Photographer, Educator
Dad's Not the Word. Circa 2019, work in progress
Dad’s Not the Word. A photo essay about men, who for whatever reason, do not have children.In 2019, I attended the Fertility Festival – Living Without Children event, at The Barbican, London. Some men stood up and talked about their experience of not having had children. The speakers, both spoke with sorrow, about their individual experiences of not being dads.
Ben voiced, in the past there was a series of mysterious shootings in South London, this occurred where infertile black men would grant another man to get their wife pregnant and then that other man would end up getting shot. Rod and his wife experienced multiple failed IVF, spoke about how there was no support network for men. He wrote a play on childlessness amongst men, and used football as a metaphor for expressing emotions.
Which raises the conversation what about men?​
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I strongly feel that the role of photography and our ways of seeing contribute to our ways of thinking, doing and caring. I am interested in population growth and the impact on the environment, sustainability and well-being of future generations.
I do not have children, I label myself as childfree because I never wanted to have them. I use photography to normalise the lifestyles of people who choose not to have children and dig deeper into the environmental aspect.
If you are interested in participating I will ask you to write/send some words on your experience of not being a dad. The photoshoot will take place in my Brighton studio (UK) You are required to pose nude in the foetal position and lie in your own duvet cover on a mattress during daylight hours. It should take around 1.5 hours. In return for you signing a image permissions form, I will give you a print of the selected image from the shoot.I aim to make an editorial piece.
If you are interested please email to book a daytime appointment.