Return.

Return.

Forgive the huge gap between blogs had a few lifechanging events happen in the last month, I lost my mother which although she was in deteriorating health was still a bit of a shock, it did put into perspective a few things and reduced the stress of the work wobble that I was in at the time. Consider this post asa return to the regular scheduled programming.

You will notice that there are still a number of posts between June and July that are there but a shadow of the usual format, the main reasoning behind this is that I had a few time-sensitive blog post ideas that I’d like to still publish, most are an initial idea and contain a single paragraph, of which I shall flesh out later when I have more headspace etc., I would like you to think of them with kindness as a ‘todo’ notes that I will return to.

So where are we now? 

Well in regard to NathanPhoto, it fits in where it can and sometimes not at all.

As a little background refresher to this statement, NathanPhoto was always my first strand of photographic identity, mainly working in a commercial setting (but with a few arts projects to keep balance guessing). It has taken a slight backseat role in recent years to my teaching, research and photographic day job. Its current identity is one of occasional commercial ‘jobs’ with a more sustained focus on the incredible archive that has built up over the 30 (!) years of working. This is no easy task and one that takes contemplation and direction, it is a slow process in the realms of todays thinking.

I also use NathanPhoto as a touchstone for my teaching practice and more recently as a focus in my research practice, still believe that it has a future and a value. One new strand that developed strongly this year is the #NPMonthlyWord idea. This is a monthly brief in the shape of a illustrating a single word which had been going well but understandably has derailed somewhat. The images have been made and will be published but it’s unfair to ask for participants when it is in its current state, so look for a relaunch that later in the year. Another new direction for this year that has been suggested numerously was to to launch a YouTube channel. To put some archive/teaching/stories/experiences up in video format, I’m not convicted in the format and the value I can add to current thinking, especially as the good ship NathanPhoto swims in the very heavily policed waters of the ‘award winning’ sector, so we will see.

Anyway, these are all plans for the future and the development of which will be time and energy specific, in the meantime I will use this blog as a means of communicating developments/ideas/thoughts however they come so expect a mixture of definite/random posts that sum up the NathanPhoto.

As ever a blog needs an image like the sunshine needs the rain and as you can imagine I’ve been mostly reflecting on my Mother recently. I thought I’d include a photograph of one of her favourite flowers, as a photographer one of the things you do is provide personal images as gifts and my Mum was no exception in receiving all sorts of images over the years. A number of years ago I did a canvas for her of a closeup of a sunflower, it is incredibly generic and could have been made anywhere but she kept it so as a tribute thought I’d do an update here in the digital realm as a reminder of her and this time.

Thank you for reading and thank you for your time.

Any feedback, thoughts or ideas then get me on the usual channels.

Nathan.