How did you get into photography?
I have always made photographs. My parents were photographers so I have always had cameras to use and I ‘helped' my mother in her darkroom (although I doubt she saw it that way). Before going to art school I trained in an analytical lab so I also understanding the chemistry and processing.
My camera was a vital tool during my design training at university and then again later as I travelled around the world. I have many photographs from that period that I plan to work with again.
How big a part has photography played in your career?
After graduation I worked overseas as a designer and later ran a series of businesses. I picked up my cameras again in 2018 and now spend at least half my time making photographs
What does an average day look like if you’re spending it making images?
When I'm using a camera around the city, particularly if it is a large one, I tend to go out very early while the sun is still low and the streets are less busy. I process exposed films at the other end of the day in the evening when the house is quieter and I can concentrate.
If it’s a ‘darkroom’ day I start early to get set up and then work steadily for the whole day. I find I have to remind myself to stop for meals and to go home. Large darkroom prints take a full day to create.
Portrait sessions tend to be more leisurely; after an early start for set-up; my portraits are a true co-creation process with my sitters, and they join me in the darkroom to see their images appear on paper.
How do you choose a subject/new piece to work on? Do you have a bank of ideas, sketches or reference material?
There are usually at least six competing ideas jostling in my mind to be worked on next. They might be a new technique to try, a new subject for a series or a new interpretation of an older negative. I enjoy working collaboratively too so I’m always open to adding even more new ideas to my very long list.
What other things take up your working hours? Do you enjoy any of the more mundane aspects of art life?
Preparing photographs for exhibition - mounting and framing them - is hugely time consuming, but also very satisfying work. It is important to me that my work is presented well. My silver-based prints are made to last - I want people to be able to enjoy them in their homes for many, many years, so I pay attention to every detail that will help them to last as long as those made by the 19th and 20th century photographers I admire.
Maintaining my historical cameras also takes time. It’s enjoyable work for me and absolutely essential, but I sometimes struggle to fit it into busy days.
Do you do any teaching, and if so do you feel like it contributes something to your own practice?
Introducing people to film photography, or reviewing and renewing old skills, is always rewarding. I teach basic film photography skills to two or three people at a time. Seeing their enjoyment of the older mechanical cameras, and their excitement when their first set of negatives emerge from the processing tank is always fun; that particular magic never gets old.
What sort of art, and which artists, inspire or influence you?
I enjoy conceptual art and sculpture; pieces that encourage me to look at and see things differently. I also make time to see work by portrait painters. Women photographers and graphic artists often provide inspiration and new ideas too.
What other things inspire your work (or just make you happy!)?
I love being outside, ideally with a camera around my neck or on a tripod, and I spend as much time as I can on the river Thames in a boat. Darker winter evenings are for sewing and camera restorations when I can’t be outside or work in the darkroom.
How has your style developed over the years, and why?
Discovering large format photography, using sheet film rather than roll-film cameras, has encouraged me to seek out complex scenes; I revel in the extreme detail captured by the older lenses I use on these big cameras. Large format also means that I work more slowly every year. I am making fewer photographs than ever before because the process is so slow and so complex. However, the results of this painstaking, methodical work are very, very satisfying.
What sort of response do you hope your work provokes in people?
Any kind of emotional response is welcome, even if the person does not like my work. I’m always pleased when visitors appreciate the depth and detail in my photographs, and are then interested in how I make them.
If you could go back and meet your younger artistic self, would you have any advice for them?
Keep at it. Look for mentors who can help you develop your work.
· Check out our selection of Wendy's handmade silver-chemistry photographs