Even though I’d made the transition to corporate photographer some time in 1997, for the business that had employed me as a chartered quantity surveyor for the last seven years, it was an uncomfortable fit for me – probably for them too as I was relocated to the regional head office as my base because I was ‘a disruptive influence’ at the local office. I was still trying to fit a round peg into a square hole, creative photography within a nine-to-five business was not a good fit, and the pinching around the edges was very uncomfortable. 

My practice in channelling and meditation was becoming established but that was also creating tensions, as my employers expected me to be on call throughout the day. The feedback I’d been getting as photographer was that people liked my work, and clients liked the service I was providing. And so I decided, not without some trepidation, to set aside my career as a chartered QS/photographer and launch myself as a freelance photographer. I’d concentrate on what I knew, architecture and construction, a niche market where I thought I could carve out a living, it’s where I’d worked for nearly twenty-five years so I sort of knew the territory. I thought I had enough material to produce a photography brochure to promote my services, including a family holiday snap of an old pump around the back of Bayeux Cathedral – black and white remains a timeless favourite medium for me. The die was cast in 1999 when I handed in my notice and negotiated a framework to provide photography services as a freelance while the business advertised for a replacement.