About Barry

Barry started taking pictures with his mother's 120 roll-film Kodak camera. With strict instructions to keep the sun behind him, he took this camera on school trips and holidays. None of his pictures from that time seem to have survived.

He got his first 35mm camera aged 14 and again took more pictures of school trips and holidays. Many of these snaps survive, mostly featuring schoolfriends squinting desperately into the sun behind Barry's back as he dutifully followed his mother's advice.

It was only with his first SLR camera in his late teens that Barry started to rebel against his mother's photographic expertise. Shooting spectacular sunsets, and objects against the light, he discovered the expressive power of photography and dramatic lighting.

He purchased a video camera to make a film about his work with sea otters in Alaska, and for a while devoted his time to moving pictures, making short films and videos for local bands. But as digital SLR cameras became affordable he purchased one and returned to still photography.

Artist's Statement

I am trying to make photographs that make people think: to either think about how the picture was made or to think about the subject itself. This reflects the thought I put into my photography, constantly trying to find new ways to photograph places and things. Despite the near zero-cost of taking a digital photograph, if the thought isn't there, I won't press the button.

Two of the great photographers particularly take my breath away: Ansel Adams and Sebastião Salgado. I am astonished and amazed by their work, and I return to their powerful images regularly for fresh insights into my own photography.