Tell us a little bit about yourself – I'm a Gemini, although not too extreme an example of 'the type' Fortunately my wife is one too so we understand each other and don't feel the continual need to commit murder! I work in and around the area of IT Project and Relationship Management and have done for the last 17 years. Again I am unusual (for that profession) in so much as I am not an aggressive 'type A' or 'red' personality and tend to work in a collaborative/'family' bonding way. I am a lover of travel, fine food, good books and pretty much any sort of mental stimulation.
Where do you call home? - I’m not one of these ‘wherever I hang my hat that’s my home’ type of people. I live in Northumberland now (about 6 miles from where I was actually born) but have always lived in and around the Tyne & Wear area. I am fiercely proud of my local roots.
Three words that describe you? - Friendly, loyal and fun-loving. (Oh and if someone says I only have 3 words I have to use 4 don’t I!!).
Did you have any formal training for photography? - No, I learned most of what I know from my Father........he was a keen photographer way before I was born, so I grew up around cameras. Got my first Kodak Instamatic for my 8th birthday then lived on a diet of 'hand me downs' until I bought my first single lens reflex (a Pentax KM) around 15 or 16. After that I joined my local camera club and picked up stuff from visiting lecturers and entering competitions - I won my first ever competition with a 'perfect' score, much to my amazement - a Kodachrome transparency of a scene that has now become overdone - the rowing boats at Derwent Water. Everything since then has been self-taught as I don't have the sort of memory that retains lessons or tutorials. I have the benefit of having come from cameras with manual everything – not even a built-in light meter – so I really do understand camera settings and could, theoretically, shoot without automatic aids easily if I had to.
How would you describe your style? - I am not entirely sure I ever had my own identifiable personal style. Now, with the advent of digital photography, it's a bit easier to classify me though because, amongst keen photographers, mine are some of the few images that still look like photographs, rather than digital art, so I tend to say 'Realistic'!
What type of cameras do you shoot with? - Sony Alphas; a 700 and a 900. I have a Canon G9 compact as a shirt pocket camera.
What is your favourite photography accessory, other than your camera? - Sad to say, probably my compact flash cards........I covet them rather more than I should! At the time of writing I have close to 100Gb including some of the new 600x speed Sandisks – the Alpha’s have incredibly fast data transfer rates, much faster than even a high-end card reader, and so I benefit from running fast cards.
If you had to choose one lens which one would it be and why? - Obviously depends where and when. When I am truly single-lensed; when travelling, I always use the cracking Sony 18-250 on the Alpha 700. If I had to come down on a single lens for 'home' use, on the Alpha 900, I would say my 70-200 2.8 as it is my preferred lens for both model work and motorsport.
What lighting equipment do you take on a shoot? - I always have a trusty old twin-head Metz MZ54 with me 'just in case' but rarely ever use it......with cameras and processing the way they are now I can even 'get away with' shooting subjects backlit most of the time. I am a firm fan of natural light. Having said that I do, of course, do a fair bit of studio work so I use the studio flash kit then……..I enjoy the freedom that radio triggers now provide but can still perform a reasonably graceful ‘synch-lead ballet’ if tethered!
What is your favourite computer/editing accessory, other than your computer? - Can't really be anything other than Photoshop these days can it. I am not an advanced Photoshop user.......more 'just enough to get by' and, although I am amazed at people's skill with the program, I don't think it should be the dominant force in photography. I do enjoy the ability to tinker a little bit though. I have tried and failed to use a graphics tablet but I think, at my level, a mouse copes fine anyway so I am not too concerned.
Film or digital? - Oh digital, no question! Although I was raised, almost exclusively, on a diet of Kodachrome 64 you were pretty limited to what you could do with that as an amateur with an amateur budget. Now everything is so much more accessible to non-pro’s and working digitally opens up an incredible range of further options to you. As a ‘timeline’ story I often recount the convoluted history of a shot of mine from 1984. It was my first visit to the Isle of Man for the TT races. I took a shot of works Honda rider Roger Marshall wheelie-ing out of the pits. It was on Kodachrome. When I got it back from processing I liked it so I wanted to have an enlargement made. So I used a slide copier to transfer it onto b w film, then processed and printed it myself and mounted it on card for camera club competitions etc. 20 years on I scanned it onto the pc, fired it down the line to a lab and they printed it from the digital image and mounted it on MDF and it now hangs on my study wall……that wouldn’t have, realistically, been available to me back in the 80’s.
What is your most used Photoshop add-on? - I use the excellent Focalblade plug-in for sharpening.
Are you a Mac or PC user? - PC – with my background in business rather than graphics I have too much intellectual time invested in Windows/Office etc to move away from it just for photography. My pathological inability to ‘throw away’ photographs means I have 2.5 terrabytes of hard disk space on the pc (filling-up fast!). Photoshop use also means I have 8Gb of RAM and run a 64-bit operating system to cater for it.
What piece of equipment would you most like to add to your kit bag? – I just need a long lens now (not easy with Sony's current range!). Probably the excellent 'G' series 70-400 zoom to give me flexibility, with class leading optical quality ahead of the comparable 80/100-400 offerings from Nikon and Canon.
