthouse, along with outbuildings and cottages for its keepers and families remained fully manned up until 1978 when it became automated. Soon afterwards it was […]
The Isle of Scalpay nr Harris, The Outer Hebrides
After a long walk round the Isle of Scalpay on New Years Day, I eventually arrived at the very small village of Ardinashaig just as the sun was setting. It rains a lot in the Western Isles but on this occasion I was blessed with an amazing calm evening. I managed to take a few […]
The first ever truly Scottish beer
For the past year or so St Andrews Brewery in Fife, Scotland has been trying to produce a truly Scottish beer using water, yeast, barley & hops sourced or grown only in Scotland. The water, yeast and barley can easily be locally sourced but growing hops is notoriously difficult in more northerly climates, brewers in […]
Maraid Design Portrait
It was great to be asked by Maraid Design to do their portrait. The brief was: ‘We like origami animal heads, the colour green & stripey socks’. So after a couple of experimental sessions I decided to go for a two frame animation. It took a while to get it right but with a little […]
Morris Dancers National Day of Dance in York
Over 50 Morris dance groups took to the streets of York dancing at various locations all within the city walls. This event takes place in a different part of the country each year and shows the variety of styles, traditions, costumes and music that make up Morris dancing. This year it was hosted by Minster […]
Making beer barrels in Wetherby with England’s last Master Cooper.
Alastair Simms, a Master Cooper based in Wetherby, West Yorkshire is the last remaining Master Cooper in England. A job he thought would die a death after he retires in a few years, but as luck would have it, the recent surge in microbreweries has kept him pretty busy – so much so that he’s […]
Budapest communist cars
During a recent trip to Budapest I came across a few old cars dating back to the days of communism. During this period, Hungarians had few choices when it came to car ownership, with Ladas, Trabants, Skodas and Fiats pretty much all you could get. The cars were very basic, pretty uninspiring and were incredibly […]
Northallerton Prison (words by Russ Thorne)
When it opened in 1788, Northallerton prison’s first inmates can have had little doubt as to society’s attitude towards them. Never mind that it was designed by John Carr – who also created Leeds’ grand Harewood House – this was the first custom built prison in the country and its purpose was clear in the […]