About

Moorlandscapes

 

Retail Outlets exhibiting examples of Jon Cruttenden's work

Gallery 52, Brailsford, Derbyshire
Black Swan Gallery, Congleton, Cheshire
Leek Gallery, Broad Street, Leek
Tourist Information Centre, Market Place, Leek
Contact Information

Email address:  jon@moorlandscapes.com

Telephone:  01538 384210 (Home)
Mobile:       07973 321346    

 

Awards, Press Quotes and History

 

May 2004: 

Sold first Picture
September to November 2004: 

Exhibition at Moorlands Arts and Antiques, Leek, Staffordshire

February 2005: 

Purchased Canon EOS 20D digital SLR

May 2005: 

Awarded “Highly commended” at Leek Arts Festival Photo competition

 

June 2005:  Peak Park Picture of the Year. 

"The winning image was selected from a record number of entries from all over the country and will be displayed in a special touring exhibition and a set of fundraising greeting cards to be sent all over the world."

 

"Jon’s photograph captures what many people see as an iconic image of the National Park and as outright winner of the competition he receives a two-day photography course, courtesy of the Peak District Photography Centre."

 

Jon’s reacted by saying “It was a complete shock to win. The Roaches have always and will always be the place which best illustrates to me the special qualities of the Peak District.”

July 2005: 

Gained freelance assignments for “Leek Post and Times” Newspaper

October 2005:

  First presentation to Leek Photographic Club

November 2005: 

Second presentation to Leek Photographic Club

November 2005: 

3 page feature in Local Life magazine

November 2005: 

“Make it Contemporary” craft fair, Leek

Feb 2006:

  Front cover photograph for relaunched monthly magazine - Local Life

 

Personal thoughts from Jon Cruttenden (Photographer)

In August 2003, I changed my job and put the holiday pay owed me towards a digital camera.  I chose a Canon Powershot G5.  This camera gave me most of the manual control I was used to with my old Film SLR, including adapter lenses and the ability to use filters.

It was the purchase of this camera that was the turning point. 

 

After 17 years of taking patchy pictures, the quick turnaround from pressing the shutter to viewing result with the digital format resulted in a significant quickening in the learning process.  Previously, I found that I had forgotten how I had achieved the best pictures, and the worst - and made the same mistakes all over again.  Of course, with digital, you don't need to worry about the cost of wasted film...
 
My main sources of inspiration have been Joe Cornish and Colin Prior for landscape photography and Reuters’ photographers for their reportage work. I also admire the work of Storm Thorgerson for his Pink Floyd album covers.  I strive for simple, uncluttered compositions.  The sky is also important for me.  It can make the difference between an average and a great picture. 

 

I try to avoid over-manipulating images.  If you can tell it's been fiddled with, then you've gone too far.  I always save the original intact, and then work on a TIFF copy.

Some of my favourite pictures happen by accident, like the cows.  They gathered around, watching me fumbling and trying in vain to get a decent shot of Hen Cloud one cold, dull afternoon in June 2004.  I gave up on that, and shot off about 20 frames of the curious bovines instead.  Bingo!  one of my best images to date.  I particularly like photographing animals.  It helps if you can talk their language too….
 
I started selling my work in June 2004 through Leek Tourist Information Centre.  During a 7 week period in the summer, when I had left my previous job, but before I started my present one, I decided to get off my backside and do something useful with my newly-revived enthusiasm for photography.  I put together a portfolio and approached anyone locally who I thought might be interested in displaying or selling my work.

In November 2004 I purchased a film scanner with the help of a grant from Staffordshire Moorlands District Council.  A picture taken on film in 2002 and later scanned using this equipment was recently awarded a “Highly commended” at the Leek Arts Festival Photographic competition.

 

In May 2005 I entered a competition to find “Friends of the Peak District Peak Park Picture of the year”.  I won (!) – By a unanimous decision, against a record entry…

I have presented 2 digital slide shows of my images to Leek Photographic Club. Both were very enjoyable for both me and the club (So they tell me….Well, no- one fell asleep)

I have had exhibitions at Moorlands Arts and Antiques and have work displayed for sale at Leek Gallery; Gallery 52 in Brailsford; Black Swan Gallery in Congleton; and Nigel Davis (Solicitors) in Turnditch. 

 

I have also sold many works through Leek TIC.  I exhibited at the craft fair “Make it Contemporary” in November 2005.  My exhibition at The Edge Arts Centre in Much Wenlock, Shropshire, ran from January 9th, to April 5th, 2006.

 

I travel a lot in my job, so I always take my camera kit with me.  This allows me to expand my portfolio constantly.

Nationally, favourite locations are the Staffordshire Moorlands - where I live, the Peak District, the Lake District, the Scottish Highlands, Wiltshire, and Northumberland.  Further afield, I'd like to go to The Dolomites, the Rockies the Andes, New Zealand, Greenland, The Himalayas, and many others currently beyond my means...

 

Recently, I have expanded into other areas of photography: Motor sport, pets, Reportage and Abstract.  I have also started taking on freelance work for local papers and magazines.

 

Plans for the future are mainly to take better pictures.  I'd like to do some more commission work, and get myself well known nationally.

 

Jon Cruttenden.