UK born documentary photographer Colin Summers stumbled upon photography as serious medium whilst travelling in the Far East during his early 20's. He says "Naively I had managed to get into Cambodia during the UN controlled elections in 1993. The country was emerging from decades of war and I was privileged to be a witness to a small part of this change. I decided to record the events with a camera and this changed the way I looked at photography and travel. It motivated me and gave me a sense of direction. Being naturally curious, photography gave me the excuse to take a step closer."
 
Colin continued to travel throughout the Far East and India, taking his photography more and more seriously. Originally shooting with colour negative, he later switched to monochrome, finding this a more powerful means of expression. He prints his own images and says, "I'm really passionate about the whole process, from the original exposure through to the final print. The work in the darkroom is as important to me as taking the photograph. It keeps me in touch".

To date some of Colin's projects have included the opium problem in Northern Laos, landmines and their affects on the Cambodian people, child trafficking and narcotics in Cambodia and the Asian tsunami from the worst effected area Banda Aceh, Indonesia. "I'm really fascinated by people's lives and have a huge amount of respect for how people cope in different and sometimes terrible situations. I try, and I hope this is evident in my images, to convey the truth in a compassionate and inoffensive way".

More of Colin's work can be seen at  
www.colinsummers.com (This page opens in a new window)

Guildford House Gallery
155 High Street
Guildford
Surrey
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Tel: 01483 444740
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Open Monday* to Saturday.  10am to 4.45pm.  Admission Free
*Guildford House Gallery will be open on Mondays from 17 November 2008 until Christmas.