See more work at www.adrianhollowayphotography.com
Being a photographer
Please give us a few words of introduction about yourself
Hi, I’m Adrian. These are my first tentative steps into the scary world of starting my own photography business. Hopefully this interview may inspire folk to try too.
How and when did you start out as a photographer?
From when I was a nipper I’ve usually had some kind of camera, my parents would take us out into the countryside regularly, so plenty of opportunities to photograph things. Over the past few years I’ve become interested in digital photography and am now starting to aim towards making a living out of it.
What training did you have?
Pretty much like many other photographers I reckon. Just being out in the field using the equipment helps me enormously. I also spend a lot of time talking to other photographers and the other usual suspects such as the internet and books. You can’t beat hands on experience though.
What has been your best creative achievement so far?
I photographed a wedding reception recently (my first one!). It was a challenge due to the low indoor light (and no real room to use a tripod) but the images came out really well and the bride and groom got a dvd that they were proud of.
General Questions
What’s your favourite quote?
‘We’ve gone on holiday by mistake!’- Withnail and I
Who is your favourite artist?
My friend Lesley.
What are you aiming for?
Happy clients, a happy me and a happy bank balance!
How will you get there?
Hard graft. You really have to sell yourself these days, competition is fierce due to the number of folk doing this sort of thing. Get out there, get great images, talk to people and sell yourself! I’m going to find a niche in the market, a challenge but I know I can do it.
Is anything holding you back?
Well, the obvious answer is of course money. Setting up a photography business is not a cheap venture, investing in quality equipment is essential but costly. So yes, money, that and the amount of people doing this kind of thing.
You and photography
What sort of reactions do you get to your work? are you ever surprised?
Being a hyper-critical man of my own work, I’m always surprised by peoples enthusiasm! Reactions are normally very positive thank goodness.
From start to finish, how long does it take for you to create your work?
That depends on so many variables. Some subjects are more complex than others, require more equipment and more image editing. The short answer is that I can’t answer that with any particular accuracy.
What music do you like to listen to when you work?
When I’m editing images I’ll quite often put on a bit of alt-country or English psychedelic-folk; sometimes a bit of heavy rock does the trick though.
What is next in the pipeline for you? Any new directions or shows coming up?
I have a wedding in the Breccon Beacons to photograph in a few months and possibly I’ll be photographing the band Shearwater when they come to play in Brighton in March. Can’t wait to see how things pan out.
Being inspired by photography
Who (living or dead) inspires you? and why?
My father’s photography inspires me, he spent decades travelling round the planet documenting as he went. That certainly did and does inspire me.
What feelings, subjects or concepts inspire you as a photographer?
I’m inspired by the great world window around us. People fascinate me, insects fascinate me and our lovely landscapes fascinate me too.
What is your favourite work that you’ve produced so far and why?
A portrait photograph of a mother’s 5 year old child. I’m just very pleased by the overall composition and the emotion that I’ve captured in his eyes. It’s also a great feeling to know that you’ve captured and documented someone’s life, just for that split second but it can last a lifetime.
a photographer’s advice
Have you got any advice for those starting out as a photographer?
Do your research before buying equipment, it’s easy to spend an awful lot of money but end up with inadequate gear for the job. Join a photography club, get talking to people, do photo shoots for free to get that experience that will get you paid work. Above all, don’t panic!
