News

I have been invited to show some of my photography
as part of an Architectural Exhibition, taking place at the Stafford Shire Hall Gallery.

The gallery is closed at the moment, undergoing refurbishment.
It will re open with the launch of this exhibition on the 11th February
running right through until the 25th March.

I hope you can pop in to see some time . . .

I will be displaying some of my photography, along with fellow members of Gallery@12
in the main bar of the New Vic.
It starts tonight, kicking off is 7pm, but if you can't make it the exhibition is on until the 20th of February.

My work will be for sale.

I have been asked to show my work at 'You In Mind'
44 Carter Street, Uttoxeter ST148EU
Tel: 01889 0563258

The new Gallery, Cafe, Shop also include extensive Craft Workshop facilities!
One thing is for sure, you will be made very welcome by this close family run enterprise.
Hassle free parking at the rear!

New works can now be seen hanging in the fabulous refurbished Moat House conservatory restaurant.

Included are more recent local landscapes and nature subjects.
I hope you enjoy seeing them, almost as much as the wonderful food and surroundings!

I have donated a limited edition print of 'Genesis' to hopefully help raise funds
for the Stone & District Stroke Club and St Michael's Bells Appeal.
It will be on show awaiting bids this Saturday 22nd October at the Trafalgar Dinner, Being held at The Crown Hotel, Stone.

If you would like to make a bid please call Miss Jackie Allen on 01785 619743.
The retail value of the framed print is £110.

Christina and I have been published in the latest issue of Staffordshire Life.
The editorial gives a pretty good idea of what we are getting up to these days . . .

Christina and I are taking part in Open Studios 2011.
Our Preview evening went very well and I would like to thank all who helped and came along to join our party.

The last week end for a visit is 24/25 September!

See more on my FaceBook page . . .

Staffordshire Enjoy Art, Open Studios Preview Exhibition takes place between 13th and 27th August.
The exciting new Barewall Gallery will be holding the event, exhibiting some of my work, along side other accomplished artists.

Please go along and support Amanda and Paula in their new enterprise at 2-4 Market Place, Burslem.

Chrissie and I last opened up our home in Stone, Staffordshire, to Open Studios back in 2009, which proved to be surprisingly successful!
We were very busy last September, deciding to skip a year. Now we are delighted to be able to invite you to our 2011 event, dates include the last two weekends in September, 17-18 and 24-25.

As before, this event will be supporting the Macmillan Cancer Charity.

We hope you can come along and join us . . .

The last two weeks have been very busy for me!

All made worthwhile on Friday when I delivered my largest commission of 22 Limited Edition Prints to the Dog & Doublet at Sandon, Staffordshire.
It reopened its doors on 1st of April, after an extensive refurbishment.
I was fortunate to be asked to provide a selection of images from my collection for all public areas downstairs, 1st floor corridors and bedrooms.

You've just got to go and see the new Dog & Doublet.
It's pretty smart now and the food is reported to be very good too!

SINWP stands for The Society of International Nature and Wildlife Photographers.
This society also supports the field of landscape photography.

Got to start work on my award submissions soon.
I'll let you know how I get on . . .

SWPP stands for The Society of Wedding & Portrait Photographers.
I hope this will help my social photographic skills.

Christina and I have joined Staffordshire Enjoy Art for 2011 and 2012.
Stay tuned for news regarding Open Studios in September.

'Winter Surprise'
Trent Mersey Canal last December.

For a 2nd year in a row I have a winner at the Three Counties Open Photography Exhibition. Then out with friends from the Stafford Photographic Society afterwards.

Life don't get much better than this!

Picture courtesy of Chris Stone, Press Office, Keele University.

This was my second invitation to present a talk at Walton PS.
I wanted to show something different this time. Something that would not only hopefully inspire but offer a window into the way I work and prepare my images. So I produced some prints direct from my original RAW files to show a direct comparison, before & after, side by side. It seemed to go down well.

Thank you for another enjoyable evening.
Hope I managed to answer some of your questions well enough.

It was also great to see so many partners being brought along too!

Thanks to a company called Blurb I have managed to publish my 1st book! Called 'A Canadian Adventure', it tracks my families story half way across the canadian wilderness. Starting at Calgary, Alberta. On through the rockies, Peachland and onto Vancouver on the west coast of British Columbia. Not only did we get to see all the amazing sights, but also relatives and their friends.
I will be bringing out a more affordable soft back art book showing only the best of my landscape photographs, which will be on sale from the Blurb site and some of my exhibitions.
I also hopefully intend bringing out a similar book based on my favorite Lake District spots.
We'll see . . .

