James Sparshatt Photography

El Paso is an evocative black-and-white photograph that captures the dynamic motion of dancers, focusing on their feet elegantly entwined. The photograph features a blurred effect th...

A palmera summons the Duende through the force of her percussive clapping. In harmony with the tacones of the flamenco dancer and the harsh lament of the vocalist. James Sparshatt’...

House On The Marsh by James Sparshatt pictures a lonely cabin seen through late summer grasses on a marshland. The black-and-white photograph captures a tranquil rural scene, where...

A woman of Santiago de Cuba. The Spirit of the Revolution series documents the generation of Cubans that saw the dramatic changes of 1959 as young adults. They have a strength of character and underlying humour that transcends the struggle that has defined their lives. James Sparshatt went to Cuba in 1999 and was so taken with the island and its people that he returned 15 times in the following 7 years. His images are largely of the music and dance and innate rhythm of the island but he also found himself drawn to an older generation that had been old enough to understand the revolution in 1959, that lived through 40 years of tumultuous and often difficult times and who now watch with some bemusement the return of the outside world in wave upon wave of tourists. James Sparshatt’s photographs of the “Revolutionary” generation of Cubans capture their grit and indominatable spirit. The black and white portrait...

A lady of pure joy… dancing in the Plaza de la Revolucion on May 1st. The Spirit of the Revolution series documents the generation of Cubans that saw the dramatic changes of 1959 as...

Fuerza y Poder – Strength and Power. The Raphael Trejo gym is an institution of Old Havana. An open air gym that has produced world beating champions from bare-footed initiates. I...

Saudade Lost in the moment. Saudade is an emotional state of profound longing for a beloved yet absent something or someone. The Carnaval of Olinda, on the north east coast of Bra...

A woman of Santiago de Cuba. The Spirit of the Revolution series documents the generation of Cubans that saw the dramatic changes of 1959 as young adults. They have a strength of ch...

Puro is Cuban slang for a cigar… alegria is Spanish for happiness… for Graciela both always seemed essential to her being. The Spirit of the Revolution series documents the generati...

A moment of calm amongst busy patterns and fabrics. Resting before it all comes to life. The Carnaval of Olinda, on the north east coast of Brazil, is a week of high energy and exub...

The forest awakens in spring. New leaves uncurl as morning light brings forth new growth. James Sparshatt’s black and white landscapes have an ethereal beauty. They are moments wh...

Every Sunday afro-Cubans gather in the Callejon de Hammel to play the drums and sing the harsh vocals of rumba. The Spirit of the Revolution series documents the generation of Cuban...

A tobacco farmer from the Viñales valley in Cuba. In 1959 residents of Cuba were faced with a stark choice: stay on their island home and live as a “revolutionary” or leave. Some believed wholeheartedly in the new beginning, some were willing to be carried along and some abandoned everything they had and chose exile. The Buena Vista social club...

Hoar frost envelops the reeds of Hickling Broad at dawn. James Sparshatt’s black and white landscapes have an ethereal beauty. They are moments when the natural form of topography ...

Music in Havana is an almost ever present backdrop to life… wandering the streets it is almost as though there is a soundtrack playing to the movie of your life. These school kids we...

Aodh is a god of the underworld and prince of the Daoine Sidhe in Irish mythology. The crashing waves in this cave made its legend as a gateway to the realm of the Gods entirely u...

A set of three framed silver gelatin prints by James Sparshatt. These black and white portraits of cigar smokers in Havana, Cuba, were taken at the turn of the 21st Century. Each...

Black and white portrait of a Cuban musician called Dagoberto. Dagoberto began playing his guitar in the Casa de la Trova in Holguin, Cuba, in 1944. Sixty years later in 2004 I had ...

The background, artfully blurred, draws focus entirely on her expressive features. This photograph is a striking portrayal of age, presence, and the quiet dignity of ordinary life, i...

Les Vacances II The west coast of France is a place to eat delectable oysters, drink fine wines and walk along endless beaches in the glare of the summer sun. The Atlantic swell and...

A woman of Santiago de Cuba. The Spirit of the Revolution series documents the generation of Cubans that saw the dramatic changes of 1959 as young adults. They have a strength of ch...

The bearded one… in Old Havana. The Spirit of the Revolution series documents the generation of Cubans that saw the dramatic changes of 1959 as young adults. They have a strength of...

Havana Café. El Escabeche is a bar about halfway along called Obispo in old Havana. It was late afternoon when the band began to play. Their new lead singer was performing for the fi...

A fleeting touch of the lips on a tango dance floor James Sparshatt’s photographs of music and dance capture the emotion and intensity of people lost in the rhythm of the moment. The...

Just after dawn on the Henderson swamp in Louisiana, with only alligators and storks for company, the hanging moss and primeval cypress trees in calm magnificence. James Sparshatt’s...

The old country girl from the Escambray mountains. I was hiking in the mountains, close to Trinidad, when I met the family. They invited me in and we chatted about our different live...

El revolucionario – a gentleman of Old Havana. The Spirit of the Revolution series documents the generation of Cubans that saw the dramatic changes of 1959 as young adults. They hav...

Graciela was for many years an institution in Old Havana. Always dressed beautifully, a cigar clamped between her teeth, a grin at the ready. A witness to the Cuban revolution and 50...

Sparshatt Dalzell is a collaboration between photographer James Sparshatt and painter Rachael Dalzell. These works combine the exacting and time consuming artistry of the palladium platinum printing process with Dalzell's expressive and immediate painting style to bring colour and drama to Sparshatt's portraits. James Sparshatt's Spirit of Revolution series documents the strength and resillience of a generation of Cubans who have lived through a half century of tumultuous history on their island. His black and white portraits capture every wrinkle and line. Shot on the street they exude a natural charm. They are printed as Palladium Platinum prints by master of the art Max...

