MySqK is an on-going project which champions the idea that the greatest photographic inspiration can be found right on your own doorstep.
It highlights the benefits of having a connection with your own local ‘patch’; a connection that strengthens over time and which helps you develop your artistic skills and creativity.
Its concept is centred on the combination of these two ideas.
MySqK is aimed at photographers, non-photographers and would-be photographers alike so that all can be encouraged to plug into their locality and find photographic inspiration and great images right on their own doorstep, something I have personally been experiencing for sometime. You don’t need spectacular locations to produce great photographs.
MySqK is the name I gave to this photographic venture because it refers to a square kilometre of local landscape, as defined by a single grid square on the OS map. The square is a personal choice and sets the boundaries within which all photographs are taken. This is the template which I have followed for a number of years. The outcome is a diverse collection of photographs through the seasons, all connected by their location.
The very essence of MySqK will be encapsulated and presented in book form. The book will document what I did, how I felt, what I learned and experienced and ultimately will show the photographs I came away with. It is my portrait of a landscape, that specific square kilometre of landscape, compiled over time and the result of increasing familiarity with those immediate surroundings.
As well as that it will almost certainly promote the knowledge that the greatest rewards can be gained from photographing locally, especially relevant at the time of writing with restricted travel during the 2020/21 Covid-19 pandemic.
MySqK shows that it is not just about having an eye for a great photograph, it is about having a connection with a location, which strengthens and develops through an investment of time, patience and observation.
The resulting words and images in the book will be an exploration of a very specific area of landscape, the process of getting to know it and a portrayal of its character and characteristics. This is based not on any one stunning image but on a collection of images with true soul – images that spoke to me at the time of taking and which have a real sense of place rooted in that one square kilometre.
You may already have your own home patch and accompanying set of images to go with it. If so you will identify with all I have said above and should now think about digging deeper. If not I invite you to identify, find and explore your own Square Km and start the process of building that unique connection and photographic relationship with a landscape on your own doorstep. The only parameter I placed on myself was that my photographs had to be taken with my feet inside the grid square. And although my feet have been inside that kilometre grid square many times for a number of years now I never tire of going back on a regular basis to see what new discoveries and inspirations are waiting for me.
The first five photographs from the MySqK Collection have been released for sale and can be purchased through the STORE. The book is scheduled for completion in 2021 but prior to that please visit this website for further print releases, news, blogs and images.