Photography has always been my passion but like so many people I became embroiled in that world of work, career and success chasing, always hoping that one day I would break free and finally get round to taking some pictures. Eventually I did and coupled with my love of travel, a new lease of life and with wanderlust set off to see and photograph the world.
I have experienced life in the high Himalayas of Nepal where I have come to love the people there, the colours, the smells and the life they lead. I have shared simple pleasures with them all and have fond memories of their smiles, hospitality and endless cups of welcoming tea. I can still smell the burning wood fires and hear their chatter, their laughter and sometimes their tears. Across the flatter lands of Asia, and particularly India, I have travelled through remote villages sharing the lives of farming and fishing communities. In their cities I have mingled with the crowds and locals, walked their streets and ridden their buses and trains. Again I have experienced welcoming friendships, helpfulness and always the never ending hospitality as I have momentarily intruded into people's lives, workplaces and homes all in the name of photography and my own curiosity. While lost in such places as the hidden alleyways and narrow streets of Calcutta, exploring the desert regions of Rajasthan or the markets that make up so much of India I have met people who have astonished and humbled me with their kindness and the stories they want to share with me. Back home I have taken a fresh look at England, my birthplace, to see for myself the eclectic mix of life on the streets around me. How true it is that we miss much of what we are surrounded by simply because it is with us all the time; life so ‘full of care, we have no time to stand and stare’. I have tried to capture this and more, much more, in my pictures and stories. If I haven't it isn’t for want of trying and if I have then I hope I can long continue to do so. I guess the answer lies somewhere between these two extremes.
This then is the home of Mr. Rugged: traveller, adventurer, photographer and sometimes writer. Here you will find a selection of my pictures, stories and experiences of the world in which I live and the eyes through which I see it. I cannot deny that these are very personal reflections, images and tales, hard won and now part of me. Hopefully you will also find something enjoyable that makes my sharing them with you worth while. But then as Bob Dylan said, “it’s alright ma, it’s life and life only”.
Travel south in search of sun
Travel north in search of static
Travel west in search of fun
But travel east in search of magic.