What do you enjoy the most about being a photographer? - As a Gemini I get very 'turned on' by visual stimulation, so imaging in all its various forms is 'right up my street' I enjoy the challenge and am continually driving myself to produce better and better images. I produce a calendar every year now to act as a permanent record of my progression (or lack of it!). As I do a lot of model work now, I love the confidence building aspect - many models have confided in me that they were bullied at school and have turned to modelling as an 'up yours' to the bullies who used to call them fat and ugly etc. I'm right behind them, I think they have incredible courage and boy do they have the last laugh now! I enjoy the opportunity to meet and chat to a good range of new and interesting people whether it is models or people you meet on your travels who still find photography a bit like a black art and want to engage you in conversation about it.
How do you keep yourself motivated? - That continual self-challenge I spoke about earlier. I strive to produce original ideas in an arena where very little is truly original but I try my best with locations.....for example I think I am one of the few (only?) photographers to have done 'underground' style fashion photography on the Tyneside Metro system using the renovated station terminals. My photography is of a standard where there is always huge scope for improvement (!) and that drives me hard. When Dad was alive I always used to strive to catch-up with him. Certainly in terms of accomplishments I have now gone past his benchmark. Difficult to say of course because he only had a brief opportunity to experiment with digital (and only at a point-and-shoot level) prior to his death in 2006 and I am sure, had he been a few years younger, we would have been comparing the benefits of various kit and Photoshop treatments and battling it out now!
Have you had any work published? – Yes, a little, although I don’t actively ‘chase’ publication, partly because financial gain does not feature in my work. My first national exposure came in the venerable Horse and Hound magazine following a website re-vamp for a local inner city riding school charity. The magazine liked my work and so used a couple of images for a feature they did on the school. Through open licensing I am regularly found on the internet sites for estate agents etc. I have had work feature in a staff magazine and in business presentations. I have also had concert photography used in newspaper reviews of gigs and features on bands.
What has been your most memorable assignment and why? - The Metro shoot was one and before that a one I did at the Pitcher & Piano bar.....both because I was blagging a location and was under pressure to deliver.
A website you visit often? - How long have you got! I am a total net head. I am a moderator on The Model Mall. I use a few of the review sites such as DP Review and E-Photozine daily. The rest of the list is too long to mention!
Things you say or do to put your subjects at ease in front of the camera? - I have a very friendly and non-arrogant approach with a self-deprecating sense of humour. I don't go over the top with the "super, smashing, the camera loves you dahlink" patter, just enough to gently encourage. I try as much as possible to explain my thinking behind a particular series of shots and show the model the results, a couple of shots in, on the camera lcd screen so they can 'get it' more easily and respond/adapt if necessary. This also encourages them when they see they are getting worthwhile results.
The first photographer that comes to your mind and why? - I have never been one for "ooooh I love his/her work" in fact a lot of ‘top’ photographers can stray a bit far into the Emperor's new clothes arena and so I tend not to follow/idolise them. I met Lichfield once and what a smashing guy he was, fabulous interpersonal skills and very grounded for the Queen's cousin…….pictures not too shabby either! Marc Melling is my 'real world' local photographic friend and inspiration.
If you had not taken-up photography what would you have done as a hobby? - I was into sailing/canoeing/rowing/powerboating/cruising in my childhood and early adulthood so probably something connected with that.
Is there anybody, living or dead you would love to work with and why? - Someone like Judi Dench because of her incredible talent and personality. And I am sure she would be a hell of a giggle. If forced, I could probably put up with shooting someone like Mylene Klass!!!
What advice do you have for photographers just starting out? - Don't be frightened to ask and don't think that equipment alone can get you producing good images. Understand at least something about the workings of a camera (shutter speed, aperture etc) rather than being a total auto-slave.
Something you’re saving up for? - My next trip abroad, the 70-400 Sony and (perpetually) my next car.
Where you’ll find me on a Friday night at 9 p.m.? - At home with my wife (her shifts permitting). I am not a going out painting the town red person these days.
Your favourite film of all time? - Shawshank Redemption, and I am a Morgan Freeman devotee not Tim Robbins!
Your favourite book of all time? - Lord of the Rings.
Favourite car? – Obviously this changes as newer models come out, as I am not a classic car fan. I love the whole Aston Martin ‘feel’ though and you would always be safe plumping for a DB9 if you wanted to buy me a surprise present anytime! My fondest memories are actually of a tractor – the ubiquitous ‘little grey’ Massey Ferguson T20 – that I drove from age 14 on the beach and private roads when we were sailing a lot (soft sand needed a tractor to pull the boats down to the waterline).
What makes you laugh? – Pretty much anything from the British public school/Oxbridge ‘league’ of comedians, preferably with a heavy emphasis on wordplay……..Blackadder for example. I also love local Geordie humour…….everything from ‘The Little Waster’ through to Auf Wiedersehn Pet.
