Joel Rouse

27/03/2026

I'm a huge fan of Brutalist architecture, and amazingly, The Times recently voted High Point (shots one & seven) as the No.1 greatest Brutalist building in the country.

Perhaps Bradford really is the City of Dreams.

25/03/2026

Bradford City Hall is one of the most striking town halls in the country. Built in the late 1800s by architects Lockwood and Mawson, it was inspired by the Palazzo Vecchio in Florence, features 35 statues of British monarchs, and has a 220‑ft clock tower.

24/03/2026

18/03/2026

This is Dewsbury. It's the place that's captivated me most since returning to West Yorkshire.

Of all the mill town centres I've been back to, Dewsbury's has suffered the most post-industrial decline. That said, it's worth a visit for the shock and awe of the contrast between the decline and the striking architecture.

18/03/2026

There's hope, though. Dewsbury is receiving millions of pounds in funding to redevelop the town into a residential and mixed-use hub, starting with The Arcade, which is due to open later this year.

18/03/2026

18/03/2026

Having learned photography in the digital era, I've always wanted to develop some film in a darkroom. To tick this off in the Taskbook of Life, I shot some flowers with my beautiful Bronica in a studio in

I ended up printing, too, and seeing the pictures come to life in the darkroom is something else. It's like magic seeing the image appear on the paper 🪄🧙

Scans by
Film by

06/03/2026

Today is a big day! It's my 40th birthday, but more importantly, it's my first day outside of the military.

Stace bought me this book for our £20 Charity Shop Christmas Gift Challenge in 2024, and I'd say it's one of the most important books I've ever read. My career has been crazy, and I'm truly thankful to have been a military photographer. What a gift it's been to take pictures for a living when photography is such a huge part of my life and something I love. My last job in the military has been a bit of a challenge, though, being largely low-value and wasteful, leaving me with far too much time to ponder my existence. The result was a longing for some form of fulfilment. This book helped pave the way to realise that there's more to life than some of us might be experiencing, what we have is enough, and now is the time to change direction and go after something else.

and I have been planning this exit for some time, and everything, so far, has worked out better than we could have imagined (apart from the disruption in the Middle East, of course). Stace is due back to the UK at the end of March, and we will embark on a road trip very shortly after that 🇳🇱🌷

I am truly thankful for what the military has offered me, and here's to the next chapter 🍻

06/03/2026

Animals are part of the landscape of Marrakech. Donkeys are still used, cats are everywhere, and chickens are dispatched in the shops where they are sold.

06/03/2026

Here are my last frames from Marrakech. And here's another last. It's my last day in the Royal Navy 🎉



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04/03/2026

This is one of my favourite shots from Marrakech. Donkeys still play an important role in the city, where they are used in the narrow alleyways of the Medina to transport goods and building materials around. They are strong, stoic animals that are a bit of an icon of Marrakech.

In more exciting news, I have just two days left in the Navy.

In even more exciting news, the van is in the garage for the massive list of repairs ahead of a Netherlands road trip in April for tulip season 🌷🇳🇱