Paul Watson
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Paul’s involvement with photography began at a very early age, an age when most of us would still be playing with our train sets or action figures. One day he was shown the magic of making a print in the darkroom for the very first time by his Dad.
The wonder and amazement that rushed through this young boys mind at the sight of an image appearing onto what seemed to be an ordinary sheet of white paper as it lay there in the developing solution, was intense but this magic was like no other magic, not like those tricks seen on Saturday night variety TV of the time, because this was not just a trick or slight of hand this was real, this was Photography! And Paul was hooked.
After leaving school with his art qualification under his arm (the exam for which he created a series of photographic prints of the recently completed & brand new Scotswood Bridge) he began two years of study at Newcastle College of Arts & Technology where he studied Exhibition Design & Photography, though he spent most of his time locked away in the darkroom of the photography department where his love of photography flourished in the dimly lit rooms amongst the trays of chemicals. He eventually left college and began a long and successful career in the photographic industry covering everything from photographic trade supply and pro labs throughout the North East of England.
He then switched professions from photographic retail & labs to become the site photographer for a local defence contractor where he not only covered all aspects of the photographic work for the company but also took on board the design and management of their international exhibitions programme, this involved co-ordinating and managing international events in Brazil, Malaysia and South Africa amongst others.
Paul is now focusing his energies into his own photographic work which covers a vast array of subject matters and themes although his love affair with travel is paramount and is expressed deeply within his images; His gallery is almost exclusively taken overseas. His gentle and closely observed pictures not only celebrate the light, warmth, colour and curiosities that only his expert eye can see but resonate with the passion and empathy.
The wonder and amazement that rushed through this young boys mind at the sight of an image appearing onto what seemed to be an ordinary sheet of white paper as it lay there in the developing solution, was intense but this magic was like no other magic, not like those tricks seen on Saturday night variety TV of the time, because this was not just a trick or slight of hand this was real, this was Photography! And Paul was hooked.
After leaving school with his art qualification under his arm (the exam for which he created a series of photographic prints of the recently completed & brand new Scotswood Bridge) he began two years of study at Newcastle College of Arts & Technology where he studied Exhibition Design & Photography, though he spent most of his time locked away in the darkroom of the photography department where his love of photography flourished in the dimly lit rooms amongst the trays of chemicals. He eventually left college and began a long and successful career in the photographic industry covering everything from photographic trade supply and pro labs throughout the North East of England.
He then switched professions from photographic retail & labs to become the site photographer for a local defence contractor where he not only covered all aspects of the photographic work for the company but also took on board the design and management of their international exhibitions programme, this involved co-ordinating and managing international events in Brazil, Malaysia and South Africa amongst others.
Paul is now focusing his energies into his own photographic work which covers a vast array of subject matters and themes although his love affair with travel is paramount and is expressed deeply within his images; His gallery is almost exclusively taken overseas. His gentle and closely observed pictures not only celebrate the light, warmth, colour and curiosities that only his expert eye can see but resonate with the passion and empathy.