Social Documentary Photography
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As a press photographer my work fell into two main areas, news and features. I did my fair share of news coverage, but it was the feature stories I really enjoyed, and what I associate with social documentary, which I refer to as creating visual stories of everyday people’s lives. I no longer work for newspapers but I make a lot of social documentary photography, which I value as creating heritage stories of our lives today, for the people of the future to know more about what life was like for us.

Colin Wood is the stonemason who has lived and worked in Caistor , Lincolnshire all his life, asdid his father and his father before him. His house and workshop is litereally opposite my editorial studio, and in 2015 I created a set of images of Colin and his work. Colin has no children and when he finally hangs up his hammer and chisel it will be the end of a family business that has been the same, and worked from the same room since 1886. The Royal Photographic Society awarded me a Distinction for this work and I became an Associate of the Society, and the local Arts and Heritage Society also hosted a four week long exhibition in the town . It received many visitors from all points of the compass and to great acclaim.  

I made a photobook of the whole project, and over 1000 copies were sold.

The Stonemason of Caistor
The Stonemason of Caistor
Colin Wood is the Stonemason at Lincolnshire's Caistor
Colin Wood is the Stonemason at Lincolnshire's Caistor
He has worked at the business for half a century
He has worked at the business for half a century
His Father and Grandfather operated the business before him
His Father and Grandfather operated the business before him
All three generations have worked from the same premises since 1886
All three generations have worked from the same premises since 1886
The Caistor Graveyard , where Colin maintains the headstones, many of which he and his ancestors made
The Caistor Graveyard , where Colin maintains the headstones, many of which he and his ancestors made
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Many schools visited and Stewart and Colin taught them about stone masonry and photography
Many schools visited and Stewart and Colin taught them about stone masonry and photography