Twenty years

Twenty years ago this month, after ten years as a press photographer and around the same time America invaded Iraq, great timing, I left the Birmingham Post to set up my own business.
Below are a few pictures from my first few weeks of working for myself and a further two from recent assignments.

2003

(L-R) Building of the Bullring for City life magazine and Sybil Spence addresses a conference at Birmingham City Council House

Michel Barnier pictured during his visit to the West Midlands, 2003

2023

Dr Huma Latif for the British Medical Association

Training the next generation of lifeguards for the RLSS, Birmingham

Since 2003;

-I’ve sent 324 197 pictures to clients all around the world, which roughly means I’ve shot over 2M pictures.
-Used 7 cameras (2 dropped beyond repair and survived the Canon 1ds mk3 focussing fiasco)
-Used 7 desktop computers (Early Apple ones were overpriced and slow)
-Used 9 laptop computers (Less said about the Apple G4, the better. They could hardly handle processing one RAW file)
-Worked in Downing Street
-Photographed Prince William and Prince Harry during a private visit (Language turned the air blue)
-Supplied photographs for two books on food
-Now using my 4th lighting system, I started with Canon Speedlites (kept overheating and melting them,) Quantum Q-flash (fantastic system, could shoot HSS, which they didn’t advertise, but no product development for years,) Elinchrom (ELB400 and 500’s were great but a pain to carry and set up.) I recently switched, just before the massive price rises last year to Profoto. They are easy and fast to set up, not too heavy and most importantly, suits my style of shooting, HSS up to 1/8000 using electronic shutter.)
-Documented the building of the new QE hospital in Birmingham for the NHS
-Still working for some clients I first shot pictures for in 2003
-Photographed the opening of the Bullring and Selfridges in Birmingham, for Selfridges and the Bullring.
-Shot fashion in Sweden
-Took pictures of  Alan Sugar, according to his PR, “On a good day.” Wouldn’t like to have shot him on a bad day…
-Bought far too many photography books

A big thank you everyone who has supported me since 2003.