My parents emigrated from Scotland and Northern Ireland to Canada and we lived there until I was about and then my whole family moved back to Scotland where I finished High School and went to university. I currently reside in Northern Ireland, in a small village just outside of Belfast.

My interest in photography developed around the same time as my interest in menswear – the early 2000s. I saw examples of street style photography on blogs and Tumblrs and became fascinated with photographers like Scott Schumann and Tommy Ton, who were attending fashion trade shows like Pitti Uomo, showcasing men of all ages and nationalities dressing in ways that I hadn’t encountered before.

I have now been working in menswear for over 15 years, and freelancing as a photographer for over 10 years, so I remain involved in both of those worlds. I still get a kick out of shooting people who dress well and stylishly. However, I am now doing it in a more focused manner, working directly with brands and clients themselves, and – being self taught – I am still developing my personal style of photography.

Over the years, I have been able to hone in on what I like about an image. Primarily, it is always going to be about the clothing and how someone is wearing it – how an individual has styled something, what they have chosen to wear with it, the fit, the drape, the cut, the proportions, colour, texture, pattern, the mix of differing styles – these always draw me in first and foremost. But I have come to realize that I enjoy seeing a lightness in the people I shoot – searching for more candid images, looking for that humour at times. It is something that I strive for more than anything else now

Freelancing in any kind of creative arts can be extremely challenging. There is the continual development of style – I never want to rest on my laurels or ‘switch off’ as I find ideas constantly pop into my head. And then there are the proposals for future projects, the approaching of new clients, the liaising with existing clients, etc. Factor in family life and it can become hard to find a balance, which is important as being creative isn’t a faucet one can simply turn on and off – that “downtime” with my wife and two sons is crucial.

I have been very lucky to work with clients whose products I greatly admire, travel to places around the planet that I otherwise wouldn’t have had the chance to visit, author one book and co-author two others, and work in an industry that I enjoy and get a lot of satisfaction out of.

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