AS THE old adage goes, size doesn't matter.
And South Croydon photographer Eric Hands is proving small is beautiful, by holding an exhibition featuring just two images.
The gallery at the Clocktower Cafe will be showcasing the 64-year-old's finest work – well, some of it anyway.
Asked why he decided to display just two pictures, Eric told the Advertiser: "Hopefully for impact rather than quantity because they are bold images; it does the trick.
"They really stand out."
The exhibition, billed as "a one-man, two-picture show", began at the Katherine Street cafe on Friday.
Both pictures were taken while Eric was out and about indulging his passion across the capital.
Eric claims he does not have a particular style, but with more than 21,000 images on his Flickr account alone, the aptly named Mr Hands is far from a lazy artist.
He says he is inspired by colour and forms, and describes his images as being "random and eclectic".
The artisan can often be seen roaming the streets of Croydon with his dog and a camera, and to the untrained eye it may look like he is taking pictures of obscure objects. He said: "The images may be different but other photographers that know me can always tell when it's me.
"I can't put it into words what my shtick is."
Eric's other images, that did not make the cut for his two-picture exhibition, range from a lonely looking octopus hanging from a shop window in Chinatown, to pictures of pubs.
A keen snapper since the 1960s, his love of photography started at an early age. Eric said: "Like so many, my interest in photography was sparked by my late father's collection of folding film cameras and a bulging suitcase of snaps.
"My first camera was a plastic one from Woolworths.
"My first publication was in a local paper at the age of ten, for which I received a book token."
The Clocktower exhibition runs until March 2.
Visit www.erichands.com to see more of his photos.
