where my photography obsession came from
my early years
Growing up in Stirling, central Scotland, my first memory of a camera was one of those black pocket devices of the 80s – the ones which took a self contained spool of film – owned by my Mum and Dad.
I remember always being fascinated by it and continually being told not to press the bright orange button as I’d use up the film, but I just wanted to make the flash go off.
Then, I was lucky to own a smart camera of my own, after waking up to discover one in my stocking one Christmas, courtesy of my Nana and Papa. I can’t remember what type of camera it was – I wish I could – but it had an adjustable lens which stuck out from the front and was really snazzy, especially for a boy with my nine or so years of life experience under his belt.
my education years
With an air of smugness, I remember mucking around with that going through high school in the 90s but as I started to get interested in music – studying keyboards and double bass - my camera took a bit of a back seat.
I also dabbled in art and design at school, really adoring the subject, but had to face the frustrating reality that I wasn’t too great using my hands to express my visions onto paper (I guess the camera has naturally become my tool of choice to make that possible).
After leaving school I gaining a higher diploma in Media and Communication at college, with distinction in Film and Video Production, then followed this up with a Bachelor of Arts in Corporate Communication from Queen Margaret University College, Edinburgh.
my first career
The qualification led me to a role in Marketing Communications for Santander (formerly Abbey National bank), where I was responsible for producing print marketing communications. I remained in similar roles for a total of nine years, during which, moving to London and continuing to produce marketing campaigns for brands like RBS, MINT and Orange. All of my marketing jobs had involved the commissioning and approval of visual artwork, including photography, for commercial campaigns.
travelling
I loved working in communications but it was half way through my first career that I took a six-month break, to travel in South East Asia. This is when I really got back into photography in a massive way, with so much exoticness to capture – rich colours at every turn, vibrant people who were beautiful from the heart, wildlife, rustic villages, amazing landscapes, smog and smoke…. I became obsessed very quickly, with getting interesting compositions and capturing that moment, striving to get it more unique and better than the last person who took the same shot.
my photography obsession
I have never lost this obsession, as everyone close to me knows only too well! But I believe that’s what gives me the drive to work tirelessly in my quest to produce photography that's of the most unique and highest standard, both in creativity and technical skill. And not only meets my own expectations of perfection, but exceeds those of my clients too.
Photography, for me, is about capturing special moments and making them last forever. it’s about telling stories and creating messages that resonate with the audience, nurturing their emotions, to the point that they respond to it.
It's what I love and I hope you'll appreciate my work as much as I enjoy producing it.