PAUL PICKARD

PAUL PICKARD

A professional photographer, based in Staffordshire with twenty years experience in the field.

When did you first become interested in this field of study?

When I had my first job, I worked in a planning department aged 19 and I bought a Russian film camera and started photography as a hobby, later converting a cupboard into a darkroom at my parents home

Where did you study photography?

I taught myself photography but later studied law for a short while in Sheffield – useful for a photojournalist

How would you describe/define yourself as a photographer?


I used to be a photojournalist - I now shoot a large range of types of photography so I guess a professional photographer is easiest label – do you have a better suggestion?

Which other photographers inspire you or do you admire?

Denis Thorpe was my first point of inspiration – He was a brilliant photographer on The Guardian  newspaper in Manchester, now retired. I actually take more of interest in paintings than photographs for inspiration but one photographer who stands out for me is Albert Watson.

How important is the quality of your equipment to your work?

It has become more and more important to have good quality equipment for a number of reasons, one being the advance in technology in ‘amateur’ level cameras and mobile phone cameras. I have shifted from using a selection of zoom lenses to using top range prime lenses in order to stand out from the crowd

Out of the many areas you have worked within- photojournalism, design/ad agencies, fashion houses, portraiture- which do you find most stimulating?

I find photographing things ‘as they happen’ the most stimulating as this plays to my strengths of observing and capturing the moment. I like to use available light and where possible make my photographs amusing as well as fulfilling the brief of the client

Is there a particular memorable shoot or key experience within your career?

I have had petrol bombs thrown at me in riots, that was quite memorable, I have witnessed the biggest mass murder in modern history when I photographed the dead bodies in Lockerbie after a plane was blown from the sky. I found dead bodies whilst covering a shooting in Hungerford, the gunman was still on the loose nearby. Just last week I have been working with film director Shane Meadows on The Stone Roses film. I once took Boris Johnson, Mayor of London, on work experience. I have also been fortunate enough to work with many well-known names in film, music and fashion – so being trusted by brilliant people is certainly a key experience I am proud of.


What was/is it like working alongside such big clients?

It can be daunting when you get a new client with a good reputation but I am usually hired on reputation or evidence so you know that the client already likes your work so it is about building a good working relationship, fulfilling the brief but also trying to add my own style to the work

Do your photographs each possess a signature style- one which is unique to you?

I am told that many of my pictures are recognisable as my own but I find it difficult to define what that characteristic is. What do you think?

Is there a single photograph which you are especially proud of or is a personal favourite, why?

No. I realise other people like certain pictures more than others but I do not have one image in mind. It is a cliché, but is has to be the next one

How difficult did you find it to begin your career?

I began at the bottom, by printing black and white photographs  in a dingy darkroom which was useful as a skill but I was a photographer wanting to get out.

Why photography? Is professional photography something you’ve always pursued?

I worked for five years in a local authority planning drawing office – I hated it. One day someone brought in a black and white print they had made themselves. I then knew  what I wanted to do, I went out and bought the exact same camera and film that day, and taught myself by trial and error

During your career have you ever considered changing direction?

I have always liked making pictures and hope never to stop

How has your practise changed over time?

The main change over time is obviously digital and the internet. When I started in photojournalism I had to shoot a roll of film, then in a black cloth bag, develop the film in the boot of my car and then dry the film with a portable hair dryer. There was no internet and no digital cameras. Hard to believe now, even for me

What do you believe motivates you?

To make pictures that make me happy – Fear of poverty

In your opinion, what makes a good photographer?

Someone who can see a picture in anything, the everyday, and  capture it, without upsetting anyone

 

 

How important is experience in this field?

I would say it is very important but so is confidence. You can manage with one, both is better, none, and you will struggle

What would you say is the most important aspect of becoming a photographer?


An ability to see a picture in the mundane, able to communicate easily, good humour, some funding for the first three years, stamina, an ability to do SEO (Search Engine Optimisation)  An understanding  of how other businesses work, an understanding of economics and a partner who will listen to your boring stories about how you got a certain picture

Which out of your many experiences has proven most beneficial to you?

The experience of seeing how all levels of our world live and exist. This job has given me an understanding of how and why people behave and act and how they might behave and act in the future. I have photographed death, poverty, beauty, wealth, anger, greed, sadness, energy, and the everyday mundane world of how most of us live – this has been a privilege, something I wish our senior politicians had also experienced

Is there any advice you would you give to a photographer just starting out- that you wish you’d been given  at the beginning of your journey?

I am not sure what advice I was given or not. But the advice I would give to someone now is ask yourself why should anyone want to employ you – above the tens of thousands of other new young photographers?  Research the market you think you want to enter – thoroughly, and ask hard questions about projected incomes and expected expenditure. Study the effect of supply and demand – this is a fundamental  requirement . If you become a photographer and supply a service that already exists then you can only really compete on price, unless you are exceptional .If you compete on price then it is a race to the bottom . Marketing is very important but, if you can produce something that is scarce, you have a better chance of controlling the price and therefore of staying in business as a photographer