Mulgrave Interview

On how a desperate, time-starved photographer combined an interview with photography

In 2012 Tim Parkin and Charlotte got in touch to do an interview for their online magazine On Landscape. Ever chronically short of time due to work I suggested we meet at Mulgrave so I could combine the interview with a spot of photography. Dave Tolcher was also in Robin Hood’s Bay so I planned to meet up with him afterwards.

I had momentum at this point on the work with some clear themes well shaped and the session turned into one of my most productive of all time. I made five images that made the final portfolios – in fairly quick order. Tim patiently waited whilst I made a string of images in full flow mode – the time-starved photographer who had spent the last week travelling was desperate to make up for lost time.

The main image – Matisse, which became the signature image for the whole work – was exploring the painting theme that I had identified from the January session. Two more images on that theme also appeared. I then moved onto the beach as the tide was falling and made an image of a still wet concretion in the shade lit by the blue sky above. It was an idea I had scouted previously and I knew I would have a very short window of minutes to make the image before the shale dried out.

That turned out to be a strategic error as that put us right next to a waterfall – which became the background audio for the interview!