Hi, Im Daryl, I grew up in Leicester during the 70's and 80's, on a diet of Star Wars, New Order, Duran Duran, Angel Delight, comic books, American Football (Go Packers!), playing the drums and of course, art and photography. My Grandad was a photographer, and I blame him entirely for my connection and passion for photography (and magic, but that's for another website).
After my A Levels, and an Art Foundation course, I managed to escape the suburbs of Leicester, and found myself in the sprawling countryside, West Bretton to be precise, where I studied for a BA (Hons) Fine Art degree in Sculptural Ceramics at Bretton Hall.
In 1996 I completed my degree, then promptly used these newly acquired skills of manipulating clay to become a projectionist at the Odeon Cinema in Bradford :/ I loved it there, and I was sad to leave when they closed the beautiful 1930's cinema to open up a new multiplex (I'm not a fan of multiplexes, there's no skill in the art of projection anymore). I moved back to Leicester and became a ceramics and photography technician at Wyggeston and Queen Elizabeth 1st College (a job that could have been written especially for me). After doing this job for a few years, I came to the conclusion that this teaching lark looked a bit of a doddle (heads-up - it's not!), and decided to get my PGCE, and Ive been a photography teacher at WQE ever since, becoming the course leader for A Level Photography. After completing my PGCE i was thirsty for more learning and studied for an MA in Photography, graduating in 2010.
When it comes to my personal photography, Im a fan of alternative processes and old techniques, I don't dislike digital, I do use it occasionally, but I think it lacks the look and feel of a photograph printed by hand, in a darkroom. There's something magical about seeing an image appear on a sheet of light sensitive paper as it floats in a tray of chemicals, in a room lit by a single red light bulb. I'm also quite big on old processes, like cyanotypes, bromoil, alternative emulsions, wet plate, all that kind of witchcraft. I like to explore different techniques, play around with building primitive cameras, and combining printmaking techniques with photographic images, You could call me a bit of a photographic adventurer. Im also a bit of a collector (I think most photographers/creatives are), and a lot of my work revolves around the collection of types.
Exhibitions
Group Exhibitions:
'Smashing Tradition', The Cooper Gallery, Barnsley, 13-24 June 1995 (ceramics)
End of year show - Breton Hall, West Yorkshire, 1996 (ceramics)
'Gilding the Lilly' - The Hogs Head, Leicester, 08-19 November 2006
'Exposure' - A Smith Gallery, Texas
'MA X' - Pedestrian Arts, Leicester, 10-17 October 2010
Open 22, New Walk Museum, Leicester, 13 November 2010 - 09 January 2011
'No Mirrors' - Rayko Photo Center, San Francisco, 16 June - 02 August 2011
'Vesch' - Gallery 12, Leicester, 24 April - 21 May 2012
- Orange Tree, Leicester, 3-29 June, 2012
'Taylor's Bell Foundry' - Silk Mill, Derby, 7-21 March 2013
- Crumbling Cookie, Leicester, 20 May - 14 June 2013
- Loughborough Museum, 9 - 29 July 2013
- Orange Tree, Leicester, 1-27 February 2015
'Transient Skyline' - College Court, Leicester, 20-22 June 2015
- Western Pub, Leicester, 21-31 August 2015
'Skylarking' - O2 Academy, Leicester, 29 April - 01 May 2016
'Hands' - Taps, Leicester, 02 May - 30 July 2016
'Shelf Life' - LCB Depot, Leicester, 20 June - 202 July 2016
'Glow' - LCB Depot, Leicester, 27 June - 8 July 2017
- Gallery 12, Leicester, 03 - 24 sept 2017
'Handmade books' - O2 Academy, Leicester, 29-30 April 2017
'Silver & Ink' - Attenborough Arts Centre, Leicester, 05-06 May 2018
'10 Years Exposed - 10 years of Leicester Lo-Fi Photography' - Leicester Contemporary, 4-18th December 2021
Publications:
Magazines:
Black and White Photography Magazine #102, September 2009
Light Leaks #14 2009
The Hand #15, January 2017
Optiko Journal 2018
The Hand #41, August 2023
Books:
'Dance Music Manual' - 2nd edition, Rik Snoman, Focal Press , 2008 (cover image)
'E-phem-er-a', self published, Blurb, 2010
'Play! Toy Camera Photography', Composing with image Press, Blurb, 2011 (featured)
'Making Photographs', Mike Simmons, Routledge, 2015 (featured)
'Box Camera Now', Lucas Birk, Fraglich Publishing, 2020 (featured)
Zines:
DevStop&Fix vol1 - Leicester Lo-Fi Publication
DevStop&Fix Vol2 - Leicester Lo-Fi Publication
Light & Time - Leicester Lo-Fi Publication
Signs of a Pandemic (vol 1-3) - self published
Online Articles:
35mmc - 'The Many Interpretations of one Quote – Photography Theory and Practice' (featured)
Darl's Camera Shelf - https://darlscamerashelf.myportfolio.com its been a while since it's been updated, and there's pages incomplete, but I will add to it....
Leicester Lo-Fi Photography
In 2011, along with a couple of friends, I set up Leicester Lo-Fi Photography - a community based darkroom group. We run workshops in all aspects of analogue and alternative photography as well as running a community darkroom space in the city centre where members can come along and use the facilities for their personal projects. To find out more about us please use the Leicester Lo-Fi social media links below.
