Lakeland Explorer

About

My fascination with photography started when I picked up my first SLR camera—an Olympus OM10—back in 1998.

Photographic beginnings

My fascination with photography started when I picked up my first SLR camera—an Olympus OM10—back in 1998. Studying photography at college, I soon got into the darkroom and started processing black and white film and making silver gelatin prints. The whole process fascinated me, from the hopeful feeling of loading the film in the camera, to the point where the image appeared on the paper in the developing tray. Through my photographic journey, I have used a wide-range of equipment and techniques, partly to keep up with technological developments, and partly from a desire to learn and experiment. As a result, I’m as comfortable shooting with a large-format film camera (the kind with the bellows and the dark cloth over your head) as I am stitching together a panorama of digital photographs in Photoshop. Whatever equipment I’m using, I love how photography utilises a combination of technology, technique, and artistic vision to record experiences.

The River Kent at Watercrook near Kendal, taken in late on a freezing cold winter morning.
The River Kent at Watercrook, taken in late 1999 on a freezing cold winter morning.

I love how photography utilises a combination of technology, technique, and artistic vision to record experiences.

Photography inspirations

Landscape is my favourite subject for photography. Having been brought up in the Lake District, I spent a lot of time in the mountains and woodlands from an early age, and this has strongly influenced me. As well as nature, I have found inspiration in urban and industrial landscapes. In 2005, I had a solo exhibition at the Brewery Arts Centre in Kendal entitled ‘Perpectives on the Industrial North’, which showcased images taken on Teesside.

Nighttime long exposure of the decommissioned Wilton gas power station on Teesside.
Nighttime long exposure of the decommissioned Wilton gas power station on Teesside.
Nighttime long exposure of the cooling towers of the decommissioned Wilton gas power station on Teesside.
Nighttime long exposure of the cooling towers of the decommissioned Wilton gas power station on Teesside.

I’m also a keen travel photographer, so my camera tends to be close at hand when I’m abroad.

Travels with a camera

I’m also a keen travel photographer, so my camera tends to be close at hand when I’m abroad. The relaxed holiday mood, along with the sense of being an outsider, seems to free me up to be the street photographer I’m too self-conscious to be at home. Below are some examples of travel photography from time spent in France, Spain, Greece, and Japan.

Two old friends pose for the camera, sat on a wall with shepherd's crooks on market day in Potes in Cantabria, northern Spain.
Two old friends pose for the camera on market day in Potes in Cantabria, northern Spain.
Two women study Picasso's giant painting Guernica in the Reina Sofia art museum, Madrid
Two women study Picasso’s giant painting Guernica in the Reina Sofia art museum, Madrid
A man and woman greet with a kiss over a large banner at an Athens protest march against the austerity measures imposed in 2010
A man and woman greet with a kiss over a large banner at an Athens protest march against the austerity measures imposed in 2010.
A Salamanca artisan paints a decorative cross in his basement studio, seen through the window from a cobbled side street.
A Salamanca artisan paints a decorative cross in his basement studio, seen through the window from a cobbled side street.
Mount Fuji (富士山) at dawn, from the shore of Lake Kawaguchiko.
Mount Fuji (富士山) at dawn, from the shore of Lake Kawaguchiko.
Woman sits on bench below bust- Jardin de Tuileries, Paris
A woman sits on bench below a bust of French garden designer Andre le Notre in the Jardin de Tuileries, Paris.
An old man stands in the shaded covered walkway around Salamanca's Plaza Mayor, watching life go on in the sunny square.
An old man stands in the shaded covered walkway around Salamanca’s Plaza Mayor, watching life go on in the sunny square.
Black and white image of the village of Barrio in the Picos de Europa mountains of northern Spain, cloaked in low cloud.
The village of Barrio in the Picos de Europa mountains of northern Spain, cloaked in low cloud.

Current photography focus

Now, the majority of my work is made in the North West, with the fells and valleys of the Lake District and North Lancashire at the forefront. My workflow is now entirely digital, but I definitely miss the methodical nature of the film photography process from time to time. I am happy, though, that I have finally found a digital camera kit that allows me to capture images with the level of detail, dynamic range, and colour fidelity that I have always sought, in a package that can withstand the elements. Now I can go out to shoot knowing that my camera equipment is no longer a limitation, and can get on with the business of taking the best photographs I can. I have also settled on a style of work built on a simple, effective workflow that minimises faff in the field and time spent sat at the computer. That, to me, feels like something to celebrate! So, now you know how I got here, please check out my recent work in the portfolio.

Christian, August 2022

Light trails at dusk on the A12 through Bow, East London. 6cm x 7cm image on Polaroid.
Light trails at dusk on the A12 through Bow, East London. 6cm x 7cm image on Polaroid. This is a scan from the negative side of the sheet. Experiments like this make film photography an exciting and unpredictable joy.
Arches under Southsea Promenade - contact print of 5" x 4" negative.
Arches under Southsea Promenade – contact print of 5″ x 4″ negative.