My name is Martin Carrier and I am an occasional but enthusiastic photographer.  You will see some of my favourite photos on this site along with some personal musings on various photography related topics.

For those of you who don't know me, I'm 50-something, married, father of four daughters and a computer technician.  Early in my career I drifted into IT and ended up working in technical support.  It can be an interesting, challenging, ever-changing (and typically under-appreciated) role, but any creative work is usually short-lived as computer systems are constantly updated or replaced. I think in hindsight I was always looking to create things that were a little more permanent but never found the missing link.  That happened when I upgraded my point-and-shoot camera to a DSLR in 2009 because the old camera was not fast enough.  A couple of evening courses later along with a subscription to Adobe Creative Cloud, and I had my creative outlet.

Twelve years later and I think I have enough photos to start showing them off.  But why here rather than just posting the photos on Facebook and Instagram like everyone else?  There are several reasons.  Firstly, I'm quite proud of some of these photos and I want to show them off properly.  The social-media generation is used to seeing dozens, even hundreds of images at a time and doing no more than click on 'Like'.  I want viewers to slow down and look at my best photos one at a time, maybe reading the caption as well to see where or how the photo was taken.

Another reason is that while a good quality print is always the best way to display a photo, showing my photos here at least gives more people the opportunity to see them.  Also, as long as I have my iPhone or iPad with me or have access to a computer with an internet connection then I can show and discuss the photos with anyone who is interested.

But perhaps the biggest reason to create this website is the variety of creative opportunities it gives me.  There is the process of reviewing my photos, selecting the best ones and editing them to try to accurately reflect the scenes or moments as I remember them.  Then there is the design of the website.  I have always thought that if you are going to show something, then you need to put almost as much effort into the way you display the content as the content itself.  Finally, and a little surprisingly, I have discovered that I also like writing about photography and I plan to include a growing number of discussions and essays here.

So what do I like to photograph?  I'm not a prolific photographer, taking most of my photos on holidays or special occasions.  I have worked out over the years that my best photography is when I find myself in a situation or location I want to be, and just let the photography happen naturally.  If I go out with the deliberate intention of taking photos, then it just doesn't seem to work as well.  This is quite subtle and hard to explain but while I don't have a great vision to create photos to order, I think I'm quite good at seeing and taking photos of things that I like.  For example, while I would probably be terrible at formal wedding photography, I love trying to capture the mood of an occasion with candid and observational photography.  Basically, I think it just boils down to if I am emotionally engaged in the moment then I'm happy with my photos.  If not, then I often don't bother taking any photos at all.  April 2021 Update - I have just used some of my late mother's inheritence to invest in a new camera system, and surprise, surprise, my output has drastically increased.  August 2022 Update - we've just got back from a fortnight in Scotland and I managed to take over 3000 photos!

I really hope you enjoy looking at this site as much I have had creating it.  If you think someone else might appreciate the site please forward them the link.  And please let me know if you spot any mistakes, or have any constructive criticism.  While I am confident in my choice of photos here, I'm a great believer in listening to the views of others as a way of improving.

Lastly, you will notice that all my family photos are password protected.  Let me know if you want to see these as well and I will send you the password.

Martin Carrier

martin-carrier@blueyonder.co.uk

28th April 2021.