Who I am and what I do
I am a
documentary photographer,
a consultant specialising in
project and programme evaluation, and
a lecturer in applied linguistics at King's College, London University. I am
currently based in London and
in Kendal, Cumbria.
While
the range of things I do might look like rather an odd mixture, over the
years this diverse career has made sense, with one skill
supporting another. A lot of what I do can be
described as pattern recognition, because in all my areas
of interest
the core skills continue to be those of asking the right questions, listening to
what people say, looking carefully at
what is in front of you,
and recognising what is salient and what is not.
At present, therefore, alongside
my continuing engagement with teaching and research in written communication,
computer assisted linguistic analysis, and language education,
I provide evaluation
services for education and
social projects and programmes,
and documentary photographic services for cultural
organisations and NGOs . I hope to keep on working this way for many years
to come!
Photography
I have used a camera for as long as I can remember, and I have been working as a documentary photographer since the 1990s with a particular interest in Education in Development. Alongside the professional work I undertake for international organisations I also work in theatre and musical performance, as well as maintaining a personal practice. Current personal projects focus on the life and landscape of the area around Kendal (in the English Lake District) where I live for a large part of the year, although I also do travel and street photography when the opportunities arise. Examples of the range of work I am involved in can be found in the portfolios below.
Visual documentation
I provide visual documentation services to NGO and development organisations, and can deliver both still photography archives and broadcast quality interview video footage.
Music and musicians
I provide photographic services to leading artists and labels (notably ECM Records), with a particular interest in Jazz and Chamber performance
Theatre
Over the last decade I have been working with major arts organisations such as Teatr Polski, Warsaw, Opera up close and The King's Head Theatre, developing visual documentations of new productions and the life and wider activities of these contrasting companies.
Personal work
Alongside my work in social documentation, theatre and music, I maintain my personal photographic practice. A strong current interest is the landscape and life of the Lake District.
Consultancy
Evaluation
I offer a comprehensive evaluation service for small and medium size projects with a particular emphasis on social and educational programmes. My primary interests are in qualitative methodologies and the evaluation of projects as theories.
Project management training
I have provided project management and logical framework design training for universities, local NGOs and international organisations such as the British Council. I have a particular interest in the design of projects in educational settings.
For further information on my professional capacities, please visit the Consultancy page and my statement of capacities and competencies.
Education
I have been involved in teaching, research and teacher education since 1970, working in the UK and in countries in East Asia, South Asia, Western and Eastern Europe, and the UK. Although I no longer teach full time, the field of language education and issues concerned with written communication remain areas of significant interest.