Sep
Two years ago, Microsoft approached me for an assignment in Orkney Scotland, to photograph the deployment of Project Natick, an underwater datacenter. Frustratingly I had to decline because I was due to have a minor operation a couple of weeks before.
In June I was contacted with the news that Microsoft would be retrieving the vessel shortly and would I be able to capture it? They had me at “Orkney”!
Project Natick is Microsoft’s research into the feasibility of an underwater datacenter – it’s a pretty far out concept to begin with, but the more you learn about it the more you begin to see the genius behind it.
A sealed vessel on the ocean floor does not have any of the issues that the equivalent land datacenter does, with corrosion from oxygen and humidity, temperature fluctuations, and bumps plus jostles from technicians who monitor and replace broken components.
Project Natick also supports Microsoft’s sustainability goals with the vessel in Orkney consuming no water for cooling and being powered by renewable energy sources.
I worked with Spencer Fowers and Mike Shepperd, alongside the Natick team and Microsoft News, with Photobanks supplying all the photography, film and drone photography.
To read more about Project Natick check out
https://news.microsoft.com/innovation-stories/project-natick-underwater-datacenter/
Sep
I am featured as a profile in the current issue of “Fresh” Magazine, a monthly publication produced by Atrium.
Atrium are the UK’s largest independent specialist lighting supplier founded in 1976. Atrium works closely with architects, designers, and engineers to bring the best lighting solutions to the UK’s best designed buildings. I have been photographing with Atrium for over seven years capturing their projects, products, events and even portraits.
The magazine sets out to inform all creatives about what is happening in the world of lighting, architecture, and interior design.
I have the front cover with a picture of Michael Anastassiade’s “Arrangements” shot at the Atrium studio; a seven double page spread about me, my approach to photography and some of the extraordinary projects I have photographed; and then finally there is a recent project of a Highgate Flat featuring FLOS lighting.
It is always great to see my work in print but even more so when it is for a profile which is alongside the work of designer Vincent Van Duysen.
Fresh wanted to show the variety of sectors that I photograph and the range of my creativity in the imagery that I produce. The final selection ranges from the award-winning BBC Langdon Place by HOK to the new ICON Outlet O2 by CallisonRTKL and Hoare Lea. You will also see a couple of details from different Nando’s restaurants by STAC Architecture, and interior photos from, Made Architect’s “Engine” building for UBS, and the incredible tech company headquarters in London by CallisonRTKL.
I was asked to supply a portrait of myself which also somehow showcased my work. I came up with the concept of a self portrait built from a large mosaic selection of individual interior photos.
Aug
With employees returning to the office, health and safety measures are accelerating workplace design trends for wellness, creativity, and flexibility.
A month before lockdown I photographed the new Fora at Arnold House in the heart of Shoreditch, as designed by Hassell and Tetris.
Futureproofing was considered from the start, not only in the internal layout and services strategy, but also through the use of a demountable partition system for flexibility of arrangement, re-use of materials and reduction of waste.
The design concept was inspired by the modernist spirit – combining the building’s original character with the evolving entrepreneurial nature of Shoreditch.
In keeping with the progressive nature of the area, the space offers a sophisticated environment echoing the evolution of workspaces. Lighter, brighter spaces are given over to co-working areas and social spaces. More focussed working areas and meeting rooms can be found deeper within the floorplate, reflective of the more intimate nature of the activities within.
Fora Arnold House has been nominated in the Workplace Interiors category for the prestigious Mixology Awards.
Aug
These are challenging times. The transport industry is experiencing a huge reduction in travel for work purposes. It has certainly been strange over the past couple of months flying with a handful of fellow passengers. The same can be said about train, ferry, and tube journeys. I continue to rack up the mileage.
While there is always a lot to be done in front of a computer, a photography business cannot totally be run from an office. I have been working with a number of clients on projects that have required all forms of travel. We have always followed the government guidelines to ensure that every job is delivered within the current restrictions and applied our own moral values to any engagement. I have been working in various different hospitals, on boats out at sea, at industrial energy facilities and with vulnerable people. I will be showcasing some of the work soon.
