I am not a huge follower of music and tend to like one CD and play it to death, usually when I am washing up.

You can read a lot about a country by looking at its beaches: across cultures, the beach is that rare public space in which all absurdities and quirky national behaviors can be found.

I am away so much, so I rarely see live TV, but I use iPlayer to catch programmes.

I avoid Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter, and if I need to communicate with someone, I email direct.

Photographs are interpretations of reality; as such, it is entirely subjective. Most photos are taken with an agenda, to sell something or to make a subject look better than it really is. Think of family snapshots - everyone is smiling and happy.

I always take photographs when I attend a funeral. Most people there know who I am and expect me to be there with my camera.

Filming is always a challenge because I'm not used to it. But I approach it head-on. I'm not technically brilliant, but it's the spirit that counts.