Sometimes there is just a camera in my hand “just in case” I feel a need (and let’s face it, it is a powerful urge so I now consider it a need as opposed to a want) to try and capture something. I had spent a beautiful day with a friend, talking about the strange times we are living in, and our own personal experiences of the challenges faced over the past few years. A delicious visit to a local cafe with no expense spared (sometimes you just have to indulge). And we ended the day with a walk about the town, and into the local park at golden hour.

I had picked up my Nikon Coolpix B500 … a little do-everything superzoom, perfect for the occasion. It’s easy to think my full frame and APS-C cameras are better for photography, but this little point and shoot is a fun companion on travels where I don’t want the weight or fuss of changing lenses.

There’s a little creek in there somewhere.

The world feels awfully vulnerable these days - and there is so much division and anger swirling about. It makes me want to keep going as a photographer and artist because creativity and joy are good for my health, and for my soul. I like to think I, along with many, many others, are contributing something nice, hopeful, beautiful … just something positive to counterbalance the negative.

Like many others, I find cameras to be a passion and for this reason, they’re quite simply good for my own mental health. It isn’t always about taking good photos, but rather, engaging with the world around me in a way that brings joy and frankly, keeps me afloat under the threat of drowning in a sea of anxieties about the future.

Evening walks in the gardens

“Back in my day …”

Housing crisis 2023 onwards