untitled #15

^{[I originally posted this entry as early access for my Patreon patrons on 23 December 2021].}

And here's the final season's grievings image for 2021!

I hope you've enjoyed these again this year.

Let me know in the comments if you think I should continue sharing these in December 2022, or if you've had enough of this curated series!

untitled #27

^{[I originally posted this entry as early access for my Patreon patrons on 21 December 2021].}

This image is the 'before' picture of sister.

A good deed was done between captures by my companion in righting the Christmas tree that had fallen during the previous night's heavy rain.

And this is the penultimate season's grievings image for 2021!

reindeer, roses and wreaths

^{[I originally posted this entry as early access for my Patreon patrons on 19 December 2021].}

the headless horseman

^{[I originally posted this image as early access for my Patreon patrons on 12 December 2021].}

untitled #30

^{[I originally posted this entry as early access for my Patreon patrons on 17 December 2021].}

untitled #9

^{[I originally posted this entry as early access for my Patreon patrons on 15 December 2021].}

untitled #30

^{[I originally posted this entry as early access for my Patreon patrons on 13 December 2021].}

fruitful

^{[I originally posted this entry as early access for my Patreon patrons on 11 December 2021].}

for no one knows his dying day

^{[I originally posted this entry as early access for my Patreon patrons on 5 December 2021].}

lily and the snowman

^{[I originally posted this entry as early access for my Patreon patrons on 9 December 2021].}

sister

^{[I originally posted this entry as early access for my Patreon patrons on 7 December 2021].}

untitled #19

^{[I originally posted this entry as early access for my Patreon patrons on 5 December 2021].}

st eugene

^{[I originally posted this entry as early access for my Patreon patrons on 21 November 2021].}

untitled #171

^{[I originally posted this entry as early access for my Patreon patrons on 15 November 2021].}

untitled #161

^{[I originally posted this entry as early access for my Patreon patrons on 8 November 2021].}

fell into the sea

^{[I originally posted this entry as early access for my Patreon patrons on 18 October 2021].}

Hello, my lovelies!

I'm ever so sorry for the radio silence! It's been a manic week or more, and I'm desperately trying to catch up at the moment.

Please bear with me over the next couple of weeks while I'm completing two more kitteh-sitting gigs and working from the laptops of my clients.

I'm fortunate to own a 27" 4K iMac, but I'm currently working from a standard 27" monitor and a 13.3" Macbook Air screen. Neither of which are calibrated. So apologies if things look awry (though I'm sure I'll notice the issues more than you!)

My current wards are two devastatingly cute but mischievous characters who are only five months and one year old, respectively. So they require more wrangling and attention than my last gaolers. As a consequence, it's taken me a while to get myself back on track after relocating last Thursday afternoon, even though I'm only an hour's commute from my home.

After a false start at the beginning of September, I now finally have an excellent new flatmate joining me on 1 November, so the past week has been busy with the admin required to make that official.

I also spent a chunk of last week completing some design work for a client.

And I managed to sneak in a self-portrait shoot in the second bedroom in my flat before it becomes occupied again. I look forward to sharing some of those with you in the coming weeks! It's shocking that I've lived in the flat for about five and a half years but had not managed to shoot in there until recently because it was almost always someone else's space. And when it wasn't, I was away from home.

I also have quite a few self-portraits remaining to share with you from my time in Shepherd's Bush.

I may manage some self-portraits in my current location in Wandsworth. But I'll have to see how confident I feel about putting my camera and tripod at the mercy of two kitties prone to cutting laps in hot pursuit of each other.

I'm also hoping to get out and about one day this week to explore the local and Battersea areas.

My next kitteh-sitting gig - starting straight after this one - will take me to Wales! My first time back in another of my ancestral countries since 2001!

That holds the promise of potential self-portraits but also the opportunity to explore the area a little. And the company of two "furry idiots" I've been assured are low maintenance but prone to bringing "gifts" to their owners in the form of moles and mice (another potential photo opportunity for me, of course!)

Meanwhile, tonight I'm sharing a full-length photo of the grave at the Holy Trinity Church in Bosham I shared in a previous post, going overboard. The inscription aroused quite a lot of interest across my social media accounts a couple of weeks ago when I shared it there.

It reads:

In Memory of
THOMAS son of Richard and Ann
BARROW, Master of the sloop Two
Brothers who by the Breaking of the
Horse fell into the sea & was Drown'd
October the 13th 1759. Aged 23 years.

Tho Boreas's Storms and Neptune's waves
have tos'd me to and fro
Yet I at length by God's decree
am harbour'd here below
Where at an Anchor here I lay
with many of our Fleet
Yet once again I shall set Sail
my Saviour Christ to meet.

going overboard

^{[I originally posted this entry as early access for my Patreon patrons on 3 October 2021].}

monday mourning

^{[I originally posted this entry as early access for my Patreon patrons on 6 September 2021].}

Last week was another rollercoaster of emotions, for better or worse.

A phantom anniversary. Remarked upon but left uncelebrated.

The fire under emotions briefly rekindled. Absentmindedly stirred and warmed then left forgotten upon the cooling stove once more.

A meeting related to the new assignment I mentioned last week inspired me, excited me and made me at least a little jealous. But at least that jealousy will be assuaged by the opportunity to live and work in a space for a few weeks that I see as hugely inspiring.

Maybe this experience will lead to other similar opportunities. Let's see...

And then, on Friday evening, it seems I found a lovely new flatmate (subject to referencing). All going to plan, she'll move in at the beginning of October.

Between emotional and physical upheavals, September will potentially be looked back upon (and for now, looked forward to) as one of impermanence.

But, mostly, I hope, in a good way.

unstained glass

^{[I originally posted this entry as early access for my Patreon patrons on 29 August 2021].}

This week has been such a mixed bag. A rollercoaster of emotions.

High points: spending the evening with friends doing a BYO quiz at a pub on the other side of town, and long chats with friends far away about life, love, art, work and the future.

Low points: feelings of panic, fear and dread. Some of that feeling has calmed, but it'll be a while before it goes. And there is so much more left to do to lift it.

Meanwhile, and possibly related, the past few days have been the most productive I've been able to have since before I caught Covid. Especially in terms of working on things long overdue that will move me further in the direction I want to go.

I've been working on avenues to find new clients, including updating and adding projects to my profile on The Dots. I still have more projects to add, but it now includes some social media design and copywriting work I did in my previous job.

Unfortunately, you can only view the content of my projects when logged in. If you're a member, feel free to connect with me.

I've also been working on profiles on other sites. And I need to create a portfolio website showcasing my design, social media, book design, editorial photography, writing work, etc. Not just my photography, which is what my main website is for.

I also seem to have fallen into a new line of work. My first assignment is expected to start from 13 September for three weeks, running alongside any other projects I pick up during that time.

Some of you already know what it is (no spoilers in the comments, please!) But I'm going to keep it under wraps for everyone else until it starts.

I hope it will inspire me, lead to new photo series, and maybe even involve collaboration. I'll say no more for now.

I hope those of you in the UK are having a pleasant bank holiday weekend and that all of you are staying safe and well x

until the day break and the shadows flee away

^{[I originally posted this entry as early access for my Patreon patrons on 15 August 2021].}

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untitled #22 [st andrew’s church, totteridge village, barnet, london, england, 2021]

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until the day break and the shadows flee away [st andrew’s church, totteridge village, barnet, london, england, 2021]