Portrait of Howard | Ranger

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Portrait of Howard Constantine
Ranger for the Broads Authority.
Spoken in his own words in 2019.
“My Family are from Bury in Manchester, and we came down here as a Family for my Fathers job in 1982, so here is where I finished school. I then did some travelling, spending a year in New Zealand, but returning home I had no idea of careers. After many years working in Sheffield, I began to realise how important environmental protection was to me, so I undertook a course in environmental science at the UEA. In the process of this course I would regularly meet rangers who worked on the Broads.
The Broads Authority had two teams of rangers, countryside who dealt with the land, and navigation who dealt with the water. I spent six enjoyable months with the countryside rangers, which also included working closely with the navigation team doing a guided boat trip from Ranworth Broad.
Spending a year in Tasmania during my gap year in university, I got involved with projects there, and in a Government run project trapping Tasmanian Devils to enable them to do health checks, as they suffer from Devil Facial Tumour Disease, a form of facial cancer. This helped make me realise that I wanted to be doing a hands-on job. I returned and made diligent efforts to get into working as a ranger.
Working in the tolls office, I also volunteered, regularly carrying out tasks such as footpath maintenance and the like. Eventually I secured a position with the ranger team on the River Yare and the following year I was lucky enough to join the Breydon team.
Working with the public as they travel across Breydon is always interesting, many people aren’t aware of bridge heights, tidal flows and the like and it’s a pleasure to be able to advise and be their point of contact.
The seasons are terrific around here – we maintain the biodiversity of the area, working with and helping land owners, enabling this terrific area to work for all parties”

A portrait of Mark Smart Site Manager RSPB

A portrait of Mark Smart Site Manager RSPB, Halvergate Marshes Photographed in 2019 on Halvergate Marshes and spoken in his own words.

“Effectively the RSPB reserve is around 600 hectares, it’s wet grassland and sits within a stunning landscape that is around 3500 hectares in size.We’re a relatively small chunk of land within a much larger landscape.The main reason the reserve is here, is for wintering waterfowl and also breeding waders. On a good year we can get 110,000 wintering waterfowl, which includes lapwing, golden plover and pink footed geese.

e are internationally important, in fact we are in the top five of the most important estuaries of the UK, which most people don’t expect within the Norfolk Broads National Park.We are doing a lot science here, trying to understand how we can get these birds back into the wider landscape. We work with numerous landowners, wetting the areas but still enabling commercial activities to take place.

It’s important to keep that balance.My Background, before joining the RSPB was farming. I spent over 10 years fixing and driving tractors, but I had also been heavily involved with conservation, volunteering with local conservation groups, that was my passion. When redundancy came along, it was a chance to do something new and work in the industry I was passionate about. If I were to leave a legacy, it would be that I would want to see a lot more areas containing a few pairs of breeding waders”#norfolk#norwich#broadsnationalpark#rspb#birds#sitemanagement#conservation#farming#greatyarmouth#portrait

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Already two weeks has passed since the opening of “Always Walking Alongside”

Already two weeks has passed since the opening of “Always Walking Alongside” at the fabulous Coal Drops Yard in #kingscross with Age UK Camden who managed to find such a fabulous venue to display my photographic work, from my time working with them during May – in the depth of the Pandemic.

The wonderful musician @gabrielmorenopoetry played live throughout the evening – in particular his emotive song “We can write England all over again” https://soundcloud.com/gabrielmoreno/we-can-write-england-all-over-again

A real pleasure to be able to play a small part in documenting and promoting such a progressive charity, who are central to the community they serve.

#London #Covid #covid19UK #AgeUKCamden #Ageuk #Charity #Photography #london #Camden

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  AgeUK Camden Response to Covid19 Exhibition at Samsung KX – Coals Drop Yard, London

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  AgeUK Camden Response to Covid19 Exhibition at Samsung KX – Coals Drop Yard, London

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  AgeUK Camden Response to Covid19 Exhibition at Samsung KX – Coals Drop Yard, London

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  AgeUK Camden Response to Covid19 Exhibition at Samsung KX – Coals Drop Yard, London

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  AgeUK Camden Response to Covid19 Exhibition at Samsung KX – Coals Drop Yard, London

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  AgeUK Camden Response to Covid19 Exhibition at Samsung KX – Coals Drop Yard, London

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  AgeUK Camden Response to Covid19 Exhibition at Samsung KX – Coals Drop Yard, London

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  AgeUK Camden Response to Covid19 Exhibition at Samsung KX – Coals Drop Yard, London

AGEUK Camden @ Samsung KX| Photographic Exhibition

Truly delighted to be showcasing over 20 emotive images shot during the Covid19 pandemic with AGEUK Camden. I spent a few days with the team truly in the heart of the pandemic and those affected within Camden.

The images are being exhibited at the fabulous Samsung KX in Kings Cross, London – along with a showing of the short film I put together

“Using imagery, this exhibition tells the story of the organisation, the people and the passion for providing services for older people, as well as the struggles and emotions experienced in such a challenging environment.”

-Julian Claxton

@Jules_Foto

, our exhibition photographer

#exhibition #london #samsungkx #covid19 #ageukcamden #covid19 #people #community

AgeUK Camden – Covid19 Response 2020

Carol Baker – Owner of Lockgate Mill – Norfolk

Carol Baker – Owner of Lockgate Mill – Norfolk.
Fine Artist and designer.