Allan + Bertram have used my work in there Premium View wall calendar 2012.
Link: www.allanandbertram.com/calendar/desk/premium/view/

I am now next to people like David Noton and Joe Cornish.
Hope they don't mind too much!!

Sharon and Collin have kindly invited me to exhibit some of my work in Mill Street, Stafford.
I first met them when I asked them to produce a canvas print for me via their son up in Manchester. He did a great job and has produced other canvas prints clients have been very pleased with.
I hope it will prove be a long term business relationship.

We visit 'Baxters Retreat', in Keswick each Autumn.
This year the owner asked me to take my 1st canvas print of 'Wildlife On Derwent Water' for their cottage.
Here it is hanging above our fireplace before taking it up there.
You can find the details to 'Baxters Retreat' on my LINKS page . . .

I have wanted to display my work closer to the Peak District, from where a draw much of my inspiration.
The invitation was taken up with great gusto!
I have been allowed framed work and a browser of prints for people to view.

Work now being displayed in the Atrium of Gallery oOn The Square in Stone.

Good turnout for Gallery @ 12 during the carnival.
Mike and Helen, shown here, are members of the gallery and really got into the spirit of the day.

Longest day of the year and my sister Patricia's birthday!

Stewart George at Radio Stoke gave me the opportunity to give a bit of advice to listeners live on air! Truly a nerve racking experience!
If they ask me back I would hope to cut down on the aaaars and hummmms.

Still I hoped the tips and encouragement I gave helped people go out and take a fresh look at their surroundings..

Gallery At 12 is a small but successful artist's co-oprative based at No.12 High Street in Eccleshall, Staffordshire ST21 6BZ.

They are celebrating their first year together and they have asked me, along with two more artists, to join them on the 1st floor of their newly extended gallery.

Please come along and see our work on Sunday 16th May between 11am and 4pm, where we will be offering refreshments and an opportunity to meet most of the members, including myself!

It's all happening in Eccleshall.
Hope to see you there . . .

Michael • • • • • • collected his chosen print 'Tranquility' for winning my draw in this month's Stone & Eccleshall Gazette.

Thank you to all of you who took part and for all the favourable feedback I received from my editorial.

The Lady Mayor of S-o-T called by today with her framed photograph of Genesis.
This was the 3 Counties Photographic Exhibition 2010 winning entry.

I was asked to title, sign and number the work.

All my photographs are limited edition prints of only 100 of each.
Hopefully this will make them a little more valuable in the future!!

'Hill House Deer' has come up trumps in this months
Outdoor Photography's competition called 'Nature in Winter"!

This image didn't get very far when I showed it in the Stafford Photographic Society monthly competitions,
but that didn't stop me trying again.

This image has also become a popular image, selling well in the 'Gallery On The Square' in Stone.

I just love the effect frost has on the landscape!

The Stone & Eccleshall Gazette has very kindly used me for a centre page spread this month!

Thank you to Christine Conlin for the amusing and complimentary editorial. Hope you enjoy it!

To make it a bit more interestiong I have included a draw to win an image of your choice off this website.
It will be a signed, limited edition mounted print (16"x12"), worth £40.

Good luck!

Details to be posted shortly . . .

Yes, finally I've cracked it!

I was awarded 1st prize for my photograph 'Genesis' at the 3 Counties Photographic Exhibition at Keele, last night. All three of my entries were accepted, the other two being 'Fairground Reflection' and 'Hill House Deer.

As if this wasn't enough excitement for one day, the Lord Mayer of Stoke-on-Trent bought my 'Genesis' framed print before the show even opened!

Hopefully this will please Margaret and John Exton of Stone who were the first to purchase this image from me!

Sales continue to do well at The Gallery On The Square in Stone.

I have been working hard on my website over the past couple of years and was very surprised to see an article praising my work appear in the latest issue of Outdoor Photography 124.

You tend to pitch yourself up against all the other great photographers in these magazines, which makes it all the more rewarding.

I find my website so useful when it comes to letting people know a little more about my kind of work.
My landscape photography seems to be picking up momentum!

