Hello, my name is Lawson Tony Clout i was brought up in Ironbridge shropshire and still live in shropshire now.

I have loved photography most of my life, it,s been a comfort in bad times and is pleasureable and is rewarding in the good times ! I have taken to cameras in a natural way. Even though I've enjoyed my photography for a long time now, I had no training in any aspect of it. I feel happy and comfortable and happy in taking pictures that have great feeling atmoshpere and a sense of caring of the subject. Basically i love taking pictures of anything that catches my eye, be it modern or historical, and i try to do justice and add character to the picture too .

I started taking photos when i was 7 yrs old when as a christmas present I was given a polaroid bw camera I went out right away taking pictures of anything I saw. This started the ball rolling.

Personally I seriously don't think you need to spend a lot on equipment to get good pictures. I seriously believe in talent and your own skills which believe it or not occur with time and experience and you learn what will or not work when taking a picture.

If you think back to the vintage days at what cameras were available then, they were basically a box with a lens and shutter unit and maybe a huge flash unit ! Yet look at old photos and they have a lovely clarity and character to them which at times can be quite difficult to emmulate with the technology available today ! I love sepia bw and colour photography and when I visit a place for the first time like an Abbey ruin or a castle I spend a good 10 mins getting the feel of the place before using my cameras. Feeling in a picture is a great feeling to the photographer also and I soon know if I've succeeded in doing that it gives me a buzz !! A bit like winning the jackpot on a game.

Another thing I will say to anyone visiting historical buildings is safety first dont try anything too risky like climbing on walls etc Loose masonry can fall. Try and show respect for the property and what it stands for. these places must be preserved as well as possible !

Right, when taking pictures dont think you have to just stand there and shoot away :) Think angles bend down, lie down and just experiment to get the picture right ! Take a set of small step ladders as they can help give a higher view of things. Also giving plenty of forground to a view can add depth to a picture. Remember using simple things like an hole in a hedge can give a lovely frame around a picture of a building, or a colourfull garden in a foreground can add interest and beauty to a photo. Never be afraid to experiment with your camera - you'll be suprised what can happen. You might get a really great picture that surprises you one day.......happy clicking, Lawson

Since some of you were curious as to what equipment Lawson uses to capture his lovely photos:

• Olympus om10 with specialist modifications by olympus
• Tamron 70mm x 300mm telephoto zoom lens
• Tamron 28mm lens
• Zeiss 80mm x 210mm zoom lens
• 5 mega pixel digital zoom compact
• Ilford b/w film
• Kodak colour film (usually 800 speed)
• Tamron colour filters

I am juggling many projects currently, so more than likely you will see major changes in this site in the future. I will be adding more photos, more information, and, eventually a storefront. Until then: Please contact the webmistress at HER EMAIL for information on purchasing any of Mr. Clout's work, or for possibly hiring him for a project. Thank you for looking!