“We are the last of the hunters”

“We are the last of the hunters”
Photographed in 2019 as part of theportraits.co.uk social documentary series and spoken in his own words.
Lowestoft Skipper Melvin.

At 16 I went to sea, I was a merchant seaman, travelling around the world and learning a lot.
In my late twenties I returned home and had a family – it’s my hobby that is my job. It’s a job you can’t do for the money, you must want to do it.
Being a born optimist is a requirement. Just because you didn’t catch finish last month or last week, doesn’t mean you won’t tomorrow. You must remain positive.

Generally, things go in cycles, nature goes in cycles, that’s just part of life.

We catch a lot of Welks. Of course, Fishing is very seasonable, summer is completely different to Winter. Then it’s mainly long lines, catching Cod, Skate, dog-fish, seabass etc. In the summer we mainly use nets, catching dove sole, whiting, plaice, brills, turbots.
It’s traditionally been like this for smaller vessels for many years.
Sadly now, it’s virtually impossible for a young person to join the industry and create a lifestyle to suit.

The boat is called the four daughters, a reflection of my lovely family.
You find a clean shiny boat; I’ll show you a boat that doesn’t go to sea. It’s a dirty, grimy job, but hugely enjoyable. In Winter it can be tough, 4am starts when everyone else is in bed, it’s dark, cold and wet and I’m off to sea. It’s certainly not for everyone.

#lowestoft#suffolk#broads#sea#abp#port#portraiture#fishermen

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Presenting #KQPrivateView with @AgeUKCamden about my images from May 2020

Delighted to be presenting on Thursday @ the Knowledge Quarter in London, talking about some of my imagery from May 2020 and my time spent with Age UK Camden during their #Covid19 community response.

What’s the visual story behind @AgeUKCamden’s response to the pandemic?

On 25 March at our #KQPrivateView, photographer @Jules_Foto will be highlighting Age UK Camden’s passion for providing services for people in a challenging environment.

Book: http://ow.ly/Z0H150DYMYn

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  AgeUK Camden – Covid19 Response 2020

Day 13 Cycling to Rwanda… a shop keeper | Mijatovac, Serbia

Day 13 of cycling from Suffolk to Rwanda… on a another epic day in the saddle (total of 102 miles) I had cycled roughly 80 miles when I came across this wonderful little store on the outskirts of a village near Mijatovac in Serbia – it was a wooden shack by the road and was a real godsend as energy levels were dipping!

Chomping down on bread, biscuits and coca cola, I replenished my energy levels sitting on a stool inside the shop, attempting to communicate with this lovely lady.

We didn’t really understand each other, but it’s amazing what a smile does. Thankfully she posed for a photo (I just loved the aesthetics of the small wooden building), becoming part of my story of the life changing journey I was on.
Interestingly, as I was packing the bag and leaving, a chap in a new Mercedes pulled up and chatted in depth with her, asking me who I was & what I was doing in this part of Serbia.

He was nice enough – but I later found out he would have been part of the local mafia

#travel#photography#portraiture#serbia#people#story#cycletorwanda

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Llessa, Eastern Desert, Egypt

Over the coming weeks, I’ll be uploading a selection of portraiture that I shot in 2012 when I cycled through East Africa.
These portraits represent some of the remarkable people I met throughout the 5500 mile cycle adventure.

Ilessa. Photographed in Egypt, 2012.
The story of how I met IIessa is a fascinating one.
Awaiting the ferry to Sudan, I was based in Aswan for an extra 7 days, meeting locals, recovering from illness and preparing for the harsh Sudanese desert.
I decided to stretch the legs and cycled north along dusty tracks out of Aswan into the desert. After roughly 20 miles I came across a small oasis. It was a truly spectacular scene. No infrastructure and just locals on donkeys and the odd beaten up car. I remember it well, it was roughly 43 degrees and seeing this small Oasis was a god send. Standing drinking some lukewarm water, a young lad came over on his donkey. We chatted and he invited me to his house. Following a series of tracks I arrived at a small house deep within the Oasis. I spent four hours in the company of the family, meeting cousins, uncles and friends. They were incredibly hospitable people, providing me with fresh pita, meat and fruit.
During this time I met Lessa, a beautiful young girl who was happy to pose for a portrait.
I took her address (managing to keep it safe through the rest of Africa!) and sent her copies of the photos to her father.
I feel incredibly blessed to have had these interactions with such honest kind individuals.

