Some people like to observe and some people like to participate, I like to do both. Some people like things to be very concise and orderly, others seem to produce outcomes amongst pure chaos, I can do both. As to which I prefer varies from day to day and situation to situation.

How does this affect this project, well read on!

In my professional life I have been a Aircraft Engineer, a building supervisor, a multimedia developer, a teacher, a commercial photographer, a diagnostics team leader and a specialist in ground breaking technical imagery.

In my personal life I ride motorcycles (I don’t own a car) , travel as much and as often as possible plus have black and white film photography as my long term hobby.

So I am definitely a left and right brain user, okay so you have read all the literature on this and will now tell me it’s not a thing anymore, so how about left mind vs right mind? Why is this a thing with me?

Well I think we can get stuck in a comfort rutt, only doing those things that sit well with us and appear approachable and logical to our sensibilities. I used to be like that, then one day I decided it was time to get the other side of my mind into action! So I quit aircraft engineering and went and studied art for art’s sake.

Bloody hell that was a hard transition, however I would fully recommend everyone do something similar. One side of your mind, I feel, seems to be more dominant. Everything we do, say or think needs a starting point, we should become aware of this trait and work to bring more balance IE: if you are an artist, perhaps learn the technical theory of your process, if you are an engineer, start your next project by choosing the colour first, you will find it liberating and challenging. if nothing more it will help you understand how “others” see the world.

So in case you were wondering, I ride motorcycles because I am out in the action and am completely a part of it. I can smell the smells, hear the sounds of the world and feel the touch of the wind. The motorcycle and I form a unique collective to work with one another on the journey. The most a car can offer me is a seat in an environmentally controlled moving lounge with a pane of glass that keeps me detached from all the beauty surrounding us.

I travel to lands that speak a different language to me and have a culture that is not familiar. My learning to speak Basque on the spot to placate a young cafe owner after I spoke Spanish to her, was one of the more fun moments along the trail. She forgave me and gave me permission to order some lunch. Her laughing at me everytime she looked at me seemed to help her mood. It was a valuable reminder to get both sides of the mind engaged before opening my mouth.

I shoot black and white film because it is instantly abstract, instead of just clicking away on a digital camera, a film camera with black and white film makes you stop and fully engage your mind on the subject at hand, this gives you a stronger connection to the subject and not the fleeting whimsy of more instant imagery.

So this project is not about me telling you how to take photos, it is a journey of trying to use both sides of my mind, then presenting the results for you to review and make up your own mind using questions that are important to you.