Tuesday 13 April 2027 · Guest Speaker
Steel, Glass and Concrete
FRPS
Photographer and active environmentalist
I consider myself primarily an outdoor photographer. Hardly any of my work features things with legs or wings, and these days I am more likely to be found (though not exclusively) working in urban environments than in wild ones. As a general rule I enjoy finding creative or stylised ways of portraying what I see, rather than making literal representations.
Having grown up in Fife in Scotland, then spent many years in London, I now live on the Wirral peninsula in north-west England. I am an active member of the Royal Photographic Society (RPS) and was a founder member of the society’s specialist landscape group. In 2021 I was awarded the Fenton Medal and honorary life membership for “outstanding contribution to the work of the society”. In 2022 I was awarded the prestigious Fellowship of the RPS, the society’s highest distinction.
My talk Steel, Glass and Concrete is designed to entertain, inspire and inform anyone who is interested in the enormous photographic potential offered by modern buildings. 83% of the British population lives in towns and cities, meaning it is a subject that almost all of us can pursue with ease and convenience.
This talk explores the different approaches to photographing modern buildings — whether your interest is building portraits, decisive moments, abstracts or cityscapes.
My presentation covers:
- why modern buildings are an excellent subject for photography
- researching and planning — how to find your subjects and photograph them at the right time
- dealing with the challenges and restrictions of working in the city
- equipment and camera settings
- the importance of pre-visioning your final results
- my methods for post-processing, with start-to-finish worked examples
- discussion, questions and answers
