Newbury architect-turned-photographer has lifelong passion of capturing the moment

Open Studios West Berkshire and North Hampshire runs this year from May 4 to 27. Among the 135 artists, in 89 venues, there are 24 new participants. In the run up to May, N2 is introducing readers to some of the local artists and makers who will be opening their studios and workplaces to visitors. Photographer Nick Collins will make his debut at City Arts.

“From my earliest snapshots I have been fascinated by the process of light and how it can capture, record and document my life as well as its ability to create art from the everyday world around us.”

Photographer Nick Collins is making his debut at Open Studios in 2024, drawing on his experience as an architect with lifelong passion for capturing ‘that moment’.

Nick says “Creativity has played a big part in my life, from sketching for hours in my bedroom as a child to working in the highly creative architecture industry for over 25 years”

His photographs, covering portraits, documentary, weddings, abstracts and street photography, are considered combinations of light, composition and moment. Each of these play an equally important role in the creative process of making a photograph.

After photography being a much-loved hobby for so long, Nick is excited to start sharing his work with others as part of ‘Artists at City Arts’, the working studio and exhibition.

Nick will be displaying his recent series of photographs that capture architectural abstracts as well as street photography. From his commutes into London and Reading, to the explorations of his hometown of Newbury, there will be elements of life that everyone will be able to recognise.

As he says: “In today’s frantic world where information and images are captured of everything every minute of the day, it’s good to get back to basics in an image and capture the pure abstract essence of light, shadow, shape, tone and texture that surround us.”

Nick will be present at the exhibition to show visitors how he captures and processes images to create dramatic illustrations of the everyday world we don’t always have time to appreciate.

‘Artists at City Arts’ will be showing at City Arts, 10 Hampton Road, Newbury, from 10am to 5pm Fri-Sun throughout May.

Visit www.open-studios.org.uk/entry/2024/artists-city-arts to find out more.

Open Studios 2024 – Artists at City Arts

OPEN Fridays to Sundays from 10am to 5pm on 4, 5, 10-12, 17-19 and 24 to 26 May 2024

Visit City Arts Open Studios artists as they exhibit and demonstrate their work.

Enjoy Emma Green’s British countryside inspired artworks, Petra Giede-Barne’s natural object sculptures, Susie’s Pots of Hope, Georgina Bouzyk paintings, Rebecca Maynard’s clay sculptures, Nick Collins’s photographs, Sarah Martinez’s textiles and prints and Kinsella Colwell’s designs.

You can visit them free of charge on the weekends shown above.

The Open Studios Artists will run a Free Art Friday session on May 10, 17 and 24, so do join them on their exploratory sessions.