Biography

Award winning photographer with the Guild of Photographers, Anglican Priest & passionate about mental health. My work combines the creativity of photography with mindfulness and my postgraduate study of War and Psychiatry.

After a short career in business I was ordained, joining the RAF Chaplains' Branch in 2000. Service life took me around the world, at times exposing me to extreme experiences. These events impacted me emotionally and when I left the RAF in 2016 I realised you can never unsee past events which can impact our health and life.

Training in photography showed me how this art form helps us see in new ways and provides a language where words are not possible. Seeing in new ways is a place of healing as it can create images in our mind full of beauty, love & hope. These images are more powerful than those of hate or sadness the mind can so easily be drawn to.

I believe the poverty and trauma I've seen has heightened my visual awareness.  I can never choose to unsee the images of violence I've been exposed to but I can choose to use my visual awareness to discover images full of beauty & hope.  This is a choice we can all make regardless of past experience or present circumstances. This choice leads to a richer and more content life and I believe better mental and emotional health. My work in photography aims to help people make this choice.

I've recently partnered with photographer & Fuji Ambassador, Paul Sanders and therapists, Simone Crowley & Ali Bean. Through our unique collaboration we will be running ‘Calm through the Camera’ workshops showing how your smartphone or camera can be used to promote emotional wellbeing and resilience by using image and mindfulness exercises. The mirrorless camera is perfect for this work as they are so easy to use allowing you to focus on what you see. You can also choose to use them more technically which allows a different image to be created. To me this is the best of both worlds and I find Olympus cameras so natural to use they almost become a part of me.