I'm a transplant from the UK, and have been in Seattle for almost four years now. I've got some good friends here, and have built a good life. But I've not had a serious relationship since I arrived, which I'm looking to change. I'm looking for genuine intimacy - not just in bed, but that special someone who I can be really real with.

I'm a creative type - or a "maker" as a sculptor friend would say. If I get too far away from my photography, then a strange malaise sets in. I have the "serious" photography, which is usually analog color work - but I also enjoy shooting every day things in the street, or some local landscapes or night scenes. I'm also happy going for a walk or a hike and just seeing things - there's a danger with photography that you spend so much time looking through the viewfinder, that you stop just encountering things and relating to them directly.

Work-wise, I'm a Software Engineer, although I've managed to break away from doing this all of the time. I can get pretty hooked on the computer work, and it pays well, but I don't find it to be particularly rewarding - certainly not enough to be spending the rest of my life doing it full time. When I'm not working, I get to spend more time on my photography, which is a real passion for me.

I love going to see good movies, or plays, or dance/circus performances. I love wandering round a good gallery too - Seattle's not always the best city in the world for this - but I like the Henry a lot. The First Thursday galleries sometimes have some good stuff too.

I really like traveling. I've had some remarkable experiences, some of the best of which were far afield - I think a friend's wedding in Ghana is probably top of the list! Going new places is always a treat, and I'm just itching to go explore Southern + Central America, which are so tantalizingly close.

Lots and lots of photography!

I'm going to climb Ranier this year, for the Asha charity. So I'm doing one or two training hikes a week - I'm loving spending so much time in the mountains.

Hanging out with friends - maybe grabbing dinner, walking around Greenlake, catching a film, or grabbing a coffee. Or square-dancing!

Maybe spending the day cooking something elaborate for a dinner party.

Thinking about my next trip away from Seattle. At the end of March, I went on a month-long road trip to California, to visit friends, and nose around some of the awesome galleries in SF + LA. It was great fun, and the weather was amazing. I do love the sun. And I didn't drive on I-5 once!

...wouldn't you like to know! ;)

My really loud laugh - or maybe my accent

I really, really love the movies. I spend a lot of time at NWFF and SIFF - and not so much at the multiplex. But I still loved Les Mis. I think "Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid" is kind of perfect - and so is "Wings of Desire". And "Sunrise" (Murnau), "The Philadelphia Story" and "Killing of a Chinese Bookie". Other faves include "Once Upon a Time in the West", "The Conformist", "Seventh Seal" and "2001". Recent things which were cool include "Once Upon a Time in Anatolia" and "Rachel Getting Married". Just before Christmas, I went to see a double bill of La Jetee and 12 Monkeys at SIFF - just amazing.

For ages, I didn't watch any TV. But now that I can see some stuff without owning a set, it seems much more appealing. After I arrived in Seattle I watched Twin Peaks (of course), then blew threw "The Wire" in less time than was probably good for me. I really like "Breaking Bad", and can't believe they're making me wait another whole year for the 2nd half of the final season...

For music, I have to start with Bob Dylan. I like him a lot - not just the 60s stuff, or the last couple of albums, but stuff from throughout his career. I think it's pretty amazing what he's achieved - and he's still writing seriously great songs. I also love David Bowie, Neil Young and Tom Waits, plus more recent discoveries like the Kills. Scrolling through iTunes - these names are leaping out at me: The Band, Bruce Springsteen, Captain Beefheart, The Clash, Dexy's Midnight Runners, John Martyn, Leonard Cohen, Led Zep, Massive Attack, Nina Simone, Paul Simon, Peter Gabriel, Pretenders, Stone Roses, Steve Reich, Tears for Fears, Talking Heads, Van Morrison, Velvet Underground, The Who. There's a bunch of Jazz too (Art Pepper, Miles Davis, John Coltrane, Albert Ayler, Charles Mingus, Ric Colbeck, Herbie Hancock), quite a bit of classical (Beethoven, Bach, Vivaldi, Handel) and some good old blues too - Son House, Blind Willie McTell, Bukka White. And there's still some room for some cheesy 80s / 90s stuff too - Duran Duran are great, and there's even a couple of Simple Minds albums which I'll vigorously defend.

As for books, I've got a good eye, but I'm a slow reader, and I've gotten beached on a couple of really good books recently, even though I was really enjoying them. I'm currently reading "Siddhartha", which is amazing - I'm determined to finish it.

Creativity
Love
Art
Sex
Music
Coffee

There's no typical Friday night. I might be out taking some photographs, if the light is right. Or off to catch a movie somewhere. Or settling down with a good book...

I'm often quite shy - but I'm secretly brave.

...what I've written has piqued your interest!