Outdoor Photography was kind enough to publish a few words on my visit to the Northumberland Coast back in March.
This was a slow exposure of the tide rushing back into the sea during a storm 6.23am at Embleton Bay, with Dunstanburgh in the background.

It was worth the very early start!

I will be putting the image into competition next week at the Stafford Photography Society. Weekly meetings held on Tuesday nights 7.30pm at The Gatehouse.

I was spotted walking Megan along Trent and Mersey Canal just before Christmas.
Helen Boardman and Dave Pickard from the recently formed Walton Photographic Society had recognised me from their regular visits to the Gallery on the Square and Fleur Tea Rooms at the top of Stone High Street. Before I knew it I had agreed to go along and present a snapshot of my kind of photography.

I took along prints instead of an AV show. I often find people prefer to see the finished product, looking at it's very best. I let my landscapes take centre stage. Other subjects such as creative and nature were also well received. The evening went by so quickly. I set out not to be too technical giving the odd tip here and there. A coffee break gave me the opportunity to chat to folk.

I would just like the thank the club for their warm welcome and a very enjoyable evening!

Today I have been asked if ProAm Imaging Ltd may use some of my images to promote their business at
The Society of Professional Image Makers Convention, at Novotel, London West, this month.

I have used ProAm (photo processing service) along side my own in-house Epson printing for the last 2 years or so.
I consider this request a great honour.

My photographic work is now on display in The Gallery On The Square, Bags of Beautiful Gifts, Granville Square, Stone.

You would be most welcome to come along and see my landscape photography.
As well as local scenes, you will find other locations shown on this web site.
If you can't find what you want call me to discuss . . .

You will also be able to see my wife Christina's pastel paintings at the same venue.

In addition to buying my images here on my website, my photography will be exhibited and available to order or buy at
Bags Of Beautiful Gifts, Granville Square, Stone Staffordshire.

I hope you can come along to view my work soon!

Christina and I are very pleased to report our first Staffordshire Open Studios participation has been a great success.
We kicked it all off with a very busy preview evening, followed by two well attended weekends.
Thank you to all who came along and supported us and helped out with drinks and the washing up etc.
We hope visitors who bought our work derive many years of pleasure from their purchase.

We will be hosting a similar show in the future and will post details closer to the time.

Christina and I were invited to London on Wednesday for the opening of the British Wildlife Photography Awards 2009.

Earlier in the year I had entered 3 wildlife images into the BWPA competition. Then came the call to say my work had been shortlisted for inclusion into their exhibition at the Hoopers Gallery.
Fortunately We were a going to be meeting up with my cousins Andrea and husband Tremayn from Canada and cousin Trevor and wife Linda from Hackney! We spent the afternoon catching up over a long lunch near Covent Garden before hopping on a bus to the gallery.
I am pleased to report my image 'Serenity' scooped one of the 7 categories 'Wildlife in my Locality'. Presentation by Nick Backer (naturalist and broadcaster).
We met several interesting people while enjoying the whole show.

Hoopers (photography) Gallery 15 Clerkenwell Close, EC1R 0AA. You can visit the exhibition until 16.10.09.

Please come and see both my wife's pastel art and my own Photographic contrabution to our joint exhibition of work, here at our home in Stone, on the last two weekends in September.

We, hopefully, look forward to seeing you then . . .

I am leased to report a very successful 1st weekend and look forward to 26-27th.
Thank you to all who joined us and left such positive feedback!

I was very pleased to be accepted into this prestigious national photographic magazine. You can find me in the Portfolio Section of the August issue.

I'm so glad that sheep knew what he was doing!

I was pleased to receive a selectors award for this submission into the national Cotswold Salon 2009, for monochrome prints.
I collect the award tomorrow!

Thank you Helen Taylor.

After a very close battle I came 1st in the club's Monthly Colour Competitions 2008-2009.

It is not an award I expect to pick up again for quite a while!
We have quite a phew accomplished members in the SPS which place it as one of the top 10 clubs in the country!

4 Exhilarating days spent with 3 Davids, 1 Peter and a Waldo from North Caroliner!
We all stayed at St. Cuthbert's House in Seahouses, on the coast with our very friendly hosts Jill and Geff Sutheran. It was a all one big hoot! ...more

Midland Counties Photographic Federation 46th Annual Exhibition.

I am pleased to report two awards this year in both Landscape and Nature sections!

This date was when this site was first launched.

It's purpose is to show some of the photography I have produced over recent years.