Hal Shinnie

Finally! I got around to dragging my sorry arse back to the stock car racing to continue the project I started nearly a year ago. Here’s a taster. 

Really need to track down some women drivers.

I’ve been doing a fair bit of fishing with Dan over the summer, fishing on foot, waist deep in a channel - spinning for bass. On this occasion, wanting a slight change of scene, we commandeered my cousin-in-law’s boat and set off to explore the creeks. 

Driving back to Norfolk after a job in London one evening in early summer, I stopped in Thetford Forest for a dusky, river bank wander - I took pictures until it was too dark too focus. 

One of those glorious March days that comes out of nowhere - windless, cloudless and hot sun.

Perfect weather for heading out to sea for Farmdrop, taking pictures of their suppliers. In this case the fishermen of Lyme Bay. 

This is Gav, a crab and lobster fisherman - a really warm character, funny as hell and with a lovely West Country burr.

The incredibly patient and diligent women of the National Trust Textile Conservation Studio.

Arctic Surfing. I was in Iceland in August taking pictures for a feature on the Icelandic economy for EasyJet​​ Traveller magazine. Here are some shots of Hreinn Elías co-founder of  http://arcticsurfers.com/ One of the many small businesses thriving after the banking crisis. 

I headed down to just south of Norwich to see my old mate Charlie and take some pictures of him at work on his vegetable garden. He uses organic methods and supplies, interesting salad, herbs and veg to chefs across Norfolk and Suffolk.

My first visit to the stock car racing at the Norfolk Arena in Kings Lynn. Wow!

The racing was pretty wild, but the pit area was something else! Hundreds of dirty people grouped around various rigged up arc lights, working on their cars with sledge hammers, angle grinders and welders. Reminiscent of scenes of medieval army camps in films.

Having seen an exhibition of beautiful Richard Young prints, I’ve been thinking about printing photographs using ink in one way or another. After looking around for a bit I found a photolithography course at The Curwen Print Study  Centre which I duly attended and this is my first effort. 

A bit of refining needed, but I’m going to slowly start on a series of “architectural” Norfolk landscapes.

A shot of the American Ambassador, Matthew Barzun, at his lavish residence - Winfield House in Regents Park. 

A very interesting and lively chap, he did a lot of good work for Obama’s presidential campaign.

Taken for the Financial Times in February.

I just dug up these shots from an early summer visit to Landermere, in the Essex backwaters, last year. 

I had been guaranteed bass by my cousin Steve, so headed over from Hackney with my rod and after a bit of misty, morning bait digging (note the unconventional style - Steve becomes at one with the lugworms) we waited for the tide to creep in enough to get the boat out and then motored up into the backwaters. I don't remember catching ANY fish, which makes a change...

We spent the afternoon mucking around in boats.

Chris Difford. Musician, formerly of Squeeze. Taken at his home in the South Downs for Fellow Hq. 15/12/14