For the third print edition of Ernest Journal, photographer Colin Nicholls headed to a medieval farmhouse in Monmouthshire to meet Nik Ramage, a kinetic sculptor who makes machines the world didn't know it needed – including a mechanical hand with forever tapping fingers and a free-range pen. Here Colin talks about his approach to the shoot, his choice of Fuji X-E2 camera and then shares a few shots that didn't make it into the magazine...

A few months back I was asked by Ernest Journal to head down to Monmouthshire and photograph a man who builds mechanical sculptures. As always, I was game and treated to an incredible assignment with massive photographic potential.

We arrived at Nik Ramage's house nestled in the South Wales countryside. I had a great feeling walking through the door, spotting unusual things all over the place, then Nik led us down the garden to his old chicken shed where he does most of his work.

For this job I took just one Fuji X-E2 body with 23mm and 56mm lenses and swapped them as I needed them. This was one of my first proper outings with the 23mm and I was thrilled with how it felt to use and the images it allowed me to make. I tired to keep my shooting style fairly realistic, while getting a nice amount of coverage for the magazine.

My editorial work is starting to gain real traction and allows me to visit some great places and meet fantastic people – something I'm working on expanding this year.