First thing you would do if you won the lottery? - Start planning a permanent move to New Zealand.
What would you like to be doing in 5 years from now? - After a very close escape with cancer in 2005 I hope to be around still annoying everybody. I would love to have the financial ability to start easing towards retirement and doing more travelling/photography.
Where do you call home? - I’m not one of these ‘wherever I hang my hat that’s my home’ type of people. I live in Northumberland now (about 6 miles from where I was actually born) but have always lived in and around the Tyne & Wear area. I am fiercely proud of my local roots.
Three words that describe you? - Friendly, loyal and fun-loving. (Oh and if someone says I only have 3 words I have to use 4 don’t I!!).
Did you have any formal training for photography? - No, I learned most of what I know from my Father........he was a keen photographer way before I was born, so I grew up around cameras. Got my first Kodak Instamatic for my 8th birthday then lived on a diet of 'hand me downs' until I bought my first single lens reflex (a Pentax KM) around 15 or 16. After that I joined my local camera club and picked up stuff from visiting lecturers and entering competitions - I won my first ever competition with a 'perfect' score, much to my amazement - a Kodachrome transparency of a scene that has now become overdone - the rowing boats at Derwent Water. Everything since then has been self-taught as I don't have the sort of memory that retains lessons or tutorials. I have the benefit of having come from cameras with manual everything – not even a built-in light meter – so I really do understand camera settings and could, theoretically, shoot without automatic aids easily if I had to.
How would you describe your style? - I am not entirely sure I ever had my own identifiable personal style. Now, with the advent of digital photography, it's a bit easier to classify me though because, amongst keen photographers, mine are some of the few images that still look like photographs, rather than digital art, so I tend to say 'Realistic'!
What type of cameras do you shoot with? - Sony Alphas; a 700 and a 900. I have a Canon G9 compact as a shirt pocket camera.
What is your favourite photography accessory, other than your camera? - Sad to say, probably my compact flash cards........I covet them rather more than I should! At the time of writing I have close to 100Gb including some of the new 600x speed Sandisks – the Alpha’s have incredibly fast data transfer rates, much faster than even a high-end card reader, and so I benefit from running fast cards.
If you had to choose one lens which one would it be and why? - Obviously depends where and when. When I am truly single-lensed; when travelling, I always use the cracking Sony 18-250 on the Alpha 700. If I had to come down on a single lens for 'home' use, on the Alpha 900, I would say my 70-200 2.8 as it is my preferred lens for both model work and motorsport.
What lighting equipment do you take on a shoot? - I always have a trusty old twin-head Metz MZ54 with me 'just in case' but rarely ever use it......with cameras and processing the way they are now I can even 'get away with' shooting subjects backlit most of the time. I am a firm fan of natural light. Having said that I do, of course, do a fair bit of studio work so I use the studio flash kit then……..I enjoy the freedom that radio triggers now provide but can still perform a reasonably graceful ‘synch-lead ballet’ if tethered!
What is your favourite computer/editing accessory, other than your computer? - Can't really be anything other than Photoshop these days can it. I am not an advanced Photoshop user.......more 'just enough to get by' and, although I am amazed at people's skill with the program, I don't think it should be the dominant force in photography. I do enjoy the ability to tinker a little bit though. I have tried and failed to use a graphics tablet but I think, at my level, a mouse copes fine anyway so I am not too concerned.
Film or digital? - Oh digital, no question! Although I was raised, almost exclusively, on a diet of Kodachrome 64 you were pretty limited to what you could do with that as an amateur with an amateur budget. Now everything is so much more accessible to non-pro’s and working digitally opens up an incredible range of further options to you. As a ‘timeline’ story I often recount the convoluted history of a shot of mine from 1984. It was my first visit to the Isle of Man for the TT races. I took a shot of works Honda rider Roger Marshall wheelie-ing out of the pits. It was on Kodachrome. When I got it back from processing I liked it so I wanted to have an enlargement made. So I used a slide copier to transfer it onto b w film, then processed and printed it myself and mounted it on card for camera club competitions etc. 20 years on I scanned it onto the pc, fired it down the line to a lab and they printed it from the digital image and mounted it on MDF and it now hangs on my study wall……that wouldn’t have, realistically, been available to me back in the 80’s.
What is your most used Photoshop add-on? - I use the excellent Focalblade plug-in for sharpening.
Are you a Mac or PC user? - PC – with my background in business rather than graphics I have too much intellectual time invested in Windows/Office etc to move away from it just for photography. My pathological inability to ‘throw away’ photographs means I have 2.5 terrabytes of hard disk space on the pc (filling-up fast!). Photoshop use also means I have 8Gb of RAM and run a 64-bit operating system to cater for it.
What piece of equipment would you most like to add to your kit bag? – I just need a long lens now (not easy with Sony's current range!). Probably the excellent 'G' series 70-400 zoom to give me flexibility, with class leading optical quality ahead of the comparable 80/100-400 offerings from Nikon and Canon.
