ABOUT ANTHONY BATES

As a photographer I find everything around me a source of inspiration. And therein lies the problem. Photography captures everything, emotions, vistas, events and so on. The easiest thing is now to just snap away without too much thought and results will deliver great memories. Nothing wrong with that of course but as a photographer you have to narrow down your field of interest and for me that did take some time. I was naturally drawn to landscapes; the World is a breathtakingly beautiful place but it does depend on getting there, and there is a huge expense attached to that! Slowly, however, I developed a passion for street photography. Everything happens on the street; it is almost a spiritual experience watching people engaged in life. Sometimes I speak to people as I photograph them, other times it will be just candid shots. There have been occasions when I have been challenged but when I politely explain that I am working on a project and would they mind being part of it the response has always been positive. Dougie Wallace, whose pictures I admire greatly gets right "in your face" and it is an aggressive style of street photography. I can't do that.

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I exhibit in exhibitions and sell images for a charity. I am a published photographer and have received accolades from people I admire but for me now more than ever making pictures helps me live and understand life and there is a real happiness in that.