Becoming A Photographer
What kind of photography do you do?
I specialize in portrait photography. I also do a bit of travel photography, some interiors and event photography as well. And I also touch upon some kids' fashion photography.
How did you get into photography?
I used to work in TV, when I decided to finish doing that I took 6 months off and took a camera with me traveling and realized I enjoyed it so much and I was reasonably good at it that I got an exhibition together when I came back and that prompted me to think that I could earn a living from doing this.
What's so interesting about photography?
The most interesting thing about photography is meeting interesting people and coming into contact with really beautiful landscapes. I think different types of photography hold different interests. Obviously landscape photography is entirely different from portrait photography. I don't do much landscape photography. But I think generally the interest in photography is in giving the photographer so much creative control and in having a lot of freedom and in meeting lots of different people.
Would you recommend photography as a career?
Photography is a tough career because so many people now can pick up a cheap camera and take good shots with it. So the entry level is low meaning, that to make your way in photography you've really got to stand out. So I'd only recommend it to people who: a. Are very good at photography, and b. Are quite happy to spend a few years pushing themselves and persuading other people that they can do it, because its not easy to get work in the first few years of starting out.
What advice would you give to an aspiring photographer?
The best advice is to not have your enthusiasm be dampened by people not immediately responding to your photography. To decide quite early on what they'd want to specialize in because otherwise it's easy to get sucked into doing the jobs that pay and the jobs that are easiest to get. And you can end up doing the sort of photography you do not want to do. So stick to your guns. Be clear about what you want to do. It's very useful to assist another photographer. Choose another photographer whose work you admire. Choose a photographer who will help your own style.
Why is photography important?
I think a lot of photography isn't important. I think a lot of photography is purely aesthetic. I think there is a very small section of photography. Possibly some of the reportage photography in newspapers and some photography you might see in art galleries which does actually change the way that we see the world. And there should be examples of famous photographs during political campaigns or during wars which change the public perception. I think on the whole, the world has got too many images and we're overburdened with photographs. So mostly it's a way of tickling the eyeballs I think.
