Well after eight years at The Birmingham Post (five as picture editor) I am on the verge of leaving to pursue a career as a freelance photographer.

This blog will bring you a selection of pictures taken from the Birmingham City Archive currently stored at the Central Library.*

An illustration of Birmingham's Town Hall from the 1830s:

Hello everyone, a warm welcome to my blog. Let me introduce myself, I am the picture editor on the Birmingham Post.

I have worked here at The Post for the last 7 years , originally as a photographer and for the last 5 years as the picture editor.

Prior to moving to Birmingham I followed the usual photojournalist career path, trainee on a weekly newspaper, senior on an evening paper, staff photographer at an agency working for the nationals before going freelance.

Following my freelance stint I slightly changed tack and had a go working as a picture editor on an evening newspaper, I did that for 3 years before deciding to go back on the road when an opportunity arose at the Birmingham Post for a photographer, 2 years down the line the original picture editor left and guess who found himself back behind a desk.

Through this blog I hope to provide some insight and opinions on photography, the use of photographs in newspapers and the decision-making process behind the pictures that appear on the pages of The Birmingham Post.