ABOUT ME
One day I had to photograph Bill Oddie at his home in Hampstead. I was early and knocked on the door. His wife answered and was surprised to see me as she was going out and Bill wasn’t in.
“I’m sure he’ll be back soon” she said. “Come in and make yourself at home. Just don’t nick the silver.”
I replied, “Would you mind if I nicked a parking permit?” and she handed me one and left.
As I opened the door to head to my car, Bill was steaming up the pathway with a face of thunder.
“Who the **** are you?” he bellowed.
“Oh, I’m just nicking your silver” I replied.
He laughed and immediately relaxed. I introduced myself. And we got on brilliantly from then on.
For me, that is the key to my photography: breaking the ice and making people relaxed, especially as it is so pressurized to get an image of someone in (sometimes) just a few minutes.
I love my job.
I’ve been fortunate to be in it for over 20 years, beginning as a junior photographer on the Isle of Wight County Press, before going onto The Brighton Evening Argus where I won several photographic awards in my three years there.
Having become disillusioned with the direction of my photography, I sought a new direction away from my safe job and travelled the world. The result? I published two photographic travel books covering Asia and South America, the first being an illustrated travel book best-seller for Christmas 1996.
For the last 15 years, I have worked as a photographer based in London for many of the UK’s national newspapers, regularly for the Sunday Times Style and Culture magazines. I have been on assignment for various charities to Africa, including Trade plus Aid, Save the Rhino International and Christian Aid.
Festivals have taken me to destinations near and far for Loaded Magazine and I regularly shoot travel stock for Axiom Photographic Travel Library.
It’s easy to get pigeon-holed as a certain type of photographer but I feel lucky to have moved through several different disciplines including news and sport photography, interiors, travel, reportage and portrait photography. Each has required different skills and techniques that have given me the experience to deliver diverse creative ideas to make the final image.
I strongly believe technical skills are as important as personality for getting the best image from the subject.
My work has now taken a natural progression towards film. I made a documentary for Channel 4 called ‘Back to Bangalore’ and most recently a short film ‘The Bride, The Groom and His Package’.
I have co-founded Blindbatfilms.com – short web films shot from a photographic eye, and made for businesses wanting to reach a wider audience through moving image.
Alongside commissions I have successfully documented and sold my own personal photographic projects, some of which are included in the galleries on this website.
I'm a self-confessed cake-o-holic, can roll my belly amusingly, can hoolahoop and play table football.
Image Libraries:
Rex – features
Camera Press – celebrity portraits
Axiom Photographic / Design Pix – travel
Career Highlights:
Winning a Photographic Sports Award for Ilford’s 25th Anniversary
Shooting a Swingers story for Loaded Magazine
Publishing two travel books
Directing and shooting a documentary for Channel 4
Featuring in Canon tutorials
Front pages of Style and Culture magazines
Speaking at Ikea’s 21st birthday for the launch of 'UK At Home', a book I contributed to, celebrating diverse UK lives
Working with Newham Asian Women’s Project for the past 15 years, most recently publishing a photographic book - 'From Violence to Safety and Freedom'
Gaining the title Cinematographer, after completing my latest short film
Recent clients include:
Editorial:
The Sunday Times Newspaper and Magazines
The Guardian
Greenpeace
The Lady
Bizarre
Loaded
BBC
Love Productions
Pioneer TV
Channel 4
UNP
Ink /Ryan Air Magazine
Corporate / PR / Ad clients include:
Thinkfarm design agency
Made in Soho
Parratus Communications
Infomob
Coast House
Nectar Loyalty card - web film
Patron Tequila - Web film
Equifax – adverts
EMC – corporate portraiture
Ikea - internal portraits/events
Bloomberg – various events
Alphabet – various corporate events, portraits, internal film
http://www.medocwinesltd.co.uk/
The BBC’s The Great British Bake-Off
British Heart Foundation’s Heart Attack Campaign
The NHS – 60th Anniversary
Canon Europe – Featured photographer for The Assignment
