Smile please 😁With my time as a freelance assistant I had made connections with marketing agencies creative directors, art directors, PR consultants and design studios. In 1992 I launched myself as photographer. Full of energy and ambition I hawked my portfolio around and started to get small pack shots.At this time it was still very much film based, shooting on transparencies, either 5’ x 4’ or medium format.My first big job was shooting a series of kitchens for Bolton & Paul, a large joinery company. Once that was in my portfolio, it took me up a level or two. I’ve worked with a wide variety of clients from international corporate brands to local independent companies and enjoy them all equally. RAC: capturing images of the interaction with a stranded motoristBSM: Studio shoots of cars and lifestyle shotsBarclays: Taking portraits of the directors at their Canary wharf HQ in LondonCamping & Caravanning Club: Traveling the UK and Europe capturing images of their sites and customersPret A Manger: Over a decade of photographing their stores, team members and products Naked Wines : Capturing images of their wine expertsWetherspoon : Photographing news events around the country Stolen Goat : Taking lifestyle images of cyclists.Lakeside : Food photography for packaging In recent years I have found more businesses are hiring me to photograph their directors, staff, team members, work force and customers.My style captures the personality of people in their working environment and creating lifestyle images that can be used for social media, websites and marketing material means the client has a library full of images that have the quality of stock images but are using their own people in their real work environment.Little did I think when I walked up that gangplank at aged 20 that the skills I would learn as a ships photographer I would still be using them every day, 35 years on.

I need to thank Tinder ❤️I met my now wife on Tinder. She was the first person I swiped, the first person I met and it was love at first sight 😍Alex is a vet and was a partner in 3 practices. On finding out I was a photographer she said, we need some new photos.I had a look at their website and had to agree with her.People say never work with animals. Well I have to say that's a bit of a myth. Animals are great to photograph.Firstly the majority don't mind the camera, they find it fascinating.They are natural, photogenic and are always on the move creating different opportunities for a perfect photo.I soon realised that there was a gap in the market for good images showing what great work vets, nurses, surgeons, receptionist and office staff do.People now look on their phones and iPads to find Vets so practices need to be a little with more savvy with their online appearance. Having good quality photos showing your facilities and staff is a key feature with websites now. Anything that holds people attention longer on your site helps increase the visibility, and tells Google that people like this site.Showing the human side of a business is what makes you stand apart from your peers.When I started vetsphotography.com I didn't want to go down the generic, corporate stock shots feel which anyone can download and use. I wanted the images to look high class but with a real feel to them. This makes them look more authentic, especially when you are using the staff that the customers will see in the place where they will visit.From one photo shoot Veterinary practices can now receive a library of images that can be used in many situations, such us : - Websites- Branding- Posters - Point of sales- Personal branding- Headshot- Portraits- PR- Editorials- Social media:- Facebook- Instagram- LinkedInVets photography has been a joy to set up and fits perfectly with my style of photography. Also I love animals.

It’s the future but here today 📡I have never been one to shy away from new technology. When digital cameras first started to appear I was first in the queue.If I need a bit of kit for a client I’m happy to invest in it, that was the case with 360 degree photography .I had been shooting 360 tours on a 35mm camera for years, then a new kid came on the block, Matterport and people just loved what it could do.As well as shooting 2D images, the area is also scanned with infrared light creating a 3D model. It was revolutionary. People compared it to Mission Impossible.So what is a Matterport Visual Tour? Quite simply it allows you to make a 3D virtual twin of a space. Big or small. From there you can add info points around the space highlighting different features with either text, photos, videos or hyper links.- The tour can be embedded into websites or sent as a link in a text or email.- Analytics can been seen on how many people view the tour.- Hi res images can be downloaded from any of the views in the tour.- Videos can be made of any aspect in the tour as well.- The tour is permanently live meaning that any aspect of it can be updated at any time.- It truly is fascinating what can be achieved now.Many of my clients have benefited from this such as :▪️Conference centres, it can show perspective clients what amenities the venue has to offer.▪️Hotels, They can send links to different grades of rooms so guests can choose which one they prefer.▪️Wedding venues. The tours can show different ways the room could be set up.▪️Architects, Showcasing a finished project ▪️Builders, On a refurb, the initial scan can be shared and marked up with work that needs to be done.▪️Airbnb, A tour means people know what they are getting before they book. There are 100’s of ways a tour can help business. I love seeing how far I can push this new technology.If you think this could work for you then give me a call.

