So, here I am. It's taken a while to get round to actually beginning this blog craze. If I’m honest, I'm still not really sure how it all works. Right now, I'm blessed to making a living through my photography. I know there are a lot of people out there who would love to be doing the same thing, and I've been told time and time again I should be documenting my shoots and work and telling people about what I'm doing. I always thought that starting a blog and writing about myself might be percieved as being a bit vain. However, considering it further - if I was me five years ago...which I was...I think (confised now...) - I'd want to read about how I had managed to work in a field that had been held only as passionate hobby before. If you're confused by what I've just written, don't worry about it. Here's a picture to help ease the brain tension.
Feeling better? Right I'll crack on.
So here I go...
I'll just jabber on for a bit and see if anyone reads this. If they do, awesome. If they don't, awesome. Either way it's going to be awesome! Still with me?
Ok, I'll start from the beginning...
I suppose in order to see where I am, you have to be able to see where I've come from. So here's a bit of background. I was born 17 weeks premature so apparently I'm a miracle. I was 1 lb 2 ounces when I got here (officially) and according to the grandparents (every Christmas), I'm a living miracle. I suppose it is quite miraculous when you consider to date I am 6ft 2 and weigh arguably more than I should. I used to say I was born premature and that I had big bones, and of course throughout my youth my friends never let me forget those phrases. I grew up in villages, hated school, but was lucky enough to have a good set of parents who loved me despite my rebellious ways. I spent most of my school life being told I'd never get any GCSE's, and spent most of those years sat outside the classroom or the head of years office. I played Ice-hockey from the age of eleven and it became my biggest passion at the time. The big bones also came in handy when it came to legally crushing people (it's ok...this is what you're MEANT to do...). Looking back, I was a bit of a dick at school - especially to teachers. I always had a bit of an issue with authority. Having two parents who were in the police force, and diagnosed with mild ADHD as a kid - I suppose the two mixed up a cocktail of cockiness and stupidity all in one. And like I said, these days I consider it to be more of the latter. All of my family have been in the police or the armed forces and I always assumed this was where I'd end up. Despite trying to join the army when I was 16 and leaving school for 6 weeks to pursue the 'dream', this was the closest I ever came to actually doing it. The reality of it was I would never have the discipline to follow orders or deal with horrible people without losing it - and as such, this career was a definite no. I knew this by the time I was 16, and looking back I'm glad I never did it. By this point my parents had split, my father was settling into a new relationship, and all I wanted to do was get drunk and have a good time. I was also blessed that I had a solid group of mates. For this period of two or three years we would always find a house and an older brother (or sister) to get us some booze. It was a great period looking back, and I do miss it from time to time. What I can remember of it anyway...
Here's where I miss out a bit of a chunk, and we can fast forward to Uni. GCSE's. Done. A-levels. Done. The absolute, 100% honest truth is that I only went to University because it was the done thing. The final decision maker was a conversation with my step-mother about how great it was. The wild parties. The drinking. The sense of achievement. I guess the final thing that dragged me into remaining in full-time education (and get this...) was watching a hit film at the time, American Pie. I think, ironically, it may even have been seen the very same day I went to the army recruitment office. My thought process was relatively simple, and one that I know a lot of young people these days may share. Do I get a full-time job and start worrying about money, bills, housing. Etc. Or do I just party hard for three years and see where I ended up? Ultimately, it was a no brainer. So where did I go? Portsmouth. Why? Because they had a good roller-hockey team. And a beach. I never really considered the fact that the beach itself would echo the city (hard and rough), I just went. I didn’t really care what I was to study - I just chose something that looked creative and fun.I even think my back up choices through the UCAS application system were Ancient History and Web Design! I chose a subject called 'Entertainment Technology'. No, they didn't teach you to dance around on a stage with a top-hat and a cane, but it was close enough. It covered just about EVERYTHING. Film, music production, computer games, web design, graphic art, animation...the list was vast. Later on I found that trying to find a job when you have studied 'everything' was very difficult. Still, at this stage like I have mentioned, I didn't really care. I just wanted to know where the nearest pub was.
