About Me

The Path...

I started off my career in photography as a photographic assistant with my father at advertising and design agency D.B.N in Birmingham England. At the time it was the midlands largest commercial photographic studio with seven commercial photographers working round the clock, shooting a wide range of work from Rock Bands to Bentleys.

This was a unique situation for any assistant

It allowed new ideas and techniques to flourish, it became the ideal learning platform for me to become a commercial photographer. After a couple of years training and some of the work in hand, I began to shoot model/fashion based tests focusing on securing clients based in the editorial capital, London and more importantly getting the tear sheets from printed magazines for my portfolio.


Developing My Film & Printing Techniques

I further developed my film and printing techniques assisting technicians in the darkroom including fashion photographer Sir Terence Donovan. Shooting on 35mm film, his shots were unmistakable by the graininess of the image, spontaneity of portrait poses and their often gritty, industrial London backdrops. Some of my shots including this one for Liberty's Nightclub were certainly influenced after lessons learnt in the darkroom.

Lit with tungsten and Shot on a Nikon 35mm using Ilford HP5 film pushed in process by two stops.

Printed on Ilford fibre paper with post production gold toning.

At the time black and white photography and darkroom printing were essential tools to have, they enabled me to become the youngest affiliate member of the British Institute Of Professional Photographers and in the process, changed their attitudes and policies on age and photographer licentiateship.

I later went on to work as a speaker for the Kodak pro road show. I demonstrated my style of printing and lighting to budding photographers across the U.K teaching photography techniques, and darkroom printing through tutorials and demonstrations. 

Around the same time I also joined the association of fashion and editorial photographers (AFAEP) in London, my work was featured in their "introducing" exhibition.

There was a mixture on non commissioned / commissioned - hair and beauty work and a couple of fashion tests I'd shot a few weeks earlier. Spotted by a visiting French fashion designer, these few pics helped secure my first fashion work in Paris & The Arab Emirates.




It was around the time of 9/11 when I made “the switch” from analogue film to digital cameras, the last shots I took were on Ilford FP4 capturing the wreckage of the World Trade Centre in New York.

The September 11, 2001 (9/11) attacks had a profound psychological impact on me and the wider global community. The unprecedented scale of the tragedy, combined with the graphic media coverage was something else. I was there to document some of it. A few days prior Id been visiting downtown advertising agencies and consequentially lugging all my kit around. My 120mm and 35mm format kit weighed enough on my back or around my hand. It was the shot to end my affair with film and a vision that would be permanently etched on my mind.

valley of a 1000 hills Kwa Zulu Natal

Cumbersome, fiddly, 35mm film was a thing of the past, along with the expense of processing and endless health dangers from darkroom chemicals. One of my favourites - selenium print toning makes shadows a deep deep purple, depending on print emulsion. The prints look great but price for art is nasty problems from absorbed/inhaled darkroom chemicals that kind of kills the whole vibe for me - the tedious dust spots removal from prints compared to the ease of using photoshop and a screen, figuratively speaking, the digital photographer has never had it so good!


I also really enjoy traveling and the portability of my trade, some highlights include projects in New York working with lady legend Oprah Winfrey shooting "O" magazine and documenting Rally to Read's focus to promote literacy at grassroots level, in remote rural schools across South Africa.




I'm now back from my gallivanting - or for the time being anyway - back to my roots where I first started out, based near Birmingham shooting a wide variety of work for major brands, bands, small businesses and individuals, helping them achieve their communication and marketing goals.


So if you’ve got a preconceived idea that you need transforming into an image or if you need my creative mind to build and execute a concept, Image media marketing is so important in today's fast-paced digital world. Turn heads, keep thumbs pressing likes and your customers attention with expertly produced images.

I'll work with you to create images that stand out from the crowd, enhance your brands identity and accelerate your businesses growth. Contact to book your photography

call: +44 (0)7836 337293 email: [email protected]  

Find Out About Product Photography in Birmingham

 

Simon Donnelly is a commercial photographer based near Birmingham UK. 

Looking For A Local Event Photographer In Birmingham UK

CALL OR TEXT SIMON ON: +44 (0)7836 337293

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