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About the Photographer I have always had an interest in photography but, up until recently, more as an admirer than a participant. My favourite subject in my school years was ‘Art’ and from a young age I found I had the ability to draw, sketch and paint but only had an interest in black and white. On leaving school I went on to College to study ‘A-Level Art’ and then, afterwards, on to attend an A-Level evening course in ‘Art & Design Graphics’. After working as a freelance Graphic Designer in Cornwall my desire to improve led me study an Honours Degree in ‘Media Lab Arts’. To you and I this is merely digital media so I have always been involved in creative arts. It was during this course that my love for the digital image materialsed although it was not until a few years after completing my degree that I began to take up photography as a hobby. My Photography From around 2003 onwards my love for photography increased and I still, to this day, have no qualifications and have taken no official studies on the subject. In 2004 I took the step to update my run-of-the-mill compact camera to a ‘Nikon E8700’. Neither an SLR or a compact this camera opened up many creative doors to me and introduced such concepts as, aperture, shutter speed and exposure. After subscribing to ‘Digital Camera’ magazine not only my passion for photography evolved but also my knowledge. Although photography is still a hobby, I have been lucky enough to have always been involved in digital design in my day to day work so hand in hand with my hobby came an increased knowledge in the Adobe Creative Suite software package and in particular Photoshop. The argument as to how much a photographer should ‘enhance’ his or her work after the shot is one I, personally, have mixed views about and it is an argument that will continue far into the future. The majority of my work is merely enhanced as much as pre-digital photographers would use a darkroom. Dodging, burning, adjusting levels and contrast etc. is something I admit to performing often and where I have drastically altered colours, or the image, it is for obvious effect and I have always stated my techniques. In July 2008 I purchased my first DSLR. My desire to have the luxury of changing lenses, adding filters etc. drew me to buying the Canon EOS 450D and this is my camera of choice to date. I do not have a chosen photographic genre, I simply take photos of what I like. Predominantly it is night-time landscapes. There is something magical and unique about every sunset, wherever you are. I would certainly like to improve my approach to portrature in the near future. Although I have sold my services as a photographer this has only happened in the last year. It is my very long-term aim to market my photography, improve my website and develop it as a valuable marketing tool.
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