The photographer’s eye, they say, never rests. And so it is with me. A walk in the country or a visit to a new location invariably raises thoughts like “That would look good on a wall” or “There’s a book cover image” or “That’s an interesting bit of architecture”

For most of my life, I have been a photographer producing commissioned work for two sectors of industry: architecture and publishing. Both demand a highly individual and creative approach, sometimes working to a well defined brief but mainly working to the vaguest of briefs. In architecture, this translates as interpreting the architect’s vision for the project and emphasising the design, the spaces and the detailing. In publishing, however, an image needs to create an atmosphere, or suggest something significant about the story.

I believe my work was hugely influenced by my parents taking me to see, in my opinion, one of the best films ever made: “The Third Man”.

I was about seven years old, but the impression it made on me is still strong today. The story was by Graham Green, it featured a wonderful theme tune and exceptional performances from Orson Welles, Joseph Cotten and a wonderful supporting cast. But even better than those is the cinematography of Robert Krasner. He made the ubiquitous shadows rich and deep and evocative. They are what the story is really about – it all happens in the shadows.

Another aspect of my work, as I’ve already mentioned, is selling prints of my personal work for Wall Art – prints to be framed and displayed domestically or commercially. Here, atmosphere can be just as important as drama. So vivid abstracts may cosy up with subtle landscapes; extreme close-ups can rub shoulders with moody atmospherics. Prints of many of my images can be bought on-line through Pixels.com, or Etsy or Small Market.

All images are Copyright (c) Girts Gailans