Although healthcare specialisations in general have a scientific basis, not many people appreciate that dentistry in particular has scope for dentists to be creative and artistic; a restoration has to not only work well but also look good.

After more than 40 years of providing high quality dental treatment mainly on children and expressing my self artistically in my patient's mouths, I decided that I needed to find a way of allowing my artistic expression to be seen and enjoyed by more people.

I chose the medium of photography to achieve this goal. Although superficially it appears an easy thing to do, point the camera, focus and press the button; there are many challenges and this is what I find so appealing. I have endeavoured to learn by attending workshops and putting in lots of practice. I have been influenced by the teachers, exhibitions and books I have read.

The beauty of this artistic medium is that there are not only the technical aspects of  finding suitable subjects, using the gear and capturing the images but also the processing of the captured images. It its the latter part of the experience for me that has been the larger challenge. Similarly with my patients, it is not just the mechanical provision of the treatment using my clinical skill, dental equipment and materials, there is an emotional component. In my photographs I endeavour to capture the emotional component that may have only been fleeting in its existence and yet, I try to enable viewers of my images to experience what I felt when I took the image.