A Field, A Lane, A Wood

Richard Childs

Richard trained as an Orchestral Percussionist in the 1980's but his true love has always been the outdoors and particularly mountain environments. Throwing in his drumsticks to become a full-time photographer in 2004 he continues to work with a large format camera alongside digital equipment and exhibits his work in solo and group exhibitions as well as at his own gallery in the Ironbridge Gorge. Links to Website and Facebook

Depression has been prevalent in my family going back many generations. My Father suffered in silence, both of his brothers were regularly incapacitated by it (one only worked for a short period in his life due to Bi-polar disorder). A great Aunt, a great, great Uncle and so on.

My own regular skirmishes with the illness are never really serious but nevertheless it doesn't take much bad news to give a me few days of struggle. The past six years have seen a number of hammer blows for me and my family (again nothing that many other people don't experience at some point in their life) but this has mostly involved loss. Loss of a close family member, of the security of our own home, of friendships, of trust, of self esteem.