Paul Saunders Photography

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Paul Saunders

1. What inspired you to become a photographer?

I have always had a creative urge but I wasn’t able to convert that into painting or drawing, I think that is why I turned to photography. Having received a decent camera from my wife for my 30th Birthday, I began to point it at anything and everything but I was sadly disappointed with the results; this was the era of film photography so I had to wait to see the results. I had become a ‘happy snapper’. John Lewis, my former employer, had a camera club so I joined that club and became interested in portrait photography. The club had access to a studio and professional lighting so my results were much improved. I also photographed in-house events for John Lewis but these events held little interest for me at the time and as a result I began to lose interest in my photography, I had lost my ‘mojo’. At one point I had my own darkroom, developing my own negatives and prints. This old technology seems archaic to me now and I would not enjoy using the process now, although some of the processes translate into digital photo processing.

2. In your opinion what makes good photographic art?

To me, the photograph has to hold my attention immediately so that my eye is led straight to the most important part of the photo and not being distracted by other less important elements. Also, the colours, shapes and general composition have to grab me, that will vary from person to person.

My photography can either be a straight forward image or something more quirky making it a ‘marmite’ image; you either love it or hate it instantly. I don’t mind a viewer looking at one of my pictures and not liking it, if I like it then I will make a print of it and leave the judgement as to whether it is good or bad to others. With my photographs I try to leave the viewer wondering how it was created, was the effect created 'in camera’ or by some 'trickery' in Photoshop. Some of my images are straight forward single layer photographs and some are multi-layered. I will always state whether the image was created ‘in camera’ or is a multi-layer image using Photoshop. Every digital photograph has to be 'processed' through some form of software these days anyway.

3. Have you been involved in any exhibitions?

I exhibited in The Peterborough Open Exhibition in 2016 in the Peterborough Museum, Peterborough Artists Open Studios (PAOS) exhibition in the Museum and other exhibitions there.

PAOS, I have exhibited in various places with open studios over the last 5 years including the Cathedral Visitor Centre in 2018. A previous exhibition was held in the Maccaloo Gastro restaurant in Eye. Currently my work is on display in one form or another in the Museum, Flag Fen and Gallery Stamford on Maiden Lane in Stamford.

4. What encouraged you to sell your art online?

My interest in photography was re-kindled in the early ‘noughties’ when digital started to become a serious competitor to film photography. Initially photo restoration became my main focal point, restoring postcards of famous Edwardian actresses. My chance encounter with the local gallery owner, Dawn Birch-James (Art in the Heart) in June 2011 changed the course of my photographic ‘career’ such as it was at that stage. Dawn loved the style and fashion of these photo restorations, many of them I tinted from the original black and white postcard. These restored images then appeared in her gallery as large framed prints and greetings cards. The gallery was situated in Harriet’s Tea Room at that time (2011). The tea room unfortunately closed and Dawn acquired a shop on Bridge Street near the Town Hall. I was then expected to supply other photographic work, of which I had virtually zero images. It was a real struggle, but I gradually created some images with commercial appeal and with the occasional sale I was encouraged to carry on. I was also a volunteer in the shop so that gave me the chance to meet like-minded people. Many of my early images were of beach huts, owls and an abstract of rippled sand. These images gave me a start, a world away from what I produce now. When I look back at some of my early images I feel humbled and fortunate to have sold some of them which gave me the encouragement to try to produce better ones. Dawn is now an Art Biz teacher, and Art in the Heart is now an online business only.

5. Have you released any new photographic artwork?

Yes, although I am not prolific and find it a struggle sometimes to come up with new ideas.

Paul Saunders has some new pieces that have been released. See some of his new releases below: