I DEVELOPED my interest in photography after my late parents purchased a basic DSLR camera for my fortieth birthday. Suddenly, my photography was transformed! I was taking much better pictures; others were repeatedly asking me to take photos for them. I was photographing children’s holiday camps, school events, church and charity events. Initially, my primary technique was to take lots of photos knowing that a small number would be good!

FOLLOWING my police career, I did some charity work. When this ended in the summer of 2017, I made the decision to take my photography to a new level. I invested in more specialist lenses, added additional equipment including studio lighting and screens and more recently upgraded my camera to a professional Nikon D800 DSLR. At the same time, I studied how to take great pictures: it’s crucial to get the camera setting right, but it’s also imperative to get the subject right! For portrait photography, this means knowing what poses work best and produce the most favourable results.

Fancy dress photos taken in October 2019: Steampunk theme (Above: with Carole; below: with Stacy)

I ENJOY meeting people; I’m very easy to chat with. I am understanding and accepting. I value friendship. I take time to get to know people, what their interests are, what motivates them, and what they enjoy doing. This is also an essential part of my photography as it helps ensure the model relaxes and enjoys the photoshoot, and it also enables me to take photos that fully capture a person’s character.

With close friends Aleixs and Stephanie (September 2019)

WHEN I am not behind the camera, I am a regular at my local gym attending three-to-four times a week. I also have an interest in cars and own a twenty-two-year-old Morgan Plus-4 four-seater. I am a regular attendee at local and national (and sometimes international) Morgan and other car-related events. I also enjoy visiting museums, historic houses and castles (often with my camera!). I’m a great lover of tea and love old-fashioned tea shops. I also enjoy travel, my current favourite destination being the Greek Islands.
In many ways, I am an old-fashioned gentleman: I tend to dress smartly (I have a collection of waistcoats and jackets). I enjoy most types of food, but default to traditional English pub food as my favourite; I like a proper bitter and have a soft spot for full-bodied red wine.