What do you enjoy the most about being a photographer? - As a Gemini I get very 'turned on' by visual stimulation, so imaging in all its various forms is 'right up my street' I enjoy the challenge and am continually driving myself to produce better and better images. I produce a calendar every year now to act as a permanent record of my progression (or lack of it!). As I do a lot of model work now, I love the confidence building aspect - many models have confided in me that they were bullied at school and have turned to modelling as an 'up yours' to the bullies who used to call them fat and ugly etc. I'm right behind them, I think they have incredible courage and boy do they have the last laugh now! I enjoy the opportunity to meet and chat to a good range of new and interesting people whether it is models or people you meet on your travels who still find photography a bit like a black art and want to engage you in conversation about it.
How do you keep yourself motivated? - That continual self-challenge I spoke about earlier. I strive to produce original ideas in an arena where very little is truly original but I try my best with locations.....for example I think I am one of the few (only?) photographers to have done 'underground' style fashion photography on the Tyneside Metro system using the renovated station terminals. My photography is of a standard where there is always huge scope for improvement (!) and that drives me hard. When Dad was alive I always used to strive to catch-up with him. Certainly in terms of accomplishments I have now gone past his benchmark. Difficult to say of course because he only had a brief opportunity to experiment with digital (and only at a point-and-shoot level) prior to his death in 2006 and I am sure, had he been a few years younger, we would have been comparing the benefits of various kit and Photoshop treatments and battling it out now!
Have you had any work published? – Yes, a little, although I don’t actively ‘chase’ publication, partly because financial gain does not feature in my work. My first national exposure came in the venerable Horse and Hound magazine following a website re-vamp for a local inner city riding school charity. The magazine liked my work and so used a couple of images for a feature they did on the school. Through open licensing I am regularly found on the internet sites for estate agents etc. I have had work feature in a staff magazine and in business presentations. I have also had concert photography used in newspaper reviews of gigs and features on bands.
What has been your most memorable assignment and why? - The Metro shoot was one and before that a one I did at the Pitcher & Piano bar.....both because I was blagging a location and was under pressure to deliver.
A website you visit often? - How long have you got! I am a total net head. I am a moderator on The Model Mall. I use a few of the review sites such as DP Review and E-Photozine daily. The rest of the list is too long to mention!
Things you say or do to put your subjects at ease in front of the camera? - I have a very friendly and non-arrogant approach with a self-deprecating sense of humour. I don't go over the top with the "super, smashing, the camera loves you dahlink" patter, just enough to gently encourage. I try as much as possible to explain my thinking behind a particular series of shots and show the model the results, a couple of shots in, on the camera lcd screen so they can 'get it' more easily and respond/adapt if necessary. This also encourages them when they see they are getting worthwhile results.
The first photographer that comes to your mind and why? - I have never been one for "ooooh I love his/her work" in fact a lot of ‘top’ photographers can stray a bit far into the Emperor's new clothes arena and so I tend not to follow/idolise them. I met Lichfield once and what a smashing guy he was, fabulous interpersonal skills and very grounded for the Queen's cousin…….pictures not too shabby either! Marc Melling is my 'real world' local photographic friend and inspiration.
If you had not taken-up photography what would you have done as a hobby? - I was into sailing/canoeing/rowing/powerboating/cruising in my childhood and early adulthood so probably something connected with that.
Is there anybody, living or dead you would love to work with and why? - Someone like Judi Dench because of her incredible talent and personality. And I am sure she would be a hell of a giggle. If forced, I could probably put up with shooting someone like Mylene Klass!!!
What advice do you have for photographers just starting out? - Don't be frightened to ask and don't think that equipment alone can get you producing good images. Understand at least something about the workings of a camera (shutter speed, aperture etc) rather than being a total auto-slave.
Something you’re saving up for? - My next trip abroad, the 70-400 Sony and (perpetually) my next car.
Where you’ll find me on a Friday night at 9 p.m.? - At home with my wife (her shifts permitting). I am not a going out painting the town red person these days.
Your favourite film of all time? - Shawshank Redemption, and I am a Morgan Freeman devotee not Tim Robbins!
Your favourite book of all time? - Lord of the Rings.
Favourite car? – Obviously this changes as newer models come out, as I am not a classic car fan. I love the whole Aston Martin ‘feel’ though and you would always be safe plumping for a DB9 if you wanted to buy me a surprise present anytime! My fondest memories are actually of a tractor – the ubiquitous ‘little grey’ Massey Ferguson T20 – that I drove from age 14 on the beach and private roads when we were sailing a lot (soft sand needed a tractor to pull the boats down to the waterline).
What makes you laugh? – Pretty much anything from the British public school/Oxbridge ‘league’ of comedians, preferably with a heavy emphasis on wordplay……..Blackadder for example. I also love local Geordie humour…….everything from ‘The Little Waster’ through to Auf Wiedersehn Pet.
First thing you would do if you won the lottery? - Start planning a permanent move to New Zealand.
What would you like to be doing in 5 years from now? - After a very close escape with cancer in 2005 I hope to be around still annoying everybody. I would love to have the financial ability to start easing towards retirement and doing more travelling/photography.
