You Just Never Know: Right time, right place

By Charles Woollett

It’s the life of a photographer and none other than globe trotter Ian Gough - capturing the world, as it unfolds in front of his lens and that split second shutter. Ian Gough has a plethora of images that are, what’s the word, timeless. As a young boy he left Stourport-on-Severn, Worcestershire, England.

At 19 he picked up sticks and headed for the South of France, for several years, hopping all through Europe doing odd jobs and skiing, his favorite sport. Final destination, over to the states, ending up on the ski slopes of Winter Park Colorado. He loved it so much, he opened his own restaurant, “Smokin Moes” which he and his Brazilian wife Venessa ran for sixteen years. Now solo the travel bug and photography were nipping at his heels. 2019 saw him in Uganda, Kenya, Ethiopia and one of his favorite Cities in the world, Cape Town, South Africa. As he put it recently, over hot chocolate at Marulier Cafe, “Its fun being a nomad, I love traveling and capturing life in the blink of an eye”.

He has been with Trusted House Sitters for the last ten years, living here there and everywhere, in Columbia and Equador before Covid hit. Then he moved to San Miguel de Allende in 2021, which is base camp for the most part now. As is evidence of his awesome pictures of this ancient town. He is known affectionately as, ‘San Miguel de Allende’s friendly British Offical photograher’.

Last year he was absent for seven whole months as he ventured over to Azerbaijan and Georgia. Countries at the intersection of Europe and Asia, former Soviet Republics, homes to the Caucasus Mountain villages and the Caspian & Black Seas. Eventually he ended up in Dubai for three months, which as he put it, “was fascinating, but hotter than the hinges of hell”.

Gough likes characters in his pictures, be it a dog or usually pretty women on photoshoots, or sometimes locals of which he gets to know their stories, consequently there is always more behind his pictures. Colorful images abound, although his favorite photography, quote is, “Shitty light, use black and white.”

Most days he’s up before sunrise, probably waking a dog, for which he's housesitting, and carrying his trusty Sony A73. You just never know, whats around the next corner. Photography is, being in the right place at the right time, that's Ian Gough’s good fortune. 

iangoughphotography.com