Then came Bond 😎This certainly wasn’t on the cards. Life was going fine with the photography and then Daniel Craig became Bond and everything changed.If you are going to be compared to anyone then I guess James Bond, 007, is a pretty good one. It started after Casino Royale came out in 2007. People started to say “You look a bit like that new Bond” So I sent some photos off to a lookalike agency and guess what? In a matter of months I was standing in a 5 star hotel in Monte Carlo, alongside Sean Connery, Shirley Bassey, Odd Job and Jaws, thinking “now what do I do”Surreal is a word that would fit that moment in time.If you think it’s easy being a lookalike as all they do is just walk around and pretend to be someone else, then think again.Imagine being dropped in the deep end of a pool and told to swim. When you shout back “I can’t swim I’ve never been taught” they reply “well you better learn quickly then”It’s always nerve racking when you start something new, that is way out of your comfort zone. As with most things in my life, when that happens you just have to find that inner confidence and you will be amazed at what you can achieve. So what has this got to do with photography? Quite a lot in fact. It’s all about connecting with people.As a lookalike you have to entertain and engage with people, make them smile. Be that as a host for the event, present awards or greeting them at a Gala evening’s you have to connect with people.Being Bond has opened many doors, from partying on multi million pound yachts to arriving in helicopters to events. It has been a whirlwind for sure but the high point has to be appearing in a Bond film, Quantum of Solace and sharing some screen time with the man himself, Daniel Craig.Mr Craig has now bowed out of being Bond. The gigs will lessen but the line will always be there, “The names Bond, James Bond”

Life on the ocean waves 🛳For me becoming a cruise ships photographer was a big step. First time working on a ship, first time working abroad, first time working 7 days a week for 7 months. I joined as a junior photographer, and was shown the ropes by a seasoned ships photographer. On a average day we would be shooting 6-7 rolls of film, everyday for 7 months. That’s around 50,000 photos. It didn’t take long to learn the technical side of the photography. What did take longer to master was getting people to smile when they had their photo taken.I soon found out that if they didn’t look good in their photo then they wouldn’t buy it (Unless they were Japanese, who bought every photo, even if they were just in the background) On a 3 day cruise we would shoot:Welcome aboard, life boat drill, Captains cocktails, shore excursions, Greek dancers night, ships games, talent show, portraits, couples, table shots, group shots. In the end, when we walked up, they would say, you’ve taken more photos than I had on my wedding day. I didn’t know at the time but this constant flow of photographing people, quickly and with out fuss and making them smile at the same time, was the best grounding in photography I could have ever asked for.On a ship with 600 passengers we had to make £1800 on a 3 day cruise before we made a penny, so you can see we were motivated.I got promoted to head photographer and worked on 2 ships, one in the Med the other in the Caribbean.When I arrived, I was a junior photographer just turned 20 by the time I came back I had learned how to run a business, manage people, work and survive in stressful situations, know how to take a great portrait and had seen a bunch of incredible places around the world.❓Was it hard and stressful , yes.❓Did it make a man of me, yes ❓Did I learn more life, than photography, skills , yes❓Was it the best experience for a 20 year old, definitely YES

I love wallpapering 😍As a freelance photographer's assistant, you mainly worked 1 or 2 days a week so it was good to have something to supplement the income.For me, it was painting and decorating. I had always enjoyed DIY with my dad and he taught me skills like being able to hang a 5m drop of wallpaper, properly. These practical skills were carried through to when I was a photographers assistant and freelance assistant. There were many jobs where I was required to build room sets and kitchens, I even had to construct a realistic garden with turf in a studio. The sets might have been fake on the outside but inside, through the camera lens they had to look the real deal. From painting, woodwork, wallpapering and gardening I had to be able to do it all.With these skills I was able to find work as a decorator. This was in the late 80s and all the rage at the time was rag rolling and marbling. It was cutting edge back then. Now it looks a bit dated but being able to preform these new decorating techniques meant I had a steady supply of clients. Pricing a job was something new for me. Working out how long it would take, thinking of the problems you might unearth when you start, knowing how much materials you needed, these were all part of the process of being a painter and decorator. If you got it wrong at the start then you would be paying for it later out of your pocket. Like all things, practice makes perfect and this was a job I enjoyed.Attention to detail, pride in your work, making a good impression and chatting with the customer, are all skills I use, be it photography, assisting or decorating.Doing a good job and being a nice person means you will get invited back to do more work. That is still as relevant today as it was 20 years ago.I’ve always enjoyed working with my hands so the satisfaction I get from transforming a tired old room into something bright and new is very satisfying.

Mistaken as the male model 😂When I came back I worked as a freelance assistant for photographers in Norfolk but also for some London photographers.The role of a freelance assistant to a studio or location photographer is basically being a mind reader. Good assistants have the next film back in their hand ready to pass it to the photographer 30 seconds before they ask.A good freelance assistant knows what’s happening on a shoot, be that a studio set build, a portrait or multiple model shoot.It was my job to make sure everything was in place for the shoot, ahead of time, so when it started everything ran like clock work.Liaising with the client, art directors, models, and knowing what problems might arise before they do is what gets you asked back.Many photographers have permanent assistants, like I was initially but the knowledge you pick up from seeing other advertising / commercial / fashion / editorial photographers is invaluable. Each has their own style, techniques, favourite lighting set ups and to see and learn this, is priceless. One job I remember was for a London photographer who was working out of Spencer Rowell studio, you might not know him but would recognise his work. His most famous photo was called L'Enfant in 1986.It was a B&W shot of a good looking chap with his top off holding a baby. Heralded as the image of “New man” it was a massive hit.Anyway back to the job in hand. I was waiting for the photographer to arrive and in walked in this chap, who was a model. Let’s just call him Adonis,(you get the picture) “Are you here for the casting he said” Looking at him I said, “If I was I think I would get up and leave, now that you have walked in” My time as a freelance certainly honed my skills when it came to preparation. Knowing the problems that might happen on a photo shoot, before they happen has served me well.Also being exposed to a variety of styles has helped me stay fresh with my own photography.

