Yesterday I popped up to London to deliver a photographic print for consideration for this year’s Royal Academy Summer Exhibition. This isn’t something I’d have had the confidence to do without a wee push from one of my old tutors at CSA.UCA - Gabor Stark, along with a confidence boosting photographic portfolio review earlier in the year by Gareth Gardner, who kindly provided his time.

Of course, it would be amazing if the print in question made it on the wall this year, but I’ll take the shortlisting for consideration as a positive sign (coupled with the acceptance earlier in the year for another exhibition) that hopefully things are starting to click with the exploratory directions I’m taking my photography.

So, on that note, whats next? Most of my time is split between the coast and London for photographic purposes, and I’ve recently had another (successful) stab at photography within the ‘square mile’, focusing on architectural details and differing perspectives. Admittedly I don’t think they were particularly ground-breaking, but damn useful studies for myself. My current obsession with black & white photography doesn’t seem to be going away any time soon, and I’m content with that at the moment. With that being said, I think it would be wise to sketch out some loose directives or briefs for myself (one of which I’m already following), along with dive into some much needed technical research on equipment and lenses. My gut is telling me to keep this fun, rather than trying to pressure myself too much, which is also why I’m looking at a once or twice a month update cycle to the instagram account, rather than the weekly cadence I was following the past couple of years.

On a different note, I was invited back to my alma mater to teach parametric design skills (grasshopper, fundamentally) to second year undergraduates this past semester. In short, should the opportunity present itself (and other commitments allow of course), I would definately love to do that again.

The above is from the aforementioned recent jaunt around the City of London. I can’t help but wonder whether grey wet weather brings the best out of these tall buildings of glass and steel.