IJM Photography — Blog & Projects

Four decades behind the lens. Six years of sharing the journey.

Welcome. I’m Ian — photographer, horn player, and writer living in the Vendée, near the Loire-Atlantique border. This blog has been running since 2019 and shows no sign of stopping.

You’ll find black and white film work, travel essays, orchestra photography, philosophical digressions about why any of us bother pressing the shutter, and the occasional camera review written by someone with strong opinions and a perhaps unreasonable attachment to grain. No algorithms chose what appears here. No agency wrote it. Just forty years of looking, and six of writing it down.

Start anywhere. Stay as long as you like.

Latest from the Field

  • The Opening of the Film Archives – Noirmoutier September 2016

    The Opening of the Film Archives – Noirmoutier September 2016

    The post delves into the use of a vintage camera, Olympus Trip 35, showcasing its simplicity and enduring appeal. The author also discusses the rising prices of both the camera and film, while sharing their nostalgic travels to Noirmoutier. The island’s allure lies in its natural beauty and local delicacies, despite challenges with overtourism. Read more

  • The UK Chronicles Part III: Bamburgh

    The UK Chronicles Part III: Bamburgh

    The author reflects on visiting Bamburgh, a place with deep personal significance. Exploring the castle and beach with family, they cherish passing down experiences to the next generation. Despite physical limitations, they celebrate the day with photography and a pub lunch, ending with reflections on their photography challenges and the essence of Bamburgh. Read more

  • The Opening of the Film Archives, Lisbon, August 2016

    The Opening of the Film Archives, Lisbon, August 2016

    The Film Archives presents a captivating street photography session in Lisbon, shot with an Olympus Trip 35 and Ilford HP5 Plus film. The vintage camera and film combo perfectly captured the city’s essence. Distinctive tiles, vintage architecture, and vibrant trolley buses were skillfully immortalized. The timeless charm of Lisbon was beautifully preserved through the lens… Read more

  • The UK Chronicles, Part II: Alnmouth

    The UK Chronicles, Part II: Alnmouth

    The author made the most of a solitary visit to Alnmouth, waking early to capture stunning morning light and vibrant colors at the beach and village. After exploring, they returned with their son to bond over photography and experiences, also discovering Lightroom Mobile. Although they missed out on a local café, they plan to return… Read more

  • The Opening of the Film Archives – Stonehenge August 2016

    The Opening of the Film Archives – Stonehenge August 2016

    Stonehenge, a historical site in Wiltshire, holds different meanings for people. For some, it’s a spiritual center; for others, a family day out. After a cruise, the author revisited Stonehenge with family, marveling at the ancient construction and capturing moments with a camera. His wife was moved to tears by the experience, pondering the site’s… Read more

  • The UK Chronicles Part I – Lesbury

    The UK Chronicles Part I – Lesbury

    Introduction: A Journey to the UK Good evening, Dear Reader.  Welcome to the UK.  I couldn’t not go to the UK without writing about it and taking the odd photo.  I wrote about the anticipation leading up to this trip in the Off to the UK article and talked about the cameras I might take… Read more

Featured Projects

  1. The UK Chronicles
    Light, minimalism, and preparation.
    Shot entirely on the Fujifilm X100F during a recent solo journey through Britain — a deliberate exercise in traveling light, seeing deeply, and preparing for the sensory overload of China.
  2. The Film Archives
    Memory in monochrome.
    A vault unlocked: black and white film photographs from Nantes, Clisson, and beyond — captured long before this blog existed. Grain, patience, and timeless moments.
  3. Photography Philosophy
    Why do we do this?
    Not a tutorial. Not a gear guide. A quiet exploration of purpose — the “why” behind the viewfinder. For those who photograph not to post, but to feel.
  4. The Orchestra Visit to China
    Culture, chaos, and concert halls.
    A visual symphony from the road with the orchestra — temples, trains, backstage glances, and the electric silence before the first note.

About the Photographer

I am not an influencer. I am not a brand.
I am a photographer, ever so slightly stubborn, analogue at heart, digital when needed, and fiercely independent. I’ve been developing my own film since the 1980s. I built this blog in 2019, not for followers, but for focus.

I do not outsource my editing. I do not chase trends. I shoot what moves me, and I hope, sometimes, it moves you too.

“Commercial editing offers and unsolicited partnerships will not be published or replied to. This space is sacred; for art, not advertising.”

A Note from a Reader

“j’adore… il y a des jours avec, et les jours sans….”
— A kind visitor, September 2025

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