Where it all began 🎞I shouldn’t have got this job, it was a YTS scheme for people living in the Norwich, and I lived in Sheringham but the last couple of assistants didn’t work out so they offered it to me.Many people go to university and take a degree in photography, I wanted to learn first hand, on the job, so for me this was perfect.The photography studio had a large infinity cove and was geared towards advertising and commercial shoots.It was owned by Julian, himself a self taught photographer who was happy to teach me. One of his sayings was “I’ve taught you everything you know but not what I know” Over the course of 3 years I learnt a wide variety of skills- How to set up lighting for a head shot- Different lighting set ups for portraits- Shooting pack shots on a cleann white backdrop- Styling still life sets, lighting and shooting them- Set building, from a flat wall to a realistic rooms set- Prop sourcing or making- Learning trade skills like wallpapering, painting and woodwork- Knowing the difference between flash and tungsten lighting- Shooting with cameras from 35mm, medium to large format cameras- How to balance lighting on a location shoot- Understanding film colour temperatures- Working with clients and modelsMy apprenticeship had far more practical experience that I would have received from a degree course and all of it whilst working on real jobs with real clients and earning money (£25 a week)There was a lot of interacting I was doing with clients, art directors, creative directors, brand managers, suppliers, models etc. Communicating well with people is probably the most important skill to have as a photographer.Whilst I learned a lot about photography I still wasn’t as confident in communicatingSo as I turned 20 I decided to head out for a life on the ocean waves as a Cruise Ship photographer, and bouy wasn’t that an eye opener.

I could have sold the story to The Sun 🗞When I knew I wanted to get into photography I (not my mum this time) went and visited the local photographer to see if I could do some work experience.It was a family business covering weddings, school proms, baby photos, you get the picture.Jim (not his real name) would let me go with him to weddings. I would be chief bag holder, would be in charge of loading the 120 film back for his Bronica and shout out “Where’s Uncle Ernie ? We need you for the group shot”I always remember his soft focus filter, it was basically a lens hood with sellotape over the front with a hole cut in. Fine for dull days but on bright days you could easily see the sellotape on the final prints. The thing is I don't think the bride and groom ever noticed. That's where my photographer's eye started to come into focus. He also developed films for the public (this is where the anonymity comes in)One of my jobs would be putting these films onto the machine. You pulled the start of the film out, clipped it to the machine, closed the door and off it went.Once it came out of the fixative bath you could open the door and see the negatives still wet. On this occasion, I saw the images on the negatives just slide off the film 😲 In a panic, I called Jim to come and look, after a few mins he had worked out what I had done. I put a roll of B&W film through the colour film processor.Mortified I said what are we going to do? Jim said don’t worry, we will process a blank roll of B&W film that’s the same and tell the customer that the film didn’t go through the camera properly.Luckily I only ever did that once. You certainly do learn from your mistakes. During the rest of my time with him I gained great insight into the working world of running a photography business dealing with the public.

Facing up to my first job 🥫My first paid job was working as a Saturday boy in my local Budgens store.My mum, like most who have a 15 year old boy, said I needed to get a job.She spoke with Mr Parriss, the manager and told me, “you are starting next Saturday”So the following Saturday I walked to store and was told what what they wanted me to do - Sweep the pavement in front of the shop first thing in the morning - Break down boxes so they flatness then bind them up - Bring stock downstairs in the lift (which you weren’t allowed to ride in, but we did)- Slide open the back door when the bell rang for deliveries.- Face up the tins on the shelves so all the labels faced forward - Empty the binsThe list went on and on. As a Saturday boy you fell into the “catch all” section of jobs that needed to be doing.It was ok though as a 15 year boy and was a great way of earning some money for myself.It was also my first experience of working in a team and having a manager. The time always flew by as there was always something to do like, sweep, mop, face up, break down, fetch, take back etc. As a first job it was a great one, unlike a paper round that involved getting up at the crack of dawn. So what did I learn from my 2 years working at Budgens?Punctuality : Arriving to work on time was a must, heavens help you if your were late.Responsibility : You were given a task to do, if you didn’t do it then one else was going to do it for you.Politeness : The shop was always busy with customers so you had to be polite.Money : The joy when I received my pay in that little brown envelope, I still remember that feeling.As Saturdays jobs went it was good. It set me on a path of independence, even if I didn’t know it at the time. When I walk past that shop now (it’s a WH Smiths) I always think about that blinking back door that you had to slam to get it to close.