Modern Times

Modern Times Perhaps it may be with being born and bred in a quiet semi-rural community that I've always found the hustle and bustle of cities fascinating. Even from an early age - way back in the 1950's - I wondered at the vibrancy and excitement of what seemed living entities. And from being as young as twelve I can remember stealing off to the nearest city alone, whenever the opportunity arose. Of course the streets were much safer in those days. So when I took up photography (not until my late fifties sadly) it seemed natural for me to gravitate to the cities to capture these emotions . Cities where it seems bodies collide without touching and street scenarios emerge as if by magic. Strangers wrapped up in their individual lives, unknown to me and me to them. But whereas "back in the day" life seemed more ordered and gentle, now the nature of the streets has metamorphasised. With the advent of technology and the urgency of modern living the pace of life has changed dramatically. Homo Sapiens has become almost robotically tethered to mobiles and tablets; or governed by the need to undertake essential basics (such as eating and drinking, or listening to music) on the move. All to save time because we no longer seem to make time. Maybe it's just that I'm getting old. Nonetheless the photographs in this collection (all taken in London) pay homage to our "modern times". Times that I sometimes find hard to adjust to, but which at the same time enthrall me. It seemed natural of course to present the shots in Black and White to make a link between my former times and the present.