Tell us a little bit about yourself – I'm a Gemini, although not too extreme an example of 'the type' Fortunately my wife is one too so we understand each other and don't feel the continual need to commit murder! I work in and around the area of IT Project and Relationship Management and have done for the last 17 years. Again I am unusual (for that profession) in so much as I am not an aggressive 'type A' or 'red' personality and tend to work in a collaborative/'family' bonding way. I am a lover of travel, fine food, good books and pretty much any sort of mental stimulation.
Where do you call home? - I’m not one of these ‘wherever I hang my hat that’s my home’ type of people. I live in Northumberland now (about 6 miles from where I was actually born) but have always lived in and around the Tyne & Wear area. I am fiercely proud of my local roots.
Three words that describe you? - Friendly, loyal and fun-loving. (Oh and if someone says I only have 3 words I have to use 4 don’t I!!).
Did you have any formal training for photography? - No, I learned most of what I know from my Father........he was a keen photographer way before I was born, so I grew up around cameras. Got my first Kodak Instamatic for my 8th birthday then lived on a diet of 'hand me downs' until I bought my first single lens reflex (a Pentax KM) around 15 or 16. After that I joined my local camera club and picked up stuff from visiting lecturers and entering competitions - I won my first ever competition with a 'perfect' score, much to my amazement - a Kodachrome transparency of a scene that has now become overdone - the rowing boats at Derwent Water. Everything since then has been self-taught as I don't have the sort of memory that retains lessons or tutorials. I have the benefit of having come from cameras with manual everything – not even a built-in light meter – so I really do understand camera settings and could, theoretically, shoot without automatic aids easily if I had to.
How would you describe your style? - I am not entirely sure I ever had my own identifiable personal style. Now, with the advent of digital photography, it's a bit easier to classify me though because, amongst keen photographers, mine are some of the few images that still look like photographs, rather than digital art, so I tend to say 'Realistic'!
What type of cameras do you shoot with? - Sony Alphas; a 700 and a 900. I have a Canon G9 compact as a shirt pocket camera.
What is your favourite photography accessory, other than your camera? - Sad to say, probably my compact flash cards........I covet them rather more than I should! At the time of writing I have close to 100Gb including some of the new 600x speed Sandisks – the Alpha’s have incredibly fast data transfer rates, much faster than even a high-end card reader, and so I benefit from running fast cards.
If you had to choose one lens which one would it be and why? - Obviously depends where and when. When I am truly single-lensed; when travelling, I always use the cracking Sony 18-250 on the Alpha 700. If I had to come down on a single lens for 'home' use, on the Alpha 900, I would say my 70-200 2.8 as it is my preferred lens for both model work and motorsport.
What lighting equipment do you take on a shoot? - I always have a trusty old twin-head Metz MZ54 with me 'just in case' but rarely ever use it......with cameras and processing the way they are now I can even 'get away with' shooting subjects backlit most of the time. I am a firm fan of natural light. Having said that I do, of course, do a fair bit of studio work so I use the studio flash kit then……..I enjoy the freedom that radio triggers now provide but can still perform a reasonably graceful ‘synch-lead ballet’ if tethered!
What is your favourite computer/editing accessory, other than your computer? - Can't really be anything other than Photoshop these days can it. I am not an advanced Photoshop user.......more 'just enough to get by' and, although I am amazed at people's skill with the program, I don't think it should be the dominant force in photography. I do enjoy the ability to tinker a little bit though. I have tried and failed to use a graphics tablet but I think, at my level, a mouse copes fine anyway so I am not too concerned.
Film or digital? - Oh digital, no question! Although I was raised, almost exclusively, on a diet of Kodachrome 64 you were pretty limited to what you could do with that as an amateur with an amateur budget. Now everything is so much more accessible to non-pro’s and working digitally opens up an incredible range of further options to you. As a ‘timeline’ story I often recount the convoluted history of a shot of mine from 1984. It was my first visit to the Isle of Man for the TT races. I took a shot of works Honda rider Roger Marshall wheelie-ing out of the pits. It was on Kodachrome. When I got it back from processing I liked it so I wanted to have an enlargement made. So I used a slide copier to transfer it onto b w film, then processed and printed it myself and mounted it on card for camera club competitions etc. 20 years on I scanned it onto the pc, fired it down the line to a lab and they printed it from the digital image and mounted it on MDF and it now hangs on my study wall……that wouldn’t have, realistically, been available to me back in the 80’s.
What is your most used Photoshop add-on? - I use the excellent Focalblade plug-in for sharpening.
Are you a Mac or PC user? - PC – with my background in business rather than graphics I have too much intellectual time invested in Windows/Office etc to move away from it just for photography. My pathological inability to ‘throw away’ photographs means I have 2.5 terrabytes of hard disk space on the pc (filling-up fast!). Photoshop use also means I have 8Gb of RAM and run a 64-bit operating system to cater for it.
What piece of equipment would you most like to add to your kit bag? – I just need a long lens now (not easy with Sony's current range!). Probably the excellent 'G' series 70-400 zoom to give me flexibility, with class leading optical quality ahead of the comparable 80/100-400 offerings from Nikon and Canon.
