My name is Paul Robertson and I am based in London, I was born here in 1983. Having lived and worked all over the city of London, I have gained sufficient knowledge about the surroundings in my home city and over the years I have taken on a love/hate relationship with the place. Still living in London I find myself wanting out for a slower pace of life, although I want to get away from the general rat race along  with the hustle and bustle there will always be many attributes of the city that I will miss when gone. To get away from it all I travel regularly always carrying a camera. My love for travel combined with

 my passion for photography is a perfect match as I always have new surroundings, cultures and subjects to inspire me.

I have always been interested in art and design, studying both these subjects in detail at home and throughout my time at school and college. I never had the opportunity to experience photography at school. It wasn't until 1998 that I bought my first camera.

My first camera was a APS (advanced photo system) Canon IXUS 1L.  My family were planning a holiday to America and I wanted a camera to record my trip. Before this holiday I had only ever used a compact 35mm camera briefly before and by the end of my holiday I was soon pushing my IXUS to the limits. When I received my photos back from the lab in London, I was amazed at some of the shots I had captured. 

"My passion for photography had begun".

"The thought that I would become engrossed within photography had never crossed my mind".

At the time my APS IXUS 1L was a cutting edge camera but it was also a limited to what settings I could change and soon became bored, I wanted to do more than my camera was capable of doing. I wanted to learn from the start and use techniques only a 35mm SLR (single reflex camera) could handle (until now with the introduction of digital SLR's). This was the turning point.

"I wanted to study photography".

I went to college to study A level photography (as well as fine art and design). This was my first taster of using an SLR camera along with the basic understanding of how it worked. Not only did I learn about the camera itself but also the processing of 35mm film to photo. It was about this time I got my second camera, a Nikon F80 (which I still use today).

The learning curve soon improved and my knowledge for the subject was growing.

When it came to studying photography at college I was taught the basics, and that was fine but after a while I became frustrated at the limits we had set within the curriculum. I was told to produce work based on others, learning how and why they took the photographs they did. This is not what I wanted, I wanted to express my own feelings and show my own works based on my own ideas. Not having to compare myself with a photographer who has already established themselves as an artist of photography. Along with the resources (which was a shame). I wasn't enjoying the course and decided to leave.

I just couldn't follow the set of rules because there were limits and in my eyes to become a first class photographer I feel the need to have no limits and photograph what I want and how I want. Sometimes I wish I had stuck it out, and maybe I should have. Although in many ways it has opened my eyes in the world of photography. I was able to get a real taste of how hard it is to become a successful photographer.

Whilst working several jobs over the past 10 years I have picked up a few things to set up a darkroom, and at one point was lucky to be given a good enlarger and plenty of equipment from a college which was closing - they were going to chuck it all in a skip, I mean can you actually believe it . . . in the skip! Unfortunately I haven't used my darkroom for a long time, mainly due to the fact of accommodation, but also the digital age. My plans are to get it set up again in the near future.

I also have a good computer and digital camera, which is my main means of photography at present, (occasionally I do use my 35mm SLR and always will), but wanting to stay with the times it looks like digital is here to stay.

With the digital age upon us so many more people can produce better images when taking photos, due to the fact you can see them instantly. With the use of computers and the internet anybody can take photos and have them on display immediately. This was not a bad thing, believe me because digital is good, but I do find digital photography has taken a chunk of art out of photography. With so many people having access to digital cameras and the use of computers and internet, the niece for fine photography has become very small, ultimately being you have to be really good to break through to becoming a successful photographer, by this I mean making a living from your work.

Being realistic I decided to relax on the career path and enjoy photography for what it is as use it more as a hobby, which when needed can make me a little extra money here and there. I have been a house photographer for several club nights, completed a photo shoot for a bike shop magazine, shot several events for local communities, my photos have been used in street art magazines and I have built and managed several websites, including this one. 

Of course I would love to undertake photography full time, unfortunately at this time I am unable to. But this will never deter me to hang up my camera, and who knows . . . maybe one day!

My favourite subjects to photograph are urban culture and street art, although I also like to shoot fashion/portraiture, landscapes, architecture, and travel photography. I admire such artists such as Mario Testino, Richard Avedon, David Bailey, David Burnett, Harry Callahan, Henri Cartier-Bresson, Bill Brandt, Don McCullin, Man Ray and Irving Penn they have all inspired me hugely.

I am a young and ambitious photography who try's to excel in everything I do, but still have a lot to learn. I don't limit myself to a certain discipline within photography and certainly do not let my camera dictate me, I am trying to get a thorough knowledge of every aspect of photography, learning everyday and taking on board everything I can, whilst keeping an open mind. My presentation and promotion of both my work and myself are paramount importance to me. 

" I speak with photographs and not words". 

Please do take a look at my work and let me know what you think.