From Paintbrush to pixels

My story of my journey to being an established equine photographer is an unusual one. My fully illustrated talk starts way back as a child, a sickly, chronic asthmatic with a strong love for horses. This led to a passion for drawing and painting every size and colour of pony my imagination would allow....

Due to a fierce allergy to horses, a camera was as near as I could go, otherwise I would end up in an oxygen tent after severe asthma attacks, so my collection of pony pictures and pot horses grew and grew, in turn as reference material feeding my passion for drawing and painting horses.

This love of art, nurtured throughout childhood took me through to a degree in fine art at Newcastle University where I learnt darkroom developing, unfortunately, also causing severe breathing problems. I battled on and it wasn't until I purchased a digital camera in 2006 that I really embraced what I could create.

After a teaching qualification in 2000 I started working in adult education and held numerous art workshops throughout the summer months. A chance encounter with a stunt team at The Royal Armouries led to the partnership with Atkinson Action Horses and the birth of my popular Photography Days events.

I joined a camera club in 1994, and stagnated, Then I joined a more dynamic camera club and blazed a trail of distinctions...

• LRPS in 2017
• CPAGB in 2018
• LMPA and AFIAP in 2019
• and I'm heading towards a DPAGB and EFIAP later in 2020

My equine photography is now hanging in a number of galleries in UK and Europe, alongside traditional artworks and I couldn't be prouder!