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I was about 10 years old when I started photography. As I grew older my photographs increasingly featured animals from zoos. A variety of people would often say the same thing to me..."you take good photos, you must have a good camera".....(My camera at that time in the early 90's was a modest £35 compact with a small zoom.)..... a lot of the reason for getting a good photo I put down to good advice that I had received from my Step Father, Bill, whose hobby was photography.
Once at a works social function I had snapped my friends wife with their new baby and he had asked for a copy of the picture. I suggested that I could attempt to take a portrait at his home with a portable studio that Bill had created. That portrait session was to be the beginning of my career in photography.
Meanwhile I worked in a variety of jobs but occasionally family, friends & friends of friends asked me to photograph their family, pet, christening or wedding. This helped me slowly increase my equipment and build my experience.
In 2001 I approached a couple of Zoos and showed them my photographs. I ended up with five zoos placing orders for keyrings, fridge magnets, framed portraits etc that I designed on the P. C. from photographs taken of their own animal collection. Bill was very proud when I had my first photograph published as the front cover on a brochure for one of the zoos. This was a Cheetah laying in the grass. The keepers would allow me to accompany them so that I could get closer & clearer photos than the regular public. Some of my photos have also been published in a book on wolf behaviour called
The Wolf Talk
by Shaun Ellis.
Over the last few years I have been very fortunate to go in with Lions, Wolves, Monkeys, Cheetahs and many others. I am grateful of the trust I have formed with the Zoo owners and the animals. I treasure days like those , they help me cope with losing Bill to cancer and now as my mother struggles with Alzheimers.
In early 2006, (after a few pints in my local and an attempt at Singing Elvis on Karaoke), I met a guy who was about to open a furniture shop and had seen me photograph the pub landlord's family. He offered me a room above the shop to use as a Photography Studio, (he obviously was not impressed with my Elvis impersonation!). It had always been my dream to be a full time professional photographer & this was an offer I was not going to let pass me by.
So whilst I still had a day job I managed to open
The Gallery
on 5th August 2006 on an appointment basis with support from the other shop owners who would hand out my business cards and take messages for me.
Support also came from other independent shop owners and businesses within the town who I now work with on a regular basis.
Another important step was my
second & larger studio
that I am a partner in together with two other local businesses.
At the beginning of March 2007 I handed in my notice at my day job and will be a full time Photographer at the start of April.
I would like to think that my photos on here show that I have imagination.
I am very excited about this further step that I am taking and hope that this will help me to exceed my customers expectations.
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