Sparshatt Dalzell is a collaboration between photographer James Sparshatt and painter Rachael Dalzell. The portrait was taken in 2003 on Plaza de la Catedral by James. Rachael’s ...

Jacquelina was photographed in the early hours in a milonga tango club in Buenos Aires. James Sparshatt’s photographs of music and dance capture the emotion and intensity of people ...

Te veo… I see you. Matanzas 2005. The Spirit of the Revolution series documents the generation of Cubans that saw the dramatic changes of 1959 as young adults. They have a strength ...

Sparshatt Dalzell is a collaboration between photographer James Sparshatt and painter Rachael Dalzell. The portrait was taken in 2003 on Plaza de la Catedral by James. Rachael’s ...

There is a something about being a child on the beach where the sheer exuberance of running into the waves transcends the normal social barriers, and the shared exhilarance allows fo...

Graciela was for many years an institution in Old Havana. Always dressed beautifully, a cigar clamped between her teeth, a grin at the ready. A witness to the Cuban revolution and 50...

Puro is Cuban slang for a cigar… alegria is Spanish for happiness… for Graciela both always seemed essential to her being. The Spirit of the Revolution series documents the generati...

The gentleman… a man of calm dignity and endessly kind eyes in Old Havana in 2016. The Spirit of the Revolution series documents the generation of Cubans that saw the dramatic chan...

Portrait of Elvirio el Dandy. An icon of Old Havana at the turn of the century. His custom of wearing finery has spawned a whole generation of young “Dandies” who hang out on Havan...

The gentleman… a man of calm dignity and endessly kind eyes in Old Havana in 2016. The Spirit of the Revolution series documents the generation of Cubans that saw the dramatic chan...

A moment of pure joy in Holguín, Cuba, during las Romerias de Mayo festival. James Sparshatt’s photographs of music and dance capture the emotion and intensity of people lost in the...

On a musical and pleasure seeking pilgrimage… during Las Romerias de Mayo festival in Holguín. The Spirit of the Revolution series documents the generation of Cubans that saw the dr...

Last Man Standing Creating his own dancefloor. As much a part of the show as he is the audience. The Carnaval of Olinda, on the north east coast of Braz...

A moment of joy on the dancefloor at the Festival Acadiens et Creoles in 2019 in Lafayette, Louisiana. A joyous connection! Lafayette Louisiana, USA 2019 James Sparshatt‘s black a...

Just after sunrise the mists disburse to reveal a panorama of pagodas stretching across the Bagan valley in Burma. Drifting slowly in the almost imperceptible breeze a flotilla of h...

Portrait of Elvirio el Dandy. An icon of Old Havana at the turn of the century. His custom of wearing finery has spawned a whole generation of young “Dandies” who hang out on Havan...

La Linea by James Sparshatt. Romantic black and white framed photograph of tango dancers. A line to be crossed… a man leads with strength and tenderness on ...

La Linea by James Sparshatt. Romantic photo of tango. Palladium Platinum Print. A line to be crossed… a man leads with strength and tenderness on the tango ...

The all-female Cuban group Morena Son playing in Holguin. James Sparshatt’s photographs of music and dance capture the emotion and intensity of people lost in the rhythm of the mome...

Les Vacances III The west coast of France is a place to eat delectable oysters, drink fine wines and walk along endless beaches in the glare of the summer sun. The Atlantic swell an...

The Skellig Islands are off the coast of Kerry in Ireland. Once the home of reclusive monks they have gained notoriety recently as a retreat for Luke Skywalker… Lit by moon light reflected off the Atlantic Ocean swell they portray a calm at odds with the often stormy seas that batter them.. James Sparshatt’s black and white landscapes have an ethereal beauty. They are moments when the natural form of topography is given magic by the transient touch of the elements. The work is also available as a smaller archival giclee print and as a collectors edition Palladium Platinum print. Archival print on 300gsm Hahnemuhle rag Edition of 15 Paper size 85cm x 60cm (34″ x 24″) Image size 75cm x 50cm (29″ x 19″) Signed by the artist Certificate of Authenticity from the gallery Country: County Kerry...

Saiorse is the Irish Gaelic word for freedom. It suggests the yearning of emigrants to set off on a journey to a new world… where everything is brighter and more magical. The sea is...

Dreams of a moment… James Sparshatt’s photographs of music and dance capture the emotion and intensity of people lost in the rhythm of the moment. The work is available as silver g...

Every Sunday afro-Cubans gather in the Callejon de Hammel to play the drums and sing the harsh vocals of rumba. The Spirit of the Revolution series documents the generation of Cuban...

June Lake on the Eastern Escarpment of the Californian Sierra Maestre range. Hours before sunrise the frozen lake was buffeted by winds. The ice cracked and ...

El Ensayo (the rehearsal) was taken during the Romerias de Mayo festival in Holguin Cuba. The troupe were preparing for a performance of Afro-Cuban dance...

A photograph of Mario locked in a harmonious embrace with his trumpet… a moment of magic in a jazz club in New Orleans. James Sparshatt’s photographs of music and dance capture the ...

Havana Café. El Escabeche is a bar about halfway along called Obispo in old Havana. It was late afternoon when the band began to play. Their new lead singer was performing for the fi...

A lady of pure joy… dancing in the Plaza de la Revolucion on May 1st. The Spirit of the Revolution series documents the generation of Cubans that saw the dramatic changes of 1959 as...

A Babalao or priest of the Santeria religion The Spirit of the Revolution series documents the generation of Cubans that saw the dramatic changes of 1959 as young adults. They have ...

The Viñales valley in western Cuba is a place of stunning beauty where perhaps the finest tobacco leaves in the world are grown. The tobacco farmers live hard but proud lives. The S...