What subjects do you teach?
For Activate, I teach various specialist short courses in Photography. Elsewhere, I am a tutor in psychology and counselling, help run the final two years of a diploma in psychotherapy, and contribute to courses in HR and leadership, as well as more courses in photography.
How many years have you been teaching?
My first continuing education course was in the early 1980s, since then I’ve been running courses mainly in industry. I began teaching professional programmes in HE and FE in 2013.
What do you enjoy about teaching adults?
I don’t see myself as “teaching” – we are partners, learning together, and building each others’ confidence and competence.
What got you into photography?
My father was a keen “pro-am” photographer. He gave me my first manual camera when I was about 9 or 10. We used to work together in the darkroom. While I was at university, I supplemented my grant by producing greetings cards for stately homes. I rekindled my interest a few years ago, and am now a part-time researcher in photography studying the ways in which images provoke emotions. I also volunteer for the Royal Photographic Society, as Regional Organiser for Thames Valley, and sub-editor of a documentary photography magazine.
What other passions do you have?
Since I was 16, I have been a qualified lifeguard of some sort or another – pool, beach, and open water – and have a particular interest in drowning prevention.
Why should someone join your classes?
Because they want to prove to themselves that they can do more with their photography than they thought they could.
