About me
I've been practising photography for over 30 years, having been introduced to it by my girlfriend (now wife), who bravely loaned a total novice an expensive Canon camera for a trekking holiday in Zaire.
The camera survived, and I was hooked.
After a career in the corporate world, (from which photography was the escape - without it I probably would have been a wreck), in 2013 I quit to concentrate on photography full-time. A chance meeting at the YouNique Wellbeing Centre in Bexhill with the lovely proprietor, Carol, led to my offering photographic tuition as part of the YouNique Creative strand. I haven't looked back.
During the COVID lockdown I took the opportunity to expand my photographic range into portraits. I've been inspired by the work of the photographer Rankin who showed how portraiture can be a powerful boost to self esteem, (an antidote to Instagram in my opinion), and the work of the classic portraitists such as Irving Penn, George Hurrell, C.S.Bull and Horst P.Horst
D Charles Mason: Pretentious – Moi?
Those people that know me, just call me “Dave”, but it just so happens there are a few “Dave Mason Photographer” out there on the net, plus a well-known guitarist from the band “Traffic". So I had a look at the family history and discovered that Charles has been used as a family name for over two hundred years.
I thought I’d dust it off and take it for a run…
The Alzheimers Society
My Dad suffered from vascular dementia, a progressive condition that erodes the memory in steps, in his case triggered by a series of transient ischemic attacks (mini-strokes.) Thankfully, he lived in a supportive sheltered community in Bexhill, close to us, and he managed to stay active for the rest of his days, which to an extent mitigated the decline.
It's a cruel condition - I remember the look on my Dad's face when his own sister didn't recognise him when we visited her in the Care Home or the day he woke up and realised that he had forgotten how to do a crossword after fifty odd years.
Here's the thing - at that time there were no manuals or guides as to how to help or be around someone with the condition. It varies by degrees and there is no one size fits all. That's why the information provided by the Alzheimers Society was invaluable. It helped me and my Dad connect while he still had some cognition and allowed us to plan for the future.
That's why I support them. Now you don't have to have your portrait taken by me, but if my story resonates with you or someone you know, you can make a donation here. (direct link to Alzheimers Society website).
Singing Down Memory Lane
My Dad spent his final years in a sheltered housing community. Even as his condition progressed, the routine that he had, enabled by that community, became vital as he became aware of his decreasing mental faculties. I know that without the shared social activities with his peers in that community, his quality of life would have taken a nosedive.
In 2018, "Our Dementia Choir" with the actress Vicky McClure was broadcast and it was obvious to me the positive benefits that singing in a group had on the participants and their families.
While attending a Dementia Awareness course I found out about "Singing Down Memory Lane". Organised by the Bexhill Dementia Action Alliance, it provides a place where people with memory problems and their carers can go to relax, sing, chat, and socialise.
I was invited along to a Sing Down Memory Lane session and towards the end I didn't see people living with Dementia and their carers - I saw a group of people singing along, some dancing, and enjoying themselves. It's a great leveller.
Its funded entirely by voluntary donations. I've seen the good that it can do, so that's why I support it.
Now you don't have to have your portrait taken by me, but if my story resonates with you or someone you know, you can make a donation here (direct link to Bexhill Dementia Action Alliance Paypal page).