What do you enjoy the most about being a photographer? - As a Gemini I get very 'turned on' by visual stimulation, so imaging in all its various forms is 'right up my street' I enjoy the challenge and am continually driving myself to produce better and better images. I produce a calendar every year now to act as a permanent record of my progression (or lack of it!). As I do a lot of model work now, I love the confidence building aspect - many models have confided in me that they were bullied at school and have turned to modelling as an 'up yours' to the bullies who used to call them fat and ugly etc. I'm right behind them, I think they have incredible courage and boy do they have the last laugh now! I enjoy the opportunity to meet and chat to a good range of new and interesting people whether it is models or people you meet on your travels who still find photography a bit like a black art and want to engage you in conversation about it.
How do you keep yourself motivated? - That continual self-challenge I spoke about earlier. I strive to produce original ideas in an arena where very little is truly original but I try my best with locations.....for example I think I am one of the few (only?) photographers to have done 'underground' style fashion photography on the Tyneside Metro system using the renovated station terminals. My photography is of a standard where there is always huge scope for improvement (!) and that drives me hard. When Dad was alive I always used to strive to catch-up with him. Certainly in terms of accomplishments I have now gone past his benchmark. Difficult to say of course because he only had a brief opportunity to experiment with digital (and only at a point-and-shoot level) prior to his death in 2006 and I am sure, had he been a few years younger, we would have been comparing the benefits of various kit and Photoshop treatments and battling it out now!
Have you had any work published? – Yes, a little, although I don’t actively ‘chase’ publication, partly because financial gain does not feature in my work. My first national exposure came in the venerable Horse and Hound magazine following a website re-vamp for a local inner city riding school charity. The magazine liked my work and so used a couple of images for a feature they did on the school. Through open licensing I am regularly found on the internet sites for estate agents etc. I have had work feature in a staff magazine and in business presentations. I have also had concert photography used in newspaper reviews of gigs and features on bands.
What has been your most memorable assignment and why? - The Metro shoot was one and before that a one I did at the Pitcher & Piano bar.....both because I was blagging a location and was under pressure to deliver.
A website you visit often? - How long have you got! I am a total net head. I am a moderator on The Model Mall. I use a few of the review sites such as DP Review and E-Photozine daily. The rest of the list is too long to mention!
Things you say or do to put your subjects at ease in front of the camera? - I have a very friendly and non-arrogant approach with a self-deprecating sense of humour. I don't go over the top with the "super, smashing, the camera loves you dahlink" patter, just enough to gently encourage. I try as much as possible to explain my thinking behind a particular series of shots and show the model the results, a couple of shots in, on the camera lcd screen so they can 'get it' more easily and respond/adapt if necessary. This also encourages them when they see they are getting worthwhile results.
The first photographer that comes to your mind and why? - I have never been one for "ooooh I love his/her work" in fact a lot of ‘top’ photographers can stray a bit far into the Emperor's new clothes arena and so I tend not to follow/idolise them. I met Lichfield once and what a smashing guy he was, fabulous interpersonal skills and very grounded for the Queen's cousin…….pictures not too shabby either! Marc Melling is my 'real world' local photographic friend and inspiration.
If you had not taken-up photography what would you have done as a hobby? - I was into sailing/canoeing/rowing/powerboating/cruising in my childhood and early adulthood so probably something connected with that.
Is there anybody, living or dead you would love to work with and why? - Someone like Judi Dench because of her incredible talent and personality. And I am sure she would be a hell of a giggle. If forced, I could probably put up with shooting someone like Mylene Klass!!!
What advice do you have for photographers just starting out? - Don't be frightened to ask and don't think that equipment alone can get you producing good images. Understand at least something about the workings of a camera (shutter speed, aperture etc) rather than being a total auto-slave.
Something you’re saving up for? - My next trip abroad, the 70-400 Sony and (perpetually) my next car.
Where you’ll find me on a Friday night at 9 p.m.? - At home with my wife (her shifts permitting). I am not a going out painting the town red person these days.
Your favourite film of all time? - Shawshank Redemption, and I am a Morgan Freeman devotee not Tim Robbins!
Your favourite book of all time? - Lord of the Rings.
Favourite car? – Obviously this changes as newer models come out, as I am not a classic car fan. I love the whole Aston Martin ‘feel’ though and you would always be safe plumping for a DB9 if you wanted to buy me a surprise present anytime! My fondest memories are actually of a tractor – the ubiquitous ‘little grey’ Massey Ferguson T20 – that I drove from age 14 on the beach and private roads when we were sailing a lot (soft sand needed a tractor to pull the boats down to the waterline).
What makes you laugh? – Pretty much anything from the British public school/Oxbridge ‘league’ of comedians, preferably with a heavy emphasis on wordplay……..Blackadder for example. I also love local Geordie humour…….everything from ‘The Little Waster’ through to Auf Wiedersehn Pet.
