London Salon – “distinct evidence of artistic feeling and execution”

I have set myself, and achieved, a number of goals along the way to help me improve my photography.  I really enjoy my photography, now largely producing images for myself and the models I work with, and trying to bring a bit of beauty to the World by sharing my images with others who appreciate them. I’m an amateur photographer, in the true meaning of the word “amateur”, I produce images “for the love of it”.

I thought I had achieved everything that I wanted to achieve, until totally out of the blue I received an invitation to become a member of The London Salon of Photography. The London Salon has a long and prestigious history, and I have huge respect for the organisation, it’s aims, and it’s members past and present. I never set becoming a member as a goal, as membership is by invitation only and I’m not quite sure how they decide who to invite, so I couldn’t really work towards it! I feel very privileged to be invited, and I’m very proud that they feel that my body of work is of a sufficient standard to be a member.

One of the reasons I am so pleased to be a member is because I believe their aim aligns so well with what I am trying to achieve – “The aim of the London Salon is to exhibit only that class of photographic work in which there is distinct evidence of artistic feeling and execution”. Also their annual open exhibition is solely prints, and I am a passionate print worker and supporter of this medium.

Strangely enough becoming a member is almost coming full circle, as it was just over 6 years ago that I entered their exhibition for the first time. It was their 100th exhibition, and I won a London Salon medal with my all-time favourite image “Pearls”. It even appeared on the exhibition poster, and to this day a print of it hangs proudly in our lounge. That success really gave me a lot of confidence and spurred me on to become the prolific and passionate creator of images that I am today. I think that membership of the Salon is going to encourage me on to try to be even more creative and artistic.

“Pearls” – Nanette McCrone

100th Exhibition Poster

These are the two prints that I had accepted in this year’s Salon:

“The Cross” – Kayleigh Lush

“Quilts” – Zoi

I am extremely grateful to the Members of The London Salon for this recognition of my work and for the invitation to join them, and I look forward to working with the other members for the exhibition.

Of course I could not have created the body of work I have without such wonderful models. Many thanks to all of the models for the images that we have created together, and especially to Nanette the model in “Pearls”, who really started me on this artistic journey.

I thought I was pretty motivated in creating new images beforehand, but this surprise honour has given me a genuine boost to how I feel about  my photography, and it’s way forward.