Tucked away amongst the modern buildings of London is a peculiar little woodworking shop that looks like it belongs in another century. Inside is Hugh Wedderburn, a master woodcarver whose extraordinary craftsmanship, traditional woodworking techniques and remarkable workshop caught my attention more than a decade ago. At the time, I was 22, living in London and spending much of my spare time tracking down interesting people to photograph.
After a few emails and an initial visit, Hugh kindly agreed to give me an hour of his time, under one condition: No gizmos. No flashes, no reflectors, no photography toys. Just me, my camera and the beautiful natural light pouring through his enormous workshop window. Surrounded by intricate carvings, sketches and hundreds of woodworking tools, I spent the hour photographing Hugh and his extraordinary little world, producing a collection of environmental portraits and documentary photographs that I'm still pretty bloody happy with today.
Looking back, this experience represents much of what I still love about photography. There's something fascinating about stepping into somebody else's world and documenting people who are exceptionally good at what they do. Whether it's a master woodcarver in London, a chef in a busy kitchen or a farmer in regional Queensland, that curiosity continues to influence my work as a commercial photographer and filmmaker based on the Sunshine Coast, Australia.
This is the third and final instalment of my London Field Journal series, revisiting some of the remarkable people I photographed while living in England.
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