My passion for photography started when I was around 13 thanks to my father, a chemistry teacher. He showed me how to develop black and white film and left me to get on with it. Being terrible at drawing, the world of photography allowed me to express myself in a way I had never been able to before. Seeing an image, a picture I had taken, just appear on the paper was incredible and that sense of wonder and excitement has stayed with me ever since.
I still count the likes of Ansel Adams, Alfred Stieglitz, Henri Cartier Bresson and Jane Bown as my inspiration.
At the age of 17 whilst doing my 'A' level's I saw an article about a new course in Bromley, training people in TV programme operations. I read the article and thought: "that's it, that's where I'm going", and a year and a bit later I started at Ravensbourne college, renowned the world over for its television training courses.
Emerging unscathed two years later with a B/Tec HND in TV programme operations I started my career in broadcasting. My first few jobs were as a tape operator in Soho and in May '89 I started working as a multi-skilled operator for TV3, a new Swedish satellite broadcaster based in Camden.
A year later the company moved to West Drayton and after helping them move, I headed back into town to WTN (Worldwide TV News), working in their studios and edit suites. (NB: In the late nineties WTN was bought by AP and renamed APTN).
In 1993 I moved south of the river to LWT to join the newly created London News Network, mostly in the studios but this time I was also getting out and about with cameras and was generally having a whale of a time. At the end of 1996, the world of freelance began to beckon and on the 1st of Jan '97 I left the cosy world of a staff job and became a freelance cameraman and editor - and somehow I'm still doing it.
Since becoming freelance I have travelled loads, met some wonderful people and often found myself in some crazy situations. Not being a dog lover and surrounded by 21 large St Bernards on a shoot for LWT is one I could mention, or hanging off the back of a insert card speeding round a race track in Spain at 90 MPH with a Digi Beta camera an inch from the ground is another.
As well as being amazing fun, the years since 1997 have been an amazing learning curve and bought me into contact with some truly outstanding people, including some brilliant producers, directors, writers, actors, 1st AC's and sparks. I am also very lucky to have access to forums like CML (The Cinematographers Mailing List) on the internet, sites like this have become my virtual film school. Where else could you ask a question like "How do I light a scene to look like this clip from 'Out of Sight'" and get an email back with the phone number of the film's gaffer, or read the real time experiences of and question the likes of Howard Wexler ASC or Roberto Schaefer ASC.
Reading sites like CML and working with such talented people has given me a much deeper understanding of my work as a cinematographer and opened my eyes to new ways of working.
After years in the industry, I still find myself leaping about on set and never forget how privileged I am do to my job or how much fun I really am having - and it doesn't matter if its standing in the pouring rain at midnight waiting for someone to finish a PTC or the sparks to finish lighting my latest master piece.
And the sense of excitement I have seeing the pictures I have made still hasn't faded.
At the age of 17 whilst doing my 'A' level's I saw an article about a new course in Bromley, training people in TV programme operations. I read the article and thought: "that's it, that's where I'm going", and a year and a bit later I started at Ravensbourne college, renowned the world over for its television training courses.
Emerging unscathed two years later with a B/Tec HND in TV programme operations I started my career in broadcasting. My first few jobs were as a tape operator in Soho and in May '89 I started working as a multi-skilled operator for TV3, a new Swedish satellite broadcaster based in Camden.
A year later the company moved to West Drayton and after helping them move, I headed back into town to WTN (Worldwide TV News), working in their studios and edit suites. (NB: In the late nineties WTN was bought by AP and renamed APTN).
In 1993 I moved south of the river to LWT to join the newly created London News Network, mostly in the studios but this time I was also getting out and about with cameras and was generally having a whale of a time. At the end of 1996, the world of freelance began to beckon and on the 1st of Jan '97 I left the cosy world of a staff job and became a freelance cameraman and editor - and somehow I'm still doing it.
Since becoming freelance I have travelled loads, met some wonderful people and often found myself in some crazy situations. Not being a dog lover and surrounded by 21 large St Bernards on a shoot for LWT is one I could mention, or hanging off the back of a insert card speeding round a race track in Spain at 90 MPH with a Digi Beta camera an inch from the ground is another.
As well as being amazing fun, the years since 1997 have been an amazing learning curve and bought me into contact with some truly outstanding people, including some brilliant producers, directors, writers, actors, 1st AC's and sparks. I am also very lucky to have access to forums like CML (The Cinematographers Mailing List) on the internet, sites like this have become my virtual film school. Where else could you ask a question like "How do I light a scene to look like this clip from 'Out of Sight'" and get an email back with the phone number of the film's gaffer, or read the real time experiences of and question the likes of Howard Wexler ASC or Roberto Schaefer ASC.
Reading sites like CML and working with such talented people has given me a much deeper understanding of my work as a cinematographer and opened my eyes to new ways of working.
After years in the industry, I still find myself leaping about on set and never forget how privileged I am do to my job or how much fun I really am having - and it doesn't matter if its standing in the pouring rain at midnight waiting for someone to finish a PTC or the sparks to finish lighting my latest master piece.
And the sense of excitement I have seeing the pictures I have made still hasn't faded.