Featured on our blog today is photographer Gary Dawes a well travelled, seasoned photographer. Dawes shares his musings on life as a professional photographer and discusses his various intriguing projects. He’s a photographer adamant on breaking the mould of a photographic artist and experimenting in all genres in photographic practice.
My name is Gary Dawes. I was born and bred in old London town, and I now live in South Yorkshire. I have a freelance background in filmmaking, and for the past five years I have dedicated my time to another aspect of image-making – still photography and shooting my own personal work.
At the moment, I have a couple of projects on the go, one of which is God’s Country. This has been an evolving project for the past fourteen months, although I’m not sure I will ever finish it. There is just so much to see with nature and landscapes; everything changes from week to week. That, for me, is what makes it interesting.
Spiritlocker is another project that I started in December 2014. Like God’s Country, it’s still evolving. It’s good to jump from one project to the other. I find it refreshing and I don’t like to pigeon-hole myself to one genre, because you then miss out on making new work which for me is paramount. I like to keep things always on-the-move and fresh; a challenge if you like. But a good one.
Where do I find my inspiration? I’m not too sure about that one. I think creating is in my blood. I have been very fortunate to have spent many years of my life traveling the globe, and I would not call doing this sort of thing “work” really… at times it borders on an addiction (though there are ones far worse!). I’m not great with words, so I prefer a camera. It’s easier for me and comes naturally. I am self-taught and never really had an interest in academia or trying to emulate other peoples work, although I appreciate some of it. Just getting out there in the big wide world and making pictures for me is enough. That’s what I do, that’s all I know – to see and experience the world like I have always done and always will. I think that’s what inspires me. I’ve never really thought about it.
I have a solo exhibition coming up in May 2016 at the Bassetlaw Museum in Nottinghamshire. You can find out more details by contacting me.
Gary Dawes