The three years that followed produced so many great stories, that trying to justify them here would be pointless. My very first night at University would be as explosive as the next three years. It happened, that after staggering back to a newly acquired team mate’s house for an after party from the students union, we decided to take a short cut down a dark alleyway. In fact, I remember as we descended into the inky black abyss that someone actually said "ooOo00h dark alley...".
Shouldn't have said that...
We got set upon by a group of about ten football hooligans who beat me and a guy called Setti (no not sofa, he was from Finland) to bloody and bruised messes. Everyone else ran off. Lovely! So you see, despite it being quite rubbish at the time, it was a warning to the city I now lived in. Get on with your studies, drink, party and NEVER EVER tell anyone that you're a student. And if anybody (and I mean ANYBODY) ever asked you what football team you supported? You answered 'Portsmouth, of course'. Immediately. A slight pause could end up being quite painful. I know it would appear that I am giving this city a bad name and forgive me for this. There are some lovely places in this town (like the pub) and in fairness, during my time there I did meet some locals who were good people. I think after three years, I couldn’t wait to get out though. In fact, I couldn’t wait to get out of the country. So that’s exactly what I did. I packed a bag and moved to New Zealand.
Random?
Absolutely. But that's the beauty of it.
In fairness, I guess it wasn’t that random. I had always decided I wanted to travel after leaving Uni...I mean, it meant another good couple of years without having to actually decide what I really wanted to do with my life. I had decided by the time I left Uni that Film was the one for me. Movies like Gladiator, Pulp Fiction, City of God...they all touched me in a way that these mere words would never justify. I think at this point you have to realise something about me. Something I had known deep down since day one. There is an ocean of creativity within me and like others; I just needed to find a way to release it. Film is arguably one of the most creative platforms there is as it's not just about what you see on the screen...it's about what you hear, the soundtrack that moves you, the characters you relate to...and all the emotional stuff thrown in there as well. And so it was, I thought I had found my calling. Throughout University I tried to edge a path through the selection of modules that would always lead back to video production and film. So I found myself sat on a 747 at Heathrow airport, the doors were locked, the engine was rumbling and the Canadian dude next to me was already plastered. Despite at this time not really considering the fact I was flying to literally the furthest point on the planet from England into a world I really had no idea about, I decided to follow the Canuck's model. I ordered a double JD, held the cola, and drank solidly for about 26 hours of flying. Choice broooo, off to Middle Earth to hopefully have tea with Peter Jackson and become the next big thing.
Now, I must be honest. I didn't delve into the unknown completely blind. I was lucky enough to have an uncle in NZ that paid for my ticket, and stayed with him for a couple of weeks to get settled in. At the time, my little cousins were all under 10 and I used to be woken up having wrestling moves performed on me, or by having sweets lobbed at me from the doorway. This was usually about 5am at the latest and despite loving my cousins to bits, after a couple of weeks I packed up a single bag and moved to Auckland. I think it's fair to say that if it wasn’t for a certain pep talk from my uncle, I never would have done it. If this was a longer story, I'd tell you about what a massive inspiration he was on me and his twenty something years of army service and perseverance would eventually rub off on me. But that kids, is a story for another day. Back to the main event...
