Images

I worked in Darkrooms for the next nine years, the idea of becoming a photographer disappeared when I got my first motorcycle in 1978 then after that all my time seemed to be dedicated to supporting this ‘two wheeled’ addiction and having fun.

In 1985 I started to realise I needed to get myself sorted out and focus back on my photography. I used to go down the Newcastle quayside where there was, and still is, a great place called the Side Gallery They are well known for their promotion of documentary photography exhibition. I first saw the work of Finnish Photographer Sirkka-Liisa Konttinen documenting the Byker before it all got swept away. I also remember seeing the powerful works of Don McCullin, the stark Black and White images once seen never forgotten.

In 1986 I decided to give up my job in the darkroom and to take a two year photography course at Newcastle College of Arts and Design. This photograph was taken at my local corner shop in Gateshead and is still a favourite of mine. We were in the store room chatting and the owner raised her arm to point something out, I clicked and got the shot. You can see the ‘McCullin’ influence with the way I printed it. Ilford graded paper went from OO (soft) to 5 (hard) contrast, I was always bouncing about 4-5.

 

I started working as a darkroom assistant in 1977 just after my sixteenth birthday. I started working at Turners Photography in Pink Lane, Newcastle upon Tyne which was one of the largest Photography Companies in the North East. The building housed the retail side on the ground floor, with the floors above containing the film department, Administration, picture mounting and art department, photographers studio and right at the top the processing labs.

We had B&W developing tanks for 35mm, 120 and 5×4 sheet film, the same for C41 colour process and also E6. There was also the B&W and colour printing labs and an area for copying graphics. All very daunting for someone straight out of school, I spent the first few months just washing, drying and trimming the borders of prints, oh and being the general dogsbody, popping down the the local Greggs for various pies, pastries etc. Starting at the bottom there was only one way to go, but it took me quite a while.