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How did you get into the industry?
I have always had an interest in nature, from growing up in England by the coast. My Dad would take me to the beach and we would collect crabs, lobsters and shellfish. Most evenings there would be some nature program on TV; I feel I have grown up watching David Attenborough travel the world. That interest in nature later led me to photography by way of being exposed to pictures of animals and wild places in books I had as a child. I didn’t get my first real camera, an SLR, until about 1999. In 2001 when I came to Canada, the passion for the outdoors was reignited and I continued to shoot and learn. I spent a year in Victoria, BC and attended Western Academy of Photography where I learnt a lot about photography- not so much nature but I used what I learnt and applied it to nature photography. Upon returning to Edmonton I became a commercial photographer for local and national magazines.
Did anyone inspire you or do you have a mentor?
I am inspired by great pictures, no one photographer in particular or one publication. I seek out great images and figure out how they were made: filters used, camera settings etc. Through this I try to pick up some tips.
What do you feel makes you stand out from the rest?
I try to capture a scene from a new perspective, not always at the typical viewpoint. Move a few metres left or right, put my tripod low. I always try to be out before dawn and around sunset for that great magical light. They’re long hours! I edit ruthlessly as well; if the image isn’t working for me on the computer, it is deleted. That way I am left with the cream of the crop and the best shots to put out there and hopefully get recognised.
What have been your challenges, if any?
Just getting people to notice my work- there are a lot of great photographers out there. It is a lot of hard work long hours of shooting involved, long hours in front of the computer processing images and lots of time contacting clients and editors. Persistence does pay off, I donate images to some worthy causes like Y2Y and Nature Alberta. I am represented by All Canada Photos and Getty Images and I have had some success in national and international photo competitions. You just have to keep at it day by day.
What do you feel is your specialty, if you have one?
I don’t know if I have a speciality as such, I am shooting more locally now. It’s nice to go to say the Rocky Mountains, but a lot of other good photographers also go and they have been very covered with regards to great pictures. So I am concentrating on locations close to Edmonton, working on a few projects that I would like to get out there for others to enjoy.
What’s new or cutting edge in your opinion?
The images that can be made with the newer DSLR cameras far outshine those from just a few years ago. HDR is used a lot but unfortunately most of the pictures I have seen are not very well processed and look very fake. I have a DSLR with HD video capability and have shot a few short ‘movies’, nothing great but it is something I will look more into to combine with my photography, not replace it.