The Background

I am lucky enough to have two good friends who are not afraid to tell me what they think I should be doing.  Both have given me similar advice over the last couple of months.  The press and documentary photographer Sandra Lorkowska  has encouraged me to dream and to work towards achieving my dreams, she thinks from the heart.  Mina Ahmed is a emerging fine art photographer who gives sensible, grown up advice, but her passion and work ethic have given me the drive to proceed.

I was taught by Paul Hill, amongst others, in the late 70s and early 80s.  He not only passed on a passion for image making, but an attitude towards teaching, which I hope I have been able to continue in my 27 years of teaching photography.  One of the things that impressed me the most about Paul was The Photographer’s Place.  Based in his cottage in Derbyshire this was a location where photographers could meet, work, learn and discuss photography.  It has always been my dream to be able to start a place like this.

The Reasoning

I worked on a campus in the north of Manchester, which had superb photography facilities, including a 15 enlarger darkroom with a central sink.  Ex students and independent practitioners used to come back year after year to use the facilities.  When I was eventually moved off this campus I managed to reopen a darkroom, with the help of a letter written for me by Franz Peter Verheyan.  Again this was used by a wide variety of people, but as the campus was aimed at 16-19 year olds it was decided that my schemes were inappropriate and I was moved to a very nice campus in South Manchester, but no darkroom.

There seems to be no chance of ever getting a darkroom at the campus and the syllabus now is totally digital so I no longer see my future being in Further Education.  Luckily I am now 53, so early retirement will be possible in a few years.  It is still my passionate belief that to understand photography you have to understand the full process, you have to understand exposure and the effects of controlling tones through this process.  You need to master the craft.

The Plan

I visited a local mill last week with Mina along to keep my feet on the ground.  As a result I have now signed a 12 month lease (well actually 14 for the price of 12) on a space  The studio as they optimistically call it, is the top part of the old engine room from when cotton was produced in the mill.  There was not really much of a choice of units, as only one had water, luckily it seems to meet my needs.  Part of it is already partitioned wit a stud wall, but I think I may need to move it to fit a darkroom in, there is just 1 double socket, but a new power supply that more than meets my requirement, and no light fittings.  The walls need plastering, the ceiling repairing and the floor sanding – so enough to keep me busy.