Egyptian Taxi Driver

Over the coming weeks, I’ll be uploading a selection of portraiture that I shot in 2012 when I cycled through East Africa.

These portraits represent some of the remarkable people I met throughout the 5500 mile cycle adventure.

I met this Taxi Driver on a side street in Aswan, Egypt, while held up in a hostel waiting for the ferry to Sudan. He was an incredibly charming guy, we sat, drank karkade and smoked shisha, talked about the elections and the uprising. His fears for the country after Mohamed Morsi (pictured on election posters) took power and what he wanted for the future.

He was deeply concerned about the country and his fears proved to sadly be correct.

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Geoff Stevens | Pathways Care Farm | Lowestoft

Geoff Stevens                   Pathways Care Farm, Lowestoft

Photographed in 2019 as part of the Water Mills & Marshes funded work, theportraits.co.uk – spoken in his own words.

“It’s about treating people with dignity and respect”

“I lived in London and have been a graphic designer all my life, I loved the art of the job, but disliked certain elements of the industry.
What I do now is great. It’s such a joy.
We don’t do therapy; the therapy is being here. Everyone wants to make an impact in life and that’s what we do here at Pathways.

My father-in-law had dementia and I remember thinking, there has to be something more than day care, going to a centre and playing bingo in a room with beige walls. As if by some twist of fate, the opportunity then presented itself to start Pathways.
When we arrived with spent the first 18 months pulling up brambles, literally trying to clear the site, a blank canvas really.
It’s the place and the people that do the therapy, we don’t plan the therapy it just happens.
We recently had someone come to the farm who had been diagnosed with dementia, he was a retired builder and said to me “that’s the end of my life”. That really struck home, I explained what we did and he got involved. Within a few short weeks he was building, working on projects and became part of team, just like his old job. It was a release and enabled him to continue his life, without the fear of sitting in a room, staring at a TV all day, or playing bingo!

We work with all manner of people, including ex-offenders, people with mental health issues and those in the community who may just need some company.  Every day is different at Pathways. Walking around the farm, you can work the land, wander around the pond, go to the bird hide, through the orchard, care for the animals, it is truly immersive.

It is about treating people with dignity and respect. Something that is lost in some parts of society”

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Portrait of Andrew King. Artist.

Portrait of Andrew King. Artist.

Photographed in 2019 as part of https://theportraits.co.uk/

Spoken in his own words
“I’ve always thought that I prefer the title of ‘painter’ rather than ‘artist’. Perhaps this is because any artistry that is involved exists purely in the eye of the beholder! On the same theme, I was once asked many years ago why I painted. I remember being a little ‘thrown’ by this, especially as the person asking the question was examining a painting of mine rather too closely at the time! I can’t remember my exact reply, but I think it was along these lines…’painting is one of the few things that makes any sense to me’. I feel this holds true for me today. Andrew’s approach is influenced mainly by the most recent followers of the East Anglian School of Artists, and in common with this group, the initial work for his paintings is completed on location. He has found inspiration for his interest in light and atmosphere in landscape in France, Italy, East Anglia and even Egypt. His work can be seen in many prominent galleries countrywide and has been purchased for public, private and royal collections, both at home and overseas, including the House of Lords’ art collection”

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Portrait of Miria | Uganda

Miria, photographed in 2018 during Give a Child a Camera workshops in Uganda.

I met Miria when she enrolled on the #giveachildacamera project.She lives in a small room with her mother near the border with Rwanda.

I was privileged to visit her home and able to learn to little more about her life and hopes for the future. Her dream is to become a lawyer.

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The Stunning Lake Bunyonyi

Arguably one of the finest views in East Africa – the stunning Lake Bunyonyi in Western Uganda.As well as running my photography project (www.giveachildacamera.co.uk) in Uganda, I get to enjoy fabulous views like this on a regular basis! Simply breathtaking #uganda#lakebunyonyi#giveachildacamera#eastafrica#lake#landscape

Community Healthcare in Focus

Arguably the great work of our community healthcare providers has never been at the forefront of our thoughts as much as this year. The tireless effort, the patience of a saint, the ability to smile even when you’re under pressure and the passion to provide outstanding community healthcare.

I’m really proud to be able to shoot images depicting the hard work & tireless effort of the community healthcare teams at ECCH in Suffolk, during the Pandemic. A credit to UK community healthcare.

#photography#NHS#Healthcare#Nurses#Care#covid19#UK#Patient#Proud#Suffolk#community

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