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FRAMES Artist-in-Residence: Paul Sanders

Paul Sanders is the very first FRAMES Artist-in-Residence. Today we are releasing the first installment of Paul’s October 2021 feature here on FRAMES, where he talks about his photography in general, but also shares his initial thoughts and ideas as he moves forward with this particular photographic project.

FRAMES Artists-in-Residence programme is available for FRAMES Magazine subscribers only. If you are a FRAMES subscriber you can access Paul Sanders’ FRAMES AiR page here.

If you are not our member just yet, you can find out more about the FRAMES Magazine and the entire FRAMES photography platform here.

Paul Sanders is a fine art photographer from the United Kingdom. He is a speaker and photography mentor, passionate about the benefits of photography to mental health and wellness. He has been a professional photographer since 1984, beginning his career as a fashion and advertising photographer. He moved into newspapers in 1991, starting at The Daventry Express before progressing on to News Team International, successful agency based in Birmingham. He was appointed Deputy Picture Editor of The Manchester Evening News in 1996, and two years later joined Reuters, the international wire service.

© Paul Sanders

“I’ve always had a need to prove myself, to push myself to the limits and to succeed. For me, success was embodied by attaining a senior role at a national newspaper, which I achieved when, in 2002, I was approached by The Times, by 2004 I was The Picture Editor.

Looking at nearly 20,000 images every day and the associated responsibilities left me suffering with stress, depression, insomnia and anxiety. By 2011, depression had got its claws into me. My relationships with friends, with my wife and with my son all suffered and I was in a very bad way. At the end of December 2011, I left The Times to pursue a career as a freelance landscape photographer. I’d no experience in landscape photography, but it gave me something that I’d been missing; it gave me a way of expressing myself where words failed me.

© Paul Sanders

I love being outside surrounded by the beauty of the world we live in. It never ceases to amaze me, as I watch the storm clouds blow in over the coast, listen to the waves crashing against the rocky shores or watch sunlight stream through trees on a foggy morning, how lucky we are to have such beauty on our doorsteps. 

You can stand in a location for several hours, waiting and waiting for the light to give you a bit of something; you can wait for the rain to stop or for the fog to lift or come down – it’s trying to get the best out of what mother nature gives you without feeling frustrated or judgemental – she rarely gives what you want but she almost always gives you what you need.”

© Paul Sanders

Comments (2):

  1. Michael Beecham

    October 31, 2021 at 19:03

    It’s always good to see Paul showcased in such a way. Not only is he a genuinely nice guy, a bit of a mentor, a wise gent, but I also have the honour of calling him a friend. His work has always inspired and challenged me, as has he himself. To see him being shown, again, is a genuine pleasure for me.

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