So I found myself in NZ's equivalent of the 'big smoke'. Aucland cityyyy. What the Jehovah did I do now? It's ironic that this period on my life was definitely the first time I had felt completely alone, and although it could be argued a part of me will always feel this way - this was literal. I was living in a city, on my own, on the other side of the world. 'Outside of my comfort zone', was a massive understatement. But it was here that I found something truly amazing. People had always said how when you travel 'you learn so much about yourself' and it's just 'you against the world'. I would come to find that this was the environment I would thrive in. I had targeted the film industry and despite everyone saying how much of a difficult industry it is to get into, I couldn’t disagree more. It took ONE phone call to get me a job working for Walden Media (Disney's film arm) within their traffic division. Excellent I thought. I had made it. Peter Jackson here I come. My very first job could not have been further from this. Do you know what I did? I sat and watched a traffic cone for 11 hours. Literally. I was working on film called 'Bridge to Terabithia'. They were filming a segment aboard a yellow US school bus and for authenticity; they had to drive on the right side of the road. It was my job to sit on the driveway of one of the local farms and ensure nobody drove out of their property while filming was taking place, for obvious reasons. All well and good, except for the fact I didn't see a soul all day. I think my 'farm inhabitants' were on holiday! Still, I read the Da Vinci code from front to back, and smoked more than a Maori Chieftain...and in fairness earned good money for my efforts (which I have very little to show for it now, it must be said)...so I left with a smile on my face, and the possibility of more work. Every door opens, you’ve just got to keep on knocking…
As the months passed, I had discovered that picking up the phone and nagging production managers and HR personnel voice to voice, worked so much better than sending emails. Despite pissing a lot of people off no doubt, every now and then you would come across someone who had family in the UK...and I don't know, it pulled on their heart strings or something. So the months passed and I worked for several production companies as a driver, production runner, storyboard artist - I even had the chance to shadow a location scout for a week...
This is by far the best job on the planet.
Rock up to some mad location, take a few pictures for the producers, go stay in a 5 star hotel all expenses paid, drink and eat till you pass out...get paid a shed load of cash for the trouble. Although this is not the type of photography I now specialise in, I think this is the first time the role of 'photographer' began to appeal.
So the months tuned into a couple of years, by which time I had managed to land a job as a Junior Producer for a regional TV station in an awesome place called Taranaki. Sounds like I'd made it right? Producing four shows a week, directing live sports broadcast from an OB (outside broadcast van), even interviewing the New Zealand prime minister...and don’t get me wrong, I loved it. But you have to realise that New Zealand is about 50 years behind the UK in most respects. Although I was earning quite good money by this point, it was not as 'shwbiz' as you may think. It was a lot of early starts, late finishes, deadlines, pressure, rendering...anyway...I came to a point 7 months into my contract where the station owner had offered to sponsor me to stay as a producer with the channel for another three years. The seven months before all this by the way, had been a hazy blur of snowy days and red eyed mornings working on a ski resort on Mt. Ruapheu. I won’t go into details, as in honesty, I don't really remember the details. I drank too much beer and smoked too much weed (don’t worry, it's what all border dudes do...) to ever really have any 'real' memories of my time working on the mountain. I will always remember the snow though. As I was working as a lifty (we ultimately 'get you high, then get you off'), we had the run of the untouched mountain at 5 am every day when our shift started. I will NEVER forget the freedom of flying down a mountainside with a board strapped to my feet. I discovered snowboarding as a major passion during these months, and met some great people - many of whom I am still in contact with today.
Anyway, back to showbiz...
So, it's 7.45am and I'm strolling into the TV channel headquarters with signed sponsorship forms in my bag, money in my bank and the promise of another three years of doing a reasonably awesome job. I went straight to the CEO's office with a cup of tea (yes, he was English - probably the reason he gave me the job in the first place) and a big, ambitious smile on my face. "I've got you those forms, Paul". His face said it all. "What's the matter?" I asked. "You'll find out in ten minutes". 9 minutes later (he was always very punctual); we were all called into the studio and lost our jobs on the spot.
Gutted? You bet. The pit in my stomach at this point dropped about 100 ft. I was in a bit of an awkward situation. I had worked on my visa for two years solid, had moved from production to production and despite a part of me screaming to carry on, I kind of knew my time in New Zealand had come to an end. Looking back, there will always be a part of me that wishes I'd have stayed. Ok, I had no permit...I couldn't even work in a bar without possibly being found out and thrown out of the country...but I think, if I had risked it, who knows. Maybe something else would have come up. I loved New Zealand and its people to bits, but there was always a part of me that knew I didn't belong. Despite leaving with a pretty bloody good accent bro, the pace of life was chilled - but maybe a bit too much for my liking. I strangely missed the 'rat race' of the English culture, the sense of humour that the people of these isles have, and of course my family and friends. And so it was, with a bit of a whimper, I sold everything I had (and I mean EVERYTHING (thank you eBay) and came back to the motherland.
