Calotype Workshop Week
I'm excited to announce I'll be running a full week teaching all the intricate stages of the Calotype process at my studio in Nuneaton in May 2026. Teaching alongside process historian Rob Douglas, this is a rare opportunity to learn the tacit knowledge involved in this process in a hands-on way, making your own calotypes.
We'll cover Photogenic Drawing, then all the stages of the Calotype that includes;
- choosing and iodising paper,
- sensitisation,
- exposure,
- development
- fixing
- washing procedures
- and salt printing.
The workshops will include making still lives, portraits and working in the landscape on a historical location in Warwickshire.
A schedule of the week and details on how to book are in the document that is available on this link.
George Shaw Public Exhibition
A new public exhibition of my research nto the work of early photographer George Shaw (1818-1904) has opened in Birmingham city centre and is free to visit on the street from December 2025. The exhibition was produced and supported by the team at Colmore BID and designed by Stacey Barnfield. It shares George Shaw’s story and importance to the city, located on the place where Shaw worked as a professor in Chemistry at Queens College.
This is the beginning of further work to establish a more permanent public artwork in recognition of Shaw’s currently under acknowledged contribution to Birmingham which is taking place throughout 2026.
The exhibition has been covered in the following features.
BBC
Digital Camera World
Open Eye Gallery commission
I've been commissioned by Open Eye Gallery as one of the national photographers for the project Our Freedom : Then and Now. This project, organised by Future Arts Centres involves a large network of arts centres producing new artwork and community events that respond to the theme of Freedom, 80 years on from VE Day.
I’ve been making portraits at various community events, using historical photographic processes to talk to people about their history, memories and hopes for the future. The work has been collaborative, working with talented artists commissioned to produce artwork for other strands of the programme such as Stephen Burke, Heidi Pendergrast and Jennifer Collier.
I’m working from August – December 2025 with and at the following organisations; In Knowle with Grain projects at Arden Academy and the Royal British Legion. In Burton upon Trent, with Burton Brewhouse Carers’ café and the Burton Brewing Heritage Centre. At Wolverhampton Arts Centre and with Warwickshire Libraries in Atherstone, Lillington and Bedworth Almshouses.
The photographs from this commission will be exhibited in a national touring exhibition beginning at Southbank Centre on 25th March 2026.
image thanks to Anjna Chouhan at Warwickshire Libraries.
Women in Photography Birmingham Workshops
I've been having a lovely time working with talented women from the Women in Photography Birmingham network, recently named Luna at my studio in Nuneaton.
Photographers involved in the network have visited over the course of two Saturdays to learn wet plate processes, making some impressive portraits. We’ve shared stories, food and encouragement in a mutually supportive environment. It’s been wonderful.
image thanks to Maria Reeney
Springhill Creative ladies visit the Exchange
I've been making cyanotypes with the creative ladies at The Springfield project in Sparkhill as part of my work on the University of Birmingham's project, Unlocking the Vaults. We’ve been discussing the history of the building whilst doing this and the ladies have brought some wonderful first-hand memories of visiting The Exchange building in its former life as a bank. Some of the ladies who have attended the sessions used the safety deposit boxes in the vaults to store their precious items.
It was a real pleasure to welcome the ladies back into the building and to make this large-scale ambrotype with them to celebrate their visit.