Hi. My ventures into photography started in late 2009 when I bought a Lumix digital point and shoot. I then did an 'Understanding your Digital Camera' course and went on to own my first Canon SRi.

I love street, urban, documentary, event and conceptual photography. This is probably fueled by my life in Brighton, where a weekend never goes past without a celebration, a festival, a march or a protest in nearby Madeira Drive. And I love photographing in and around the marina where I live. The opportunities for seascapes, wildlife and visual art are endless.

I joined the Royal Photographic Society (RPS) and the Documentary Group in 2012 and went on to achieve my Licentiateship (LRPS) in April 2013. A milestone in my photography:

www.flickr.com/photos/chris_marina/albums/72157633221292250

In May 2014 I started the Flickr 100 strangers project. It's a project which aims to develop your social and portraiture skills. The idea is you find a stranger, ask permission to take their portrait and find out about the them so you can add a narrative to the portrait. It took 2 years and 5 months to complete during which time I took some great portraits, met some brilliant people and made a few new friends. But most important for me I learned to talk to strangers and ask to take their portraits. And my passion for portraiture was born:

www.flickr.com/photos/chris_marina/albums/72157644764299551

Another milestone when on 14th October 2014 I achieved my Associateship of the Royal Photographic Society (ARPS). I chose to submit a 'Visual Art' panel and concentrated on textures in my local boatyard. Hard work but the most brilliant learning opportunity for me:

www.flickr.com/photos/chris_marina/albums/72157646511991644

In 2015 one of my images from the Brighton Pride Parade was Highly Commended for the British Life Photography Awards (BLPA). This meant it was part of the BLPA Exhibition at the Mall Galleries in London and is in the BLPA Portfolio 2 Book:

www.flickr.com/photos/chris_marina/20209489961/in/album-7...

In 2018 I achieved one of my biggest goals which was to be a winner of Portrait of Britain. 200 winners of the competition were featured in the first ever Portrait of Britain book and then the top 100 were in Declaux screens across the whole of Britain. I was so very pleased and proud that my portrait of Ida on her 100th birthday appeared in the book and in the Declaux screens. I saw it at Victoria, St Pancras and Brighton and Hove Stations and I had phone calls from Edinburgh and Heathrow Airport from friends who had just seen it there:

www.flickr.com/photos/chris_marina/44042456494/in/datepos...