First thing you would do if you won the lottery? - Start planning a permanent move to New Zealand.
What would you like to be doing in 5 years from now? - After a very close escape with cancer in 2005 I hope to be around still annoying everybody. I would love to have the financial ability to start easing towards retirement and doing more travelling/photography.
Where do you call home? - I’m not one of these ‘wherever I hang my hat that’s my home’ type of people. I live in Northumberland now (about 6 miles from where I was actually born) but have always lived in and around the Tyne & Wear area. I am fiercely proud of my local roots.
Three words that describe you? - Friendly, loyal and fun-loving. (Oh and if someone says I only have 3 words I have to use 4 don’t I!!).
Did you have any formal training for photography? - No, I learned most of what I know from my Father........he was a keen photographer way before I was born, so I grew up around cameras. Got my first Kodak Instamatic for my 8th birthday then lived on a diet of 'hand me downs' until I bought my first single lens reflex (a Pentax KM) around 15 or 16. After that I joined my local camera club and picked up stuff from visiting lecturers and entering competitions - I won my first ever competition with a 'perfect' score, much to my amazement - a Kodachrome transparency of a scene that has now become overdone - the rowing boats at Derwent Water. Everything since then has been self-taught as I don't have the sort of memory that retains lessons or tutorials. I have the benefit of having come from cameras with manual everything – not even a built-in light meter – so I really do understand camera settings and could, theoretically, shoot without automatic aids easily if I had to.
How would you describe your style? - I am not entirely sure I ever had my own identifiable personal style. Now, with the advent of digital photography, it's a bit easier to classify me though because, amongst keen photographers, mine are some of the few images that still look like photographs, rather than digital art, so I tend to say 'Realistic'!
What type of cameras do you shoot with? - Sony Alphas; a 700 and a 900. I have a Canon G9 compact as a shirt pocket camera.
What is your favourite photography accessory, other than your camera? - Sad to say, probably my compact flash cards........I covet them rather more than I should! At the time of writing I have close to 100Gb including some of the new 600x speed Sandisks – the Alpha’s have incredibly fast data transfer rates, much faster than even a high-end card reader, and so I benefit from running fast cards.
If you had to choose one lens which one would it be and why? - Obviously depends where and when. When I am truly single-lensed; when travelling, I always use the cracking Sony 18-250 on the Alpha 700. If I had to come down on a single lens for 'home' use, on the Alpha 900, I would say my 70-200 2.8 as it is my preferred lens for both model work and motorsport.
What lighting equipment do you take on a shoot? - I always have a trusty old twin-head Metz MZ54 with me 'just in case' but rarely ever use it......with cameras and processing the way they are now I can even 'get away with' shooting subjects backlit most of the time. I am a firm fan of natural light. Having said that I do, of course, do a fair bit of studio work so I use the studio flash kit then……..I enjoy the freedom that radio triggers now provide but can still perform a reasonably graceful ‘synch-lead ballet’ if tethered!
What is your favourite computer/editing accessory, other than your computer? - Can't really be anything other than Photoshop these days can it. I am not an advanced Photoshop user.......more 'just enough to get by' and, although I am amazed at people's skill with the program, I don't think it should be the dominant force in photography. I do enjoy the ability to tinker a little bit though. I have tried and failed to use a graphics tablet but I think, at my level, a mouse copes fine anyway so I am not too concerned.
Film or digital? - Oh digital, no question! Although I was raised, almost exclusively, on a diet of Kodachrome 64 you were pretty limited to what you could do with that as an amateur with an amateur budget. Now everything is so much more accessible to non-pro’s and working digitally opens up an incredible range of further options to you. As a ‘timeline’ story I often recount the convoluted history of a shot of mine from 1984. It was my first visit to the Isle of Man for the TT races. I took a shot of works Honda rider Roger Marshall wheelie-ing out of the pits. It was on Kodachrome. When I got it back from processing I liked it so I wanted to have an enlargement made. So I used a slide copier to transfer it onto b w film, then processed and printed it myself and mounted it on card for camera club competitions etc. 20 years on I scanned it onto the pc, fired it down the line to a lab and they printed it from the digital image and mounted it on MDF and it now hangs on my study wall……that wouldn’t have, realistically, been available to me back in the 80’s.
What is your most used Photoshop add-on? - I use the excellent Focalblade plug-in for sharpening.
Are you a Mac or PC user? - PC – with my background in business rather than graphics I have too much intellectual time invested in Windows/Office etc to move away from it just for photography. My pathological inability to ‘throw away’ photographs means I have 2.5 terrabytes of hard disk space on the pc (filling-up fast!). Photoshop use also means I have 8Gb of RAM and run a 64-bit operating system to cater for it.
What piece of equipment would you most like to add to your kit bag? – I just need a long lens now (not easy with Sony's current range!). Probably the excellent 'G' series 70-400 zoom to give me flexibility, with class leading optical quality ahead of the comparable 80/100-400 offerings from Nikon and Canon.
