Burrows Lea Country Fair

After moving back to the South East from the Peak District in February, knowing which events are great, or not is really hard work. But this little show is one gem that we will look forward to coming back to.

This Country Fair in Shere, Surrey just to the east of Guildford came across my radar and looked like a great place to be.

Hosted at the Harry Edwards Healing Sanctuary, Burrows Lea Country House. A venue used regularly by many for spiritual rest and retreat. During the summer season, the property is also a fine wedding venue.

The estate is a sanctuary for spiritual healing. From the moment you drive down the mile-long track to the estate, that sense of tranquility embraces you.

Head through the beautiful paneled walls of reception, down some steps to the garden room to be greeted with glorious sunshine. To the rear of the property sits a decorated marquee full of interesting goodies.

Visitors came in by coach and by car from many surrounding areas and our display definitely turned heads.

Where will today take you? Business Networking

It’s all about connections, whether connecting computers or connecting people, it’s all about bringing two parties together for mutual benefit.

As a specialist dog photographer it’s really easy to think that there’s no one of value in the room at a business networking event, but how wrong can you be!

Small businesses revolve around suppliers and partnerships, and being a dog photographer is no different.

Knowing an accountant, a graphic designer, a web designer are just a few of the essential tools you need in your arsenal as a business owner, and business networking events are a great way to meet them and build trust and relationships, educating them about your business, before you actually need them. Then there’s the added benefit that they are going to tell others about what you do.

That’s the icing on the cake.

Each year there are literally thousands of opportunities to get out networking, from industry events, chamber of commerce, then specialist networking groups – First Friday, BNI, 4networking, Museli Mafia, there are literally hundreds across the country.

One of the business networking groups I am a member of is 4Networking, there are 5000 meetings held across the country each year – morning, lunch and evening groups.

If you’d like the opportunity to come along and see for yourself what networking is all about, click here: https://www.4networking.biz/?ref=41340

One recent meeting at 4N Reading introduced me during a 10minute one to one to Simon Scholes of Perception Studios. With a background in radio and television roles, both behind and in front of the camera, Simon gave an insightful talk into how to present yourself both online, on the radio and on video.

Trade Talk – The Photography Show 2018

Most people can look at their childhood and pick out one or two people who inspired their career path. Someone who ignited their love of a subject at school or opened their eyes to a hobby.

The teacher that stood out in my childhood was a science teacher, Chris Foreman. A 40 something-year-old guy, with huge unfashionable glasses. But he loved his subject and that enthusiasm rubbed off.

I fell in love with the world of science but more importantly, Mr Foreman introduced me to a world of extracurricular activity.

By the age of 15, I’d competed in the Whatman and Pfizer Science Awards. A trio of my friends and I won the Barclays New Futures Award funding new technology for our school. This allowed us to educate children in local underfunded schools about computers.

In early January, I received a phone call asking if I’d be prepared to speak at the UK’s largest photographic trade show, The Photography Show which is held at the Birmingham NEC each year.

Jamie delivering his seminar on The Outdoor Stage at the Photography Show 2018

Taken aback, I agreed, as I’d been put forward for the job, by the chairman of the Master Photographers Association. Over the following weeks, I cobbled together some ideas towards an outline.

A bit like those old days with my science teacher, sometimes you have to agree and see where life takes you. If nothing else the journey will be interesting.

Whenever you speak about something you love, it sings out, and people ignore your nerves or mistakes.

Developing your own style

In my previous career, I’d been lucky to present to boardrooms of directors and engineers, logical calculated people that looked to me as a specialist.

Yet being reasonably new to an industry, I was surrounded by trade stands with my peers and mentors present. What know how could I pass on to a new generation of photographers?

People taking their seats ready for Jamie’s talk at The Photography Show 2018

Rather than show the 150 people present how to be me, I took the group on a journey from where I found my inspiration. Through some key points on how to develop their own style, how getting to know your kit can improve your results, through how to progress through mentoring and competitions.

We never know which lives we influence, or when, or why. Stephen King, 11/22/63

I moved into the Photography Industry in 2014, after being self-employed for close to 18 years. (Yes, I started my first business venture at 14.)

It’s been a real pleasure to meet hundreds of photographers over the past few years. Hundreds of images I look at with envy. There’s a handful I’ve stood back and admired, and through my work in the trade associations, I’m now lucky to call them friends.

Photographers like the eclectic Jules Hunter, sparked the artistic hunger in me again, whilst others have encouraged growth through qualification and entering national and regional awards.

Now my inspiration and encouragement can come from so many places. The world’s of which have all come about through going further, the extra mile, the extracurricular activities if you will.

I love to inspire photographers, my peers. To help them find new ways to market themselves, to find new profit pockets, or to just see their world from a different perspective.

Interviews ran all day on the Master Photographers Association stand at the Photography Show 2018

As Stephen King said, we don’t know who we will inspire, how or when, so if you get the opportunity to do something new, saddle up and see where life takes you.

A man, though wise, should never be ashamed of learning more, and must unbend his mind.

Each year hundreds of professional photographers make the annual pilgrimage to London for the Societies of Photographers Annual Convention, held at the Hilton Metropole.

The annual event hosts daily classes from 9am to 6pm, covering business, marketing, technical skills, right through to in-depth education on websites, search engine optimisation and other geeky subjects. From headline acts like Sean Conboy speaking about Architectural Photography, Gary Hill delivering classes on Fine Art styled Headshots, through to newer niches this year.

Education is learning what you didn’t even know, you didn’t know.

Two of my good friends were new speakers at this year’s Photography School, each delivering a new Masterclass.  Specialist pet photographer Maria Michael delivered a 2-hour Masterclass on Sunday afternoon to a packed room about her journey into pet photography and the psychology of pets.

Maria and I have traded ideas for marketing and techniques for a few years, since our time together at Crufts; the beauty of the Societies Photography School is there is no hierarchy or aggression, we are all there to learn from each other, to create profitable and sustainable businesses.

Meanwhile, in another classroom, Belinda Buxton delivered her important message with lifesaving potential about knowing the basics of First Aid when running a family photography business.  Saturday night Belinda went on win International Event Photographer of the Year in the Societies Awards.

The graveyard shift of Saturday’s Photography School, went to Richard Bradbury’s business class where he spoke for 2 hours on creating demand and effective marketing for child portraits; there were so many transferrable skills to my business; it was  a superb talk.

I was so glad to be one of the first to get my hand on the copies of his latest books, the business trilogy, Rich Photographer, Poor Photographer. You can find out more about them here: https://richardbradbury.com/rppp/

Learning to Judge Professional Photographic Competitions at the SWPP Judging School

Entering photographic competitions is a really valuable way for professional photographers to master their craft and to gain validation and recognition for their hard work.

Each year the Societies of Photographers host a Judging School, to educate members and prospective judges on that standards and techniques used to judge members images. The Societies hold monthly online competitions and an annual print competition at the January convention.

Hosted at Newcastle Upon Tyne based professional print laboratory, Digitalab, the day of training included a factory tour and sample prints for attendees to demonstate how paper and mount selection can affect competition submissions.

What an awesome day.

The class led by Head of Judging Terrie Jones was well worth the six hour round trip; Terries’ passion for education on judging and raising the standards across the industry ran through as a constant theme for the day.

Today’s all been about learning to judge images in a encouraging, positive and respectful way. Really insightful and builds such respect for our industry judges.

Equally amazing is the passion that goes into work by the absolutely lovely team from Digitalab, a family team that really have a passion for the quality of their products. Looking forward to some new products for the new year, and developing some of the relationships formed today.

Learning to Judge Professional Photographic Competitions

“Mein Fuhrer wants you to Photograph his Dog.”

If I had been around in the First World War, this could have been the type of conversation I had with a couple of SS guards early one morning.

Stop for a moment and imagine the scene.

Standing in front of you is a man, 5ft 9in tall, dresses in a crisp pressed grey tunic with matching trousers, knee high black patent leather boots glinting in the sunlight. A long drawn face, sporting a fine mustache. Beneath the hair swept across his brow is the cold empty stare of one of the most notable dictators of the 20^th Century – Adolf Hilter.

What could easily be described in a scene from a the RSPCA’s worst nightmare, Adolf Hitler was in fact, behind the façade, a great dog lover.

Hitler loved the loyalty and obedience of dogs, and through his lifetime owned a number of different breeds.

The German Shepherd breed became his breed of choice, with the most notable of his family being Blondi, gifted to him by Martin Bormann in 1941. Blondi was to stay by Hilters’ side right through the retreat into the Führerbunker located underneath the garden of the Reich Chancellery on 16 January 1945.

Hitler’s affection for his beloved Blondi extended to allowing her to sleep in the bed beside him in the bunker. The love of German Shepherd’s however didn’t reach his wife Eva Braun, who is known to have two Scottish Terriers, named Negus and Stasi.

It seems that like most men, the dog was the love of his life, Eva is known to have been jealous of the attention Hitler devoted to her and it alleged to kick her beneath the dining table.

Dog’s soon became a status symbol amongst the Third Reich, as their loyalty and obedience, showed them beside Hitler, the Wolf.

Can you find it in your heart to rescue a dog?

Well it seems that is how Hitlers