I have always loved shooting into the light. The hard contrast, resulting shapes and definitions created when shooting into the sun is something I am always looking for. It's also somewhat nostalgic, reminding me of the prints I painstakingly created in the darkroom many years ago.

 

Although I can't be certain, this way of seeing my images may have started as a rebellion against the terrors of my past. You see I grew up in the days of film when as the photographer we were always told to have the sun over our shoulder, our subject in full sun and to apply the 'sunny f16 rule.' I can still vividly recall my sense of anguish when mum or dad would take us outside into the bright sunshine for a 'picture' with our family's trusty Olympus Trip 35. We would be ordered to stand facing directly into the harsh sunlight, the white dwarf sun doing its best to burn an image of it's own into our retina while mum or dad commanded us to open our tightly squinting eyes, and smile.