| I got hooked on the craft of photography back in the 80s, and I decided to learn more by doing some part-time courses. I really liked the quick hit of producing an image, and the buzz of waiting to see how a picture I had taken would turn out. Although I had no idea about lighting, I really liked having this tool that I could not just play with, but with which I could also produce something. It was some years later, when I met an advertising photographer who gave me a job as an assistant that I started to learn how the professionals do it. I soon learnt the harsh reality of a cutthroat business, did some serious running around, and got shouted at—but I learned a lot. | 
|
Dee
I got hooked on the craft of photography back in the 80s, and I decided to learn more by doing some part-time courses. I really liked the quick hit of producing an image, and the buzz of waiting to see how a picture I had taken would turn out. Although I had no idea about lighting, I really liked having this tool that I could not just play with, but with which I could also produce something.
It was some years later, when I met an advertising photographer who gave me a job as an assistant that I started to learn how the professionals do it. I soon learnt the harsh reality of a cutthroat business, did some serious running around, and got shouted at—but I learned a lot. I stuck with this for a good few years, but I eventually became disillusioned with the business, and I decided to quit (until the digital revolution kicked in.)
I now do this for my own pleasure, and not as a full-on business. Even so, I do get commissioned from time to time. Having my own lights, a digital camera, and computers allows me to be able to produce work for myself when I want, and this makes me feel alive once more.
Having a few friends in the fetish scene gave me some ideas, and I have since played with this theme over the last few years in my photos. It’s a very stylish and theatrical erotic scene with eccentric people, great clothes, and colors. That’s why it’s a great scene to photograph. It makes for strong visuals. I’m not into the scene myself, but I enjoy exploring it through my work, which I guess makes me voyeuristic. I have met some extraordinary people over the last few years, and thanks to them, I have produced work that people seem to like, and this makes me happy. I try to avoid clichés, but it’s hard because so much has already been done. Famous photographers that I admire me are Irving Penn, Helmut Newton, and Bob Carlos Clarke. I especially pay homage to the great late advertising photographer, Jimmy Wormser, for letting me shoot on his 10 x 8 plate camera—a memory I will never forget.
The two things that photography taught me are to see light and to have discipline when producing a photo. I gained the latter whilst being an assistant. In the past, photographers used to go on about lighting all the time, and I couldn’t see it. Now I do.
