I am a documentary, editorial and commercial photographer and film maker, based in Liverpool, England but happy to travel.
Over the last three decades I have worked for cients worldwide. My work is creative and high-quality, delivered on time and on budget.
Please get in touch if you would like to commission me for an assignment or document a project.
This year, I will once again be running photography courses on Easdale Island, on the west coast of Scotland. There are a few places left, so do get in contact if you are interested.
I’m available on +44 (0)7831 838717 or via by email.
Photography and Film
Over the last three decades, my professional career and personal journey have allowed me to travel and work in five continents of the world.
I live in the great port city of Liverpool, working on commercial, editorial and creative commissions as well as on my own projects for exhibitions and publications at home and internationally.
I am a founding member of two collectives, Document Scotland and SixBySix, based on Merseyside. I worked on assignments for the Independent newspaper for over twenty years and still shoot stories and features for a number of publications, including the Guardian, the Times and Financial Times newspapers, as well as being an editorial photographer for Getty Images.
Over the last fifteen years, I have been one of the team of photographers at When Saturday Comes magazine, which has allowed me to build up an extensive archive of unique images of football culture.
In recent years, I have begun to shoot film content for clients, including as part of the media team for the 2018 Commonwealth Games Queen’s Baton Relay, which gave me the opportunity to work in over 30 countries across all five continents of the world.
In addition to commercial commissions, I work on personal projects using film. In early 2022, I collaborated with the Kensington Fields Community Centre, director John Domokos and activist Jennifer Graham on Made in Liverpool, a film commissioned by the Guardian as part of their Made in Britain series.
Please follow me on social media for up-to-date news about my projects, assignments, exhibitions and more. You’ll find me on Twitter and Instagram as @germanocean
My images are available as prints or for licensing on request. Please visit my dedicated Archive website to view much of my work as a photographer over the last 30 years.
Exhibitions and Publications
I staged my first solo exhibition of photographs in 1995. Since then, I have been involved in over 40 individual and group shows.
Exhibiting and publishing my work is very important to me as it allows me to reach new and diverse audiences. Much of the work which is in the public domain is from self-initiated and long term projects, a method of working which I find very satisfying.
Being a member of Document Scotland has given me the opportunity over the last seven years to collaborate and develop a number of significant projects. As a collective we have had major exhibitions in the Scottish National Portrait Gallery in Edinburgh, Impressions Gallery, Bradford, Street Level Photoworks in Glasgow, the Martin Parr Foundation in Bristol, as well as numerous other venues in Scotland and further afield. Document Scotland has also produced a number of publications in the form of newspapers and project catalogues.
In late 2019, I staged my first exhibition in partnership with SixBySix entitled Berlin: After the Wall, which was shown in Liverpool. This was accompanied by publication of an edition of the work by Cafe Royal Books. In addition to collaborations, I have held solo shows and been the recipient of commissions from bodies such as the Mersey Basin Campaign, a project which allowed me to photograph the famous river over the course of a year, leading to a major book publication and landmark exhibition.
You can view a selection of the work outlined above in the Creative Camera section of my Archive website.
The Written Word
My writing has developed over the years from occasional contributions to now having articles and stories published frequently in various publications.
The inspiration for much of my published material comes from my lifelong interest in the world of football, the culture associated with it and the way it connects people across the world.
My earliest contributions were to fanzines and supporters magazines in the 1980s. From there on I wrote opinion and factual pieces before being given the opportunity to write long-form articles for Nutmeg, Scotland’s football periodical. Over the last three years, I have contributed articles on football history, profiles of people in the game and short stories, including a five-part series which narrated the adventures of an amateur club based in central Scotland which became the centre of a story of love, intrigue, money and murder.
In Spring 2020, The Blizzard published my article entitled My Friend, the Neo-Nazi, a true story about an encounter and friendship with a surprising twist. The crime author Ian Rankin commented at the time that the particular edition of the magazine was “worth purchasing, not least for Colin McPherson’s eye-popping essay about his German football-loving mate who became a Neo-Nazi”.
A selection of my published articles can be purchased and downloaded by visiting the Nutmeg website.
Creative Courses
Each year, I host and run a series of creative, residential courses on the unique island of Easdale on Scotland’s stunning west coast.
I believe in giving something back. It’s the ethos which underpins the photography courses I host and run on this tiny and beautiful corner in the heart of Argyll. Along with my co-tutor, professional photographer Adam Lee, we have developed two courses which allow participants to re-set and express their creativity set against some of the most dramatic landscapes you can experience. Easdale, once the centre of Scotland’s slate-mining industry, has a rich history and a vibrant community living today on this small car-free island. Our short, residential courses cater for people who want to get away from it all with their camera and still learn. Come and be inspired and looked after from the minute you arrive until departure.
Over the last couple of years we have added other courses in screendance and campaigning writing to our programme, which I co-host with top industry professionals. This has allowed me to collaborate with outstanding teachers and artists who also want to utilise what Easdale offers to enhance their creative practice.
Come and lose yourself amongst the slate and seascapes and be inspired with our guidance to create something magical for yourself.
Full details can be found on our dedicated Easdale website.
Online shop
I have a range of publications and prints of my photographic work for sale. I welcome enquiries about all my work.