At the age of five, the gift of an instamatic camera from my grandfather, proved to be the catalyst for a passion for photography, the ‘magic’ of that event remains undiminished from those early years. I was born in the village of Dosthill, Staffordshire in 1955, photography remained a hobby reflecting a love of rural life, the countryside and its wildlife. It was these activities that formed a bedrock for later development within art and design. In education, art and related subjects became a major stimulus, enthusiasticallly upheld ‘out of hours’ as there was very limited time allocated within the school curriculum. Upon completing a foundation course I studied Multi-Disciplinary Design at the North Staffordshire Polytechnic, graduating with a First Class Hons. Degree in Surface Pattern Design and Photography. Those formative years allowed me to embrace many disciplines, an integral part of my creative development, for which I can trace many influences in my ensuing work. For several years I became heavily involved within the commercial field of surface design, primarily in products for interior design, however photography remained as a continuous thread throughout this period. Early in the 90’s I decided to channel all my energy into photography, a creative expression for which I had sole control and derived such pleasure.