I’m Ailsa - a photographer, writer and subeditor living in Brighton. I first picked up a camera when I was in my teens, and I was instantly hooked. From then on, I spent every spare moment I had either out taking pictures on my Olympus OM10, or in the college darkroom, learning how to develop and print black-and-white film. After A-levels, I took a diploma in photography, while deciding what ‘proper’ subject I would study to degree level at university. That subject turned out to be photography, and I graduated from Staffordshire University in 1993.

I went on to work in photography magazines, starting off on a publication that was something of an eye-opener (it was the days of glamour modelling - need I say more?). However, it led to me becoming deputy editor of Professional Photographer and Outdoor Photography magazines, and eventually to Black & White Photography, which I helped to launch and then edited for its first six years.

Throughout my career, I have interviewed hundreds of photographers about their work, and for a long time my own photography took a back seat. It was only when I took a risk on buying a Mamiya 6 camera that I fell in love with the square format and began to be inspired to take my own pictures again. Similarly, investing in a Fujifilm X-T3 a few years ago freed me up creatively in a way I hadn’t experienced before, as mistakes were no longer as expensive as they had been.

One of the best things about shooting in black and white is that it allows you to work in quite harsh, contrasty light – something that’s much more difficult in colour. Light has the power to transform a photograph, introducing shapes, shadows and textures into a scene that then become important parts of the composition. As you’ll see, I do take the occasional colour photograph, too…

For me, the joy of photography lies in simply being out with my camera. I believe it to be a unique process in that it challenges both sides of the brain, balancing creativity and vision with the technicalities of aperture, shutter speed and ISO.

On my website you’ll see photographs from the mountains of Japan to the moors of Cornwall – and many other places in between. I’m endlessly inspired by the interactions between people or animals with manmade elements and structures and, yes, light. When out taking pictures, I’m often accompanied by my long-suffering husband and even more long-suffering greyhound, Laurie. I hope you enjoy my images. Please get in touch using the contact form if you have any questions, or if you’d like to enquire about purchasing a print.