About Django

Ever since I can remember I've been interested in photography. As a kid I had a couple of old Kodak Instamatics that took 126 cartridge films and you could stick a flash cube on top. But it was only when I was approaching working age that I could afford anything respectable. My first proper camera arrived in the late 1980s. Since then I've graduated through a few different models, finally going digital in 2007. I love digital for the freedom it gives you to experiment without the ongoing costs of film and processing, however I'm glad my first 20 years or so were spent using film. It was a great way to learn the skills of photography and those ongoing costs forced you to think carefully about each image before you pressed the shutter release.

My increasing interest in urban photography and street photography is relatively new in my photographic career. Historically I've never had a preferred subject matter, feeling equally pleased with a well-caught landscape or a pin-sharp action shot taken at the peak of the action. However my job carried the need to visit customers and sometimes this entailed a train journey up into London. As I would walk between the client and the station I'd sometimes have a wander around, particularly if there was no desperation to get back early. I'd frequently see scenes I wish I could photograph but only had my phone with me, not being able to bring my real camera gear to customer meetings. Some of those photos, although only taken with a phone, became some of my favourite pictures and went on my Flickr stream with seemingly positive responses.

It's this that has fired my enthusiasm for capturing the urban landscape. I rapidly learned that an architectural shot or city scene could often be enhanced by the inclusion of a figure, both for scale and as a focal point. This in turn has lead me to begin focusing more on the figure themselves, using the environment to place the person or people in context and to try to tell a story through the image, using light and shadow to create mood and add impact. The idea and challenge of capturing life and interactions, those candid moments of people who are unaware they are being photographed, is a hugely rewarding challenge. You never know quite what you'll get or how things will turn out. Your style needs to change depending on light, location and context. It's easily the hardest type of photography I've tried due to this unpredictability and the risk of confrontation - not everyone might appreciate being the subject of your art, no matter how well meaning and innocent your portrayal of them might be. Remaining respectful of your subject is key.