“I own the Mill as my Father left it in his Will for me. He bought it around the early 80’s and would often come here, mooring up and sit and enjoy the serenity of the place.
In fact, that is what draws me to this area, it is so tranquil, It is quite a special place.
Father would come in on his boat, moor up in the early morning and leave at twilight. He had plans to do something special with the Mill, sadly, that never worked out.
When I acquired the Mill, I worked closely with the Broads Authority and some repairs were made, to sustain the condition, however I am hopeful planned works will begin later this year and then eventually, perhaps it can become the sketching mill I envisage.
As a designer and fine artist, I really appreciate this mill and its standing in this incredibly special place and I am keen to share my experiences with other artists.
Twilight and early morning are particularly atmospheric here. I am creating an artist hub, a sketch mill, somewhere where artists and the students I teach are able to attend and appreciate.
Outside sketching is very important to me, being able to have the essence of a memory of how you felt at a particular time is a special moment.
I Hope to make it a place where artists are able to come freely and just sketch and enjoy the incredible wildlife.
My father lived in Norfolk and we reconnected in the later part of my life, I would come up from London, visiting both my father and the mill. It was a chance to reconnect with nature, but also escape the hectic life.
These days I mainly use oils for my paintings, to be out in the open, sketching is a truly wonderful feeling”

Stoker | Lydia Eva | Great Yarmouth

A portrait of John – who volunteers as a stoker on the Lydia Eva – in Great Yarmouth.

Spoken in his own words in 2019.

 

“My job on the Lydia Eva is Stoker, shovelling coal all day, it’s the best job in the world.

These days I suffer with my joints and being down there with that heat makes me feel 18 again, it’s brilliant.

There’s no smoke in the engine room, it’s just the coal dust, it gets everywhere! We take people out on trips in the North Sea and encourage them to get involved, stoking, working on the ropes and really getting their hands dirty, a real drifter experience.

It’s the last surviving steam drifter in the world, It was built in Kings Lynn, and is the only one ever built in this shape. Really unique.

I’ve been involved with the Lydia Eva for 5 years. I left school at 14 and joined the army, I worked in Germany, driving and all sorts. Coming back to England, I worked as a bus driver in London for 10 years and then eventually moved to Great Yarmouth.

After being involved in Coast Watch for a few years, I decided to volunteer with this little lady”

 

#Greatyarmouth #norfolk #drifter #steamdrifter #lydiaeva #portrait #portraiture #lifestories

Sunrise on the Broads

A blast from the past…. These days, with my commercial and documentary work I’m shooting a lot less landscape material.
However, one of my lovely clients has just purchased this fine art print for their walls.

I remember turning up at this spot in Beccles three mornings, and finally struck gold with the lighting. Everything just fell into place to help make a wonderful capture.

Shot using a Nikon D3 and 24mm lens
#beccles #suffolk #broadsnationalpark #broads #boat #river #sunrise

Socially Distanced Corporate Photography in Cambridge

Working for yourself has some advantages, especially when something like Lockdown hits – but the one thing I’ve really missed is working with my clients – that simple human interaction.

Therefore It’s terrific to be back shooting across East Anglia – especially when I get invited back to a space like Future Business Centre.

This time it’s socially distanced and all about Covid19 and the measures they have put in place to make everyone safe.

A lot of work has gone into making the centres safe & sensible places to work – including the excellent lunches – which are not only safe, but taste great and look fabulous.

#cambridge #Peterborough #Cambs #Business #Open #Covid19 #Safe #Businesscentre #clean #sociallydistance #photography

Hilary Franzen | On The Broads

It was a pleasure to visit Hilary during the lovely summer of 2019 – sitting by the Broads, talking about her colourful life on the Broads.

Hilary Franzen Works and plays in the Broads
Hilary, who is Great Yarmouth born and bred, lives, works and plays in the Broads.
A former Great Yarmouth Mercury reporter, she first fell in love with the Broads at the age of seven, when her parents, Sybil and George Blowers, bought a historic Broads yacht, Martlet, built in 1907. Every November the family would sail past the village of Stokesby to a boatyard at Great Yarmouth for Martlet’s winter maintenance and Hilary would admire the pretty riverside cottages which lined the banks.
After 26 years her parents sold Martlet and despite dinghy sailing and horse riding there came to be a gap in her life which widened as the years passed.
Sixteen years later the year 2000 proved to be a turning point for Hilary. She managed to track down Martlet and bought her back and now races her regularly with an all-female crew. The same year she landed her dream job as press officer with the Broads Authority and in 2007 she bought her dream home – one of those riverside cottages at Stokesby she had fallen in love with as a child. It was the first time it had come up for sale since 1932!
Her historic riverside shed, aka The Slip Inn, is also a magnet for parties and weekly get togethers.
Now semi-retired, Hilary is visited regularly by a pair of swans and their ten cygnets who queue up regularly at her front door to be fed –and sometimes walk in – as well as resident geese and ducks.
“It’s been amazing watching them hatch and grow from close quarters,” she said. “They allow us to hand feed them, and we have built up a special relationship with them.”

#norfolk #Broads #Broadsnationalpark #portraiture #portrait #mercury #greatyarmouth #reporter

Sarah | Studying, Rural Uganda

Late last year I had the pleasure of visiting again the country close to my heart – Uganda. Obviously I was there to run Give a Child a Camera (www.giveachildacamera.co.uk), but while staying in the property of my dear friend Sarah, I had the chance to get to know her friend/housekeeper and the daughter – also Sarah.

On my second evening, I arrived home late to find young Sarah sitting outside, on the edge of a garden wall, devoting her time to homework, under torchlight – where she stayed for around an hour.

Amazing dedication from the bright young Ugandan girl.

#Africa #Uganda #School #Life #Portrait #night