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
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Saint Cado
This article captures the quiet magic of early mornings spent alone with a camera, blending reflections on music, family, and solitude. Join me on a journey from a cosy concert in Lorient to the tranquil beauty of St Cado, where photography becomes a peaceful, personal gift. Read more
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Notes in Monochrome: Music, Photography, and a Quiet Beach Walk
After a month in China, I’ve joined a new orchestra in Lanester—but it’s the journey between rehearsals that inspires me most. In spring’s incoming tide and hush, I found a parallel between music’s subtle notes and black-and-white photography’s textures. These unposed images capture the quiet rhythm of light and sound. Read more
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Where I’ve Been: Life, Photos & Bursting Tyres
Life’s been moving fast—tyres bursting, kids flying the nest, and new creative paths unfolding. In this update, I share recent travels to Lourdes and Brittany, explore black and white photography, dabble in video and drones, and reflect on the ever-shifting balance between life, art, and storytelling. Read more
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Tea Grommit – A Hug in a Mug
A quiet, nostalgic short film capturing the simple ritual of making a cup of Barry’s Gold. Tea Grommit blends gentle humour with old-school charm, inspired by French cinema and Father Ted. Shot solo on the Fujifilm X-T2—because sometimes, tea really is just a hug in a mug. Read more
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Through the Lens of Love: Reframing Shakespeare’s Sonnet 18
Can a sonnet written 400 years ago still speak to us today? In this reflective piece, I explore Shakespeare’s Sonnet 18 through the lens of photography, love, and memory — weaving personal experience with poetic interpretation. This isn’t just about words on a page; it’s about what lingers when light fades. Read more
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China: The Final Frame – Reflections on a Journey
The tour is over. The bags are unpacked, and things are settling back into their usual rhythm at home. But even though I’m back, part of me is still in China—still thinking about the streets of Shao Xing, the energy of Shenzhen, or the moments shared with the orchestra. The journey may have ended, but… Read more
Featured Projects
- 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. - 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. - 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. - 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
Stay in Touch
New work drops weekly — never spammy, always sincere.
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IJM Photography 
j’adore
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il y a des jours avec, et les jours sans….
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