A Trustworthy And Reliable Headshots Photographer Based In Cambridgeshire Keen To Meet You
Meet a trustworthy and reliable headshots photographer based in Cambridgeshire. My new website has been up and running for a while now. It’s been a bit of a struggle to get where I want to be and doing what I want to do. For many years I wanted to be a professional photographer, but never had the resources to commit. Things fell into place about seven years ago, and now I am able to create and produce corporate headshots, actor headshots and professional portraits. Go here if you prefer to see full galleries of some of my portrait photography subjects.
From a schoolboy to professional photographer
If only it was that quick. There were many steps in between and some false dawns. My Dad had a 35mm Brownie and took the usual family snaps. The camera used roll film and produced very small black and white prints. Nothing fancy, but big enough to keep the special ones in an album. The others found their way into the family photo tin which I inherited when my parents died. I still hold those old photos in my hands every now and again. I will never be a digital files only person, there is no better way to see a photo than holding a physical print in your hands. Anyway, I digress.
My road to professional photography
Both my parents were incredibly hard workers. My Dad was a bus conductor when I was born. He loved that job but had to go and work in a factory shortly after to support the family better. Mum often had two if not three jobs on the go to bring in extra money. I was taught from a very early age that I could aim high. I was also given some great advice and that was to save enough money until I could buy what I wanted. In my younger days credit was seen as a bit of a sin, and money lenders were not good people to deal with. I am glad I inherited their work ethic and took that advice about not buying on credit. Both have served me well on my way to becoming a professional photographer.
Aiming high
I was born into a working-class family and I am fiercely proud of that. Throughout my life it has given me a sense of fair play and I think that is a good thing. I have had to graft hard to get what I want or what I need to achieve things in my work. I was given a good brain which I used in primary school. Secondary school was an entirely different kettle of fish though. Large class sizes and my need to make my mates laugh a lot meant that I gave up academically by the time I was fourteen. My parents were exasperated, but even at that age I was convinced I didn’t need formal qualifications to get on.
Early jobs
I left school with a grade C English O Level. Despite that I got a job immediately and started as a trainee carpenter with a one-man business in Felixstowe. Twelve months later I was about to start my second job with a tyre services company. That job also lasted a year. I wanted more, but I wasn’t sure what it was. At that time a career as a professional portrait photographer was not in my head. The Royal Air Force was where I wanted to be.
The photography seed is sown
I joined the RAF in November 1978 as a supplier and had a magnificent 22 years in that service. It was whilst I was serving at my first permanent posting, RAF Wattisham, that the photography bug bit me. I somehow went with one of the Phantom squadrons to the annual armament practice camp held at RAF Akrotiri in Cyprus. One of the guys I met there was the station photographer. I was struck by the scope of the job he did and felt the odd pang of jealousy. He had access to all of the people photography on camp; all sorts of events both formal and informal, and aircraft photography. That was something I wanted to do for sure. Sadly for me it took a while to get there.
Leaving the RAF
Fast forward 20 years and my time in the RAF was coming to a close. The photography bug was still with me, but I hadn’t made much progress. All of that changed with the dawn of digital photography and the advent of reasonably affordable digital cameras. I bought my first one whilst serving out my time at RAF Wittering. The RAF were keen to get the very last ounce out of my service. They decided to detach me to RAF Mount Pleasant in Falkland Islands for the second and final time. I had just one year left to serve and wasn’t happy about going as I wanted to concentrate on getting ready for civvy life.
Getting ready for civvy life
I bought my own just before leaving the RAF and had got used to creature comforts you never got when living in a barrack block. Little was I to know that buying that camera and taking it to the Falkland Islands was going to be life changing for me. I had full control over the whole photographic process from creation to producing the finished result. Now I had to find out how to do it all professionally. I used all of my resettlement time and allowances to go on a Photoshop course held in North London.
A new life in photography begins
My 22 years in the RAF were over in a flash. I had a two week gap and then started the next phase of my life working for Cambridgeshire Constabulary. I desperately wanted to pursue my photography dream but I wasn’t well placed enough financially at that point. A pension and a steady wage helped, as did a fairly rapid promotion. I started by buying a wide range of kit, then replacing it as newer and more powerful equipment became available. I started taking on paid photography work, mostly weddings. My passion was and still is portrait photography and wanted to follow it. Slowly everything fell into place. I bought enough portable kit to produce a mobile studio and did more and more headshot photography in Cambridgeshire where I was and continue to live.
Redundancy and early retirement
Developments at my day job meant that my role was in danger. Eventually I was offered redundancy and early retirement. To some this would have been a disaster, but I had been preparing for it. My wedding shoots continued for a good few years and were very enjoyable. I loved a good wedding, but there came a point a few years back when I realised that I wasn’t getting any younger. Carrying and moving a lot of heavy equipment was getting to be a strain so I had to look at alternatives. Step forward corporate headshots, actor headshots and portrait photography.
In the present – portrait photography in Cambridgeshire
This is where I am now. My dream of being a professional portrait photographer has been realised. Portrait photography in Cambridgeshire is what I do. Not just in Cambridgeshire either, I am happy to work in all surrounding counties. I love what I do and I am happy to travel to do it. I also do portraits in all their various guises. For individuals I produce classic looking portraits, available as digital files or ready for printing on various media types. I can travel to you or we can book some studio time at my favourite studio in Milton Keynes. If you want to see my portrait photography go to my portrait portfolio.
Corporate photography in Cambridgeshire
I needed to fill the void created by my withdrawal from wedding photography. The answer for me was a variation of personal portraits and it was corporate headshots in Cambridgeshire or surrounding counties. A corporate headshot is simply a business portrait, not a huge deviation from my core business. I have all the portable equipment I need to shoot at your premises, or somewhere like a business park. All I need is to have a bit of space sufficiently big enough for my kit to fit. The background is normally white but I can work to your corporate look if you have one. If you need corporate photography in Cambridgeshire why not give me a look or use my contact form?
Actor headshots in Cambridgeshire
I did some research to see if actor headshots could be a viable business segment for me. The results were very surprising, showing very few photographers in Cambridgeshire who advertise specifically for that market. The huge majority of actor headshot photographers operate from or close to London. That’s not great if you work locally and want to refresh your look or portfolio. Who wants to travel to London and pay London prices for a refresh? Let me come to you for the shoot. Alternatively, I go to a fantastic studio close to Milton Keynes which I can book if you would prefer a studio based portrait shoot. Either way you’ll get great actor headshots at a very reasonable price. Check out my package prices and click on that contact form button.