About Me
There isn’t a lot in my career that I haven’t done. I’ve managed call centres and pizza shops, co-ordinated large-scale trade union conferences, helped people with mental health needs get back to work, stood on street corners handing out free dog food samples, and even worked sustainably as a professional actor. As you can see in the picture to the right, I was once awarded an oscar*.
So while it could be said that I have been guilty of failing to stick to one career path (I prefer to call it “building transferable skills”), throughout my life I have remained passionate about four things: helping others, creating opportunities, being creative, and having fun.
Helping Others
From my first job delivering newspapers to elderly customers, to my current work in delivering photography services, I’ve always taken pride in delivering products and services above and beyond expectations. That’s why you can always be assured of a personal and high-quality service.
Creating Opportunities
I’ve always been passionate in my belief that everyone should have access to the same opportunities, regardless of income, social status, or physical limitations. This fuelled my desire to launch an affordable photography service in the form of The Simple Shoot.
Being Creative
There’s nothing I love more than creating. It doesn’t matter what I’m creating – a play, a script, a photograph, a filing system – I’m at my happiest when I’m getting stuck in and creating solutions on the fly. Any good photographer should have a plan, but my experience in directing and managing people from both creative and business backgrounds means that I can always come up with a solution should the unexpected occur.
Having Fun
It should go without saying that anything creative should be fun. Whether you’re attending your first or your fiftieth photoshoot, I have an endless bag of tricks to help you relax and make sure that we create pictures that show you at your best.
*by my dad. It’s plastic and it cost him £1 from a charity shop.
Sustainability
It often flies under the radar, but there is a lot of wastage in the photography world.
The desire for the latest (usually unnecessary) bells and whistles, an extra 2MB of resolution, or a screen that flips another 90 degrees means a lot of photographers are very quick to upgrade their equipment long before it becomes redundant.
I source the majority of my equipment from reliable second-hand websites such as MPB.com, Wex, or Park Cameras.
As well as offering fantastic value, this helps keep equipment out of landfill.
For those very rare occasions when a job requires the extra 2MB resolution or a specialist piece of equipment, I arrange a short-term lease from reputable hire companies.