The Time Traveller

When I was a child, I was obsessed with time travel. I imagined this man in a hat who could travel in time and I made an entire story in my head. As time went by and my imagination became dull through maturity, I forgot about the time traveller.

It wasn’t until maybe a year ago that on a day out doing street photography, I came across some buildings. Initially, I just thought they looked cool. As I lifted the camera to my eye, the memories came flooding back – I’d seen these buildings before! Not literally, but I’d imagined buildings like them. And there in my mind, I could imagine the time traveller standing there looking out towards them.

Bit by bit I remembered parts of the story. I went back a few weeks later with a friend. I bought the hat and I did the first time traveller shoot. I’ve been looking out for locations ever since to do further shoots and try to slowly piece everything together..

The story is all over the place right now and nobody could ever make any sense of it but me. My ambition is to create a graphic novel that tells the story of The Time Traveller and tells the story of his quest through time. I’d like to hold an exhibition with a book launch, display some large prints and the story will finally being revealed. Maybe the Time Traveller will put in an appearance in the flesh. Until then, you can imagine your own story.

The Time Traveller has featured on a double page spread in LFI magazine and on the front cover of Black and White Photography magazine so he’s out there now. I don’t know what it is about time travellers wearing a hat, but since I started this project, I’ve seen a movie and a series where the time travelling character wears a hat not dissimilar to the one featured in my project.

I think it’s true that there are no truly original ideas any more. My advice is, if you’re thinking of doing a project then get moving with it even if it doesn’t feel quite ready. A friend once told me someone is either thinking of doing it, has started doing it or has done it. So get cracking!