What do you enjoy the most about being a photographer? - As a Gemini I get very 'turned on' by visual stimulation, so imaging in all its various forms is 'right up my street' I enjoy the challenge and am continually driving myself to produce better and better images. I produce a calendar every year now to act as a permanent record of my progression (or lack of it!). As I do a lot of model work now, I love the confidence building aspect - many models have confided in me that they were bullied at school and have turned to modelling as an 'up yours' to the bullies who used to call them fat and ugly etc. I'm right behind them, I think they have incredible courage and boy do they have the last laugh now! I enjoy the opportunity to meet and chat to a good range of new and interesting people whether it is models or people you meet on your travels who still find photography a bit like a black art and want to engage you in conversation about it.
How do you keep yourself motivated? - That continual self-challenge I spoke about earlier. I strive to produce original ideas in an arena where very little is truly original but I try my best with locations.....for example I think I am one of the few (only?) photographers to have done 'underground' style fashion photography on the Tyneside Metro system using the renovated station terminals. My photography is of a standard where there is always huge scope for improvement (!) and that drives me hard. When Dad was alive I always used to strive to catch-up with him. Certainly in terms of accomplishments I have now gone past his benchmark. Difficult to say of course because he only had a brief opportunity to experiment with digital (and only at a point-and-shoot level) prior to his death in 2006 and I am sure, had he been a few years younger, we would have been comparing the benefits of various kit and Photoshop treatments and battling it out now!
Have you had any work published? – Yes, a little, although I don’t actively ‘chase’ publication, partly because financial gain does not feature in my work. My first national exposure came in the venerable Horse and Hound magazine following a website re-vamp for a local inner city riding school charity. The magazine liked my work and so used a couple of images for a feature they did on the school. Through open licensing I am regularly found on the internet sites for estate agents etc. I have had work feature in a staff magazine and in business presentations. I have also had concert photography used in newspaper reviews of gigs and features on bands.
What has been your most memorable assignment and why? - The Metro shoot was one and before that a one I did at the Pitcher & Piano bar.....both because I was blagging a location and was under pressure to deliver.
A website you visit often? - How long have you got! I am a total net head. I am a moderator on The Model Mall. I use a few of the review sites such as DP Review and E-Photozine daily. The rest of the list is too long to mention!
Things you say or do to put your subjects at ease in front of the camera? - I have a very friendly and non-arrogant approach with a self-deprecating sense of humour. I don't go over the top with the "super, smashing, the camera loves you dahlink" patter, just enough to gently encourage. I try as much as possible to explain my thinking behind a particular series of shots and show the model the results, a couple of shots in, on the camera lcd screen so they can 'get it' more easily and respond/adapt if necessary. This also encourages them when they see they are getting worthwhile results.
The first photographer that comes to your mind and why? - I have never been one for "ooooh I love his/her work" in fact a lot of ‘top’ photographers can stray a bit far into the Emperor's new clothes arena and so I tend not to follow/idolise them. I met Lichfield once and what a smashing guy he was, fabulous interpersonal skills and very grounded for the Queen's cousin…….pictures not too shabby either! Marc Melling is my 'real world' local photographic friend and inspiration.
If you had not taken-up photography what would you have done as a hobby? - I was into sailing/canoeing/rowing/powerboating/cruising in my childhood and early adulthood so probably something connected with that.
Is there anybody, living or dead you would love to work with and why? - Someone like Judi Dench because of her incredible talent and personality. And I am sure she would be a hell of a giggle. If forced, I could probably put up with shooting someone like Mylene Klass!!!
What advice do you have for photographers just starting out? - Don't be frightened to ask and don't think that equipment alone can get you producing good images. Understand at least something about the workings of a camera (shutter speed, aperture etc) rather than being a total auto-slave.
Something you’re saving up for? - My next trip abroad, the 70-400 Sony and (perpetually) my next car.
Where you’ll find me on a Friday night at 9 p.m.? - At home with my wife (her shifts permitting). I am not a going out painting the town red person these days.
Your favourite film of all time? - Shawshank Redemption, and I am a Morgan Freeman devotee not Tim Robbins!
Your favourite book of all time? - Lord of the Rings.
Favourite car? – Obviously this changes as newer models come out, as I am not a classic car fan. I love the whole Aston Martin ‘feel’ though and you would always be safe plumping for a DB9 if you wanted to buy me a surprise present anytime! My fondest memories are actually of a tractor – the ubiquitous ‘little grey’ Massey Ferguson T20 – that I drove from age 14 on the beach and private roads when we were sailing a lot (soft sand needed a tractor to pull the boats down to the waterline).
What makes you laugh? – Pretty much anything from the British public school/Oxbridge ‘league’ of comedians, preferably with a heavy emphasis on wordplay……..Blackadder for example. I also love local Geordie humour…….everything from ‘The Little Waster’ through to Auf Wiedersehn Pet.
First thing you would do if you won the lottery? - Start planning a permanent move to New Zealand.
What would you like to be doing in 5 years from now? - After a very close escape with cancer in 2005 I hope to be around still annoying everybody. I would love to have the financial ability to start easing towards retirement and doing more travelling/photography.
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