I came late to a full appreciation of colour in photography. Partly this was due to my passion for black and white, but it was also because I didn't understand the possibilities of colour beyond its everyday commercial and domestic application. I was unaware of the work of people like William Eggleston, Stephen Shore and Joel Meyerowitz until far too late in my photographic journey. The fact that all of those are American is indicative of the innovative colour work being done in the U.S. at that time (1970s). I was totally unaware of these practitioners and of the brilliant work of people in the U.K. like John Hinde - although he probably was as well, not considering what he did as a routine job to have anything to do with 'Art'. These days though there is much on offer from the U.K.: the work of Peter Fraser, Simon Norfolk, Martin Parr and Julia Fullerton-Batten can be quite exceptional.

Digital cameras have led to a rebirth of photography as a people's art form. Although the cost is perceived to be lower (but probably isn't) and the possibilities definitely greater, the true revolution has been the way that everyone's photographs can now be seen by far more people than was ever possible with the 'enprints' we used to collect from the local chemist. Photoblogs and Flickr, to name but two outlets, have revolutionised the way that the 'ordinary person's' photographs are seen.

My contribution to this flood is a mixture of pure digital and hybrid images (scanned film/prints) that are really just a celebration of colour and my new-found freedom to explore it without getting my hands wet or consuming vast amounts of chemicals and paper.