Irene describes herself as a pictorial photographer, with a leaning towards landscape, but has an interest in all types of photography. She has lectured and judged throughout the country and Ireland, as well as giving Photoshop demonstrations but has now retired as age has caught up as well as losing Gerry to dementia.

Irene prints exclusively on PermaJet art papers to obtain the fine art quality she desires in her pictures. She prefers subtle colours to define mood in her landscapes and loves misty conditions but occasionally finds a more colourful image.
She has always loved camera movement and more so now as she finds the tripod a burden on her own with her limited mobility so that in Scotland last autumn she found herself thinking if I can’t hand hold I’ll just move it. And very successful it’s been too.

Irene has recently changed her printer as lack of use while caring for Gerry meant that it no longer wanted to work when she eventually returned to it. She now uses the Canon Pro - 300 with Canon inks to get the pastel effect she wants. PermaJet supported Irene in the supply of her papers and inks from 2000 until her retirement and she still highly recommends their papers.
For many years she concentrated on interpreting the landscape and villages of France, using delicate colour and soft images to convey the mood. She also ran photo holidays in the Pyrenees for a number of years until her health stopped her. But more recently she has found images in Ireland and Scotland as travel becomes more difficult. Ireland is easier as the ferry does a lot of the driving! But Irene is still driving herself to Scotland and finding images in remote areas where she can park when she spots an opportunity. She now says that if it is further than 50 yards from the car it ceases to be photogenic as she can’t get there!

Irene cannot imagine a life without photography - it is a passion which is as strong today as when she first started. There is a compulsion to take and show pictures - she will happily bore her visitors with her latest images - and although she appreciates all types of photography, her main interest is still in landscape. She is at her happiest in the countryside with her camera. Irene started photography as a schoolgirl and joined her first camera club, Dundee PS, in 1960 using colour slides. She later produced colour prints from transparencies in the darkroom, but, of course, is now totally digital buying her first digital Canon in 2004.
She was awarded Fellowship of the Royal Photographic Society in April 1994 in the Visual Arts - Pictorial category, with darkroom Colour Prints. But since resigning from the RPS in 2010 she is no longer able to use FRPS in her list of distinctions.
In March 1997 she was invited to membership of the London Salon of Photography an accolade which surprised her and the membership which she still enjoys despite being unable to contribute as much help as she used to.
She gained EFIAP (Excellence de la Federation International d'Art Photographique) in 2000. She attained MPAGB in April 2007. (See her set of images in the Gallery)
Irene was awarded the APAGB (Award of the Photographic Alliance of Great Britain for Services to Photography) in 1985 whilst President of the East Anglian Federation and this was superceded in 2004 by the award of the J S Lancaster Medal (HonPAGB) for Exceptional Service to Photography a distinction she is very proud of as it is a rare award.