I never met Peter Jackson. I never won an Oscar. I never even did a frigging bungee jump. But however cheesy it sounds, I did meet some excellent people and did discover a lot about myself. Most importantly that I could succeed when I was out of my comfort zone and kind of 'had' to.
Now, coming back to the UK was very difficult at first. Those that have travelled for long periods of time will tell you, getting a job when you've had no UK address for a number of years is very hard. I would argue, even more so being British. The authorities tend to have a 'well, bollocks to him he left our beloved nation' approach. Maybe I am a little bitter because the next few months were very difficult. I struggled to find any work, and the bread I did put on my table was put there doing boring, mediocre work that would never live up to the position I had left on the other side of the planet - in financial or creative terms.
I think it's fair to say these months were the most difficult of my life to date for the reasons I have explained. I had been on the dole for 3-months and found myself applying for jobs I knew there would be absolutely no chance of me getting. Every day felt like a battle.
I remember applying for a job as an SEO expert, and didn't even know what the letters stood for. But it is at times like this when you've got to keep your chin up. For every shadow, there is a ray of light. Now some of you may have scoffed at that last remark and yeh, maybe I have watched too many films...but there is truth in it.
So one day, I get a random text from an old friend.
SARAH:
Hi Dan. It's been ages! How are you? I see you've applied for a job with my dads company yes? I thought you were working in film? Xx
It has to be said at this point, that yes...that was the SEO job, and no, I never really thought I'd have a chance at getting it. Sarah was an old school friend. I was made to sit next to her in Science back in the GCSE days as the theory was it would improve my grade. Ultimately, I think I dragged her down a grade or two (So sorry about that Sarah, I owe you one!). It turns out ultimately, I now owe her more than one. Sarah was a Style Director for a photography company called 'Venture Photography'. And there was an opening for a Junior Photographer.
I will never forget the interview...
"Do you know what Aperture is?"
"Nope"
"Shutter Speed"
"How quickly you shut...nope."
"ISO"
"Na"
"What camera did you take all these images on when you were travelling then?" (This was my poor portfolio at the time I had brought with me).
"My mobile phone".
I told you it would be awesome.
I will never know how I got the job as a photographer without EVER holding an SLR camera, but I did. No doubt I owe a huge amount to Sarah and Nigel here (Nigel was the studio owner at the time) for bringing me on board with my lack of knowledge. I know they were desperate for a photographer as well, but I am also aware they had many, many applicants. Maybe Sarah noticed the creative streak in me, or maybe she was just trying to help out an old friend...either way, my career as a photographer had begun.
Now I'm talking like this was ages ago...in truth, it was about two and a half years ago. Which when considered, was not long ago at all. It feels like decades ago! Since then, I've worked for another studio, another photography company altogether and have just decided to branch out on my own and formed a limited company - two-d photography (http://www.two-d.co.uk). At this point I must also mention Steve, my 'latest' boss before going it on my own. His business acumen, and the advice and training he offered me definitely set me up into a position where I had the skills and experience to branch out on my own. So, Nice one Steve. It will never be fogotten.
It is my intention to update this blog as I shoot, and give brief reports on the day to day workings of such a highly sought after and competitive industry. I will try and upload as many images as I can and offer as much advice to those of you out there who are looking to, or perhaps even are working in the field yourselves. And even for those of you that aren't, perhaps my story thus far may inspire you. I am in no way considering myself the next David Bailey to any extent. I will be the first to admit I have a SHEDLOAD to learn. I think photography is a profession where you can never stop learning and despite my lack of love for education and learning back in the day, this is ironically (along with the creative application) one of the things I love the most about it. Who knows, maybe one day I’ll make something of myself through my creativity. I can buy a fast, expensive car and play my music really loud.
Even if I don’t, every day is a creative journey in this line of work. Hopefully you can share some of it with me and who knows, maybe even learn with me as well. I’ll try and add hints and tips for my shooting practice as I go.
I hope you've made it this far through my story, and I hope you will keep up to date with my work, shoots and experiences. Cheers for reading!
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