I trained as a silversmith qualifying with a diploma in 1980. After a few years struggling in the last recession I decided that I could not survive making a living in the medium.

Many years later I returned to education completing a BA in photography. I have linked the two disciplines by making Daguerreotype images. Daguerre invented and gave photography to the world in 1839. Briefly his process involved exposing silver plated copper sheets to a variety of nasty chemicals, this made the silver light sensitive. They were exposed and developed over mercury. Within 30 or so years less dangerous and efficient methods for making images had become available to the world and the Daguerreotypes slowly died out. By researching 150 year old books and 6 months of experimenting. I have become to tame the technique. I am I believe the only practising daguerreotypist in the UK and one of 20 or so in the world. My images are made on pure (999/1000) silver and are hallmarked carrying my CBW makers mark. The pictures are then sealed behind protective glass and enveloped in carbon fibre cases (made by myself). Daguerreotypes are very difficult to photograph and indeed even to see in the wrong lighting conditions. They really need to be looked ‘live’ appreciate their depth and appeal. I have my own cabinet with suitable integral lighting for this purpose. The initial pictures for La Nature Morte had to be still lives as my exposure times were sometimes up to 30 minutes. During the renovation of an old chapel in North Devon I had found lots of old Victorian leather boots and a cat skull between floorboards. These were the inspiration for the series. I was led in to acquiring various other skulls and props to create the somewhat humorous symbolic ‘Vanitas’ type series.