Steve Haywood: A Brief Visit

"The day may dawn when fair play, love for one’s fellow-men, respect for justice and freedom, will enable tormented generations to march forth serene and triumphant from the hideous epoch in which we have to dwell. Meanwhile, never flinch, never weary, never despair.”

Through my time when I was going through some personal troubles, and working in a local pub back home in derbyshire, I met an elderly man called Steven Haywood, who has Parkinson’s. I noticed, after a while of coming into the pub he would bring his painting kit in and sit down, and paint objects he found either in the pub, or he would bring in Photographs he had taken in his earlier years to replicate. This struck conversation, and in return, he allowed me to not only get to know him, but photograph him.

Steve, always coming from a small countryside village in derbyshire had always been a apart of a shooting game society. Going to events across the nation within the United Kingdom and holding a gun license, Steve had always had a passion for game, which I found extraordinary as I've never came across anyone so open about shooting what you would of called game. After a few visits into the local pub, I was allowed to explore Steve's lifestyle and photograph how he lived with Parkinson's.

Game wasn't the only subject Steve liked to paint. As different nurses visit steve to monitor him, he showed me the paintings he had done after each visit. I don't believe they modelled for him.

Steve's wife passed away 10 years ago, since then, his Parkinson's started to worsen. But he never gave up his painting.

A Brief visit is an on going project based on the people I meet.