ENTRY DESCRIPTION
The Stonehenge Winter Solstice is a sacred ceremony with deep ancestral routes where Druids and Pagans gather to celebrate the passing of the shortest day of the year. Historically the passing of winter was recognised and celebrated more than the passing of summer due to the hardships that were faced in the winter with short, colder days and less food to eat with crops unable to grow. I documented the Winter Solstice by engaging with my subjects and learning who they are and what the Solstice means to them.

I’m not a huge kit person and typically carry little as possible. Mostly due to the weight and cumbersomeness of giant cameras; but also because I feel it can be intimidating and impersonal to the subject. I use a Canon EOS 1 35mm film camera and a 50mm Sigma prime lens for all my work. I had 2 rolls of 24 frame Kentmere 400 film which I shot at 1600iso. I approached my subjects, asked their names, wanted to know why they were at the Solstice and what it means for them. I wanted to learn about their tradition and document it in the best way I could I wanted them to feel comfortable and catch their emotion in that ‘decisive moment’.

AUTHOR
I’ve been shooting film since I was a young boy and although I have a digital camera I seldom use it because I prefer the limited frame count and process of using 35mm. I am a wanderer of life with my camera and a backpack. I’m always looking for interesting things and creative moments. I’ve lived in London since 2010 and I’ve worked in a variety of jobs. I see myself as a photographer but it’s not my full time job that pays for the bills. I explore my interests and I value capturing humans within the environment around them. I admire the work of Steve McCurry, Martin Parr, Diane Arbus and many other legendary photographers. I hope the photos I create inspires others but ultimately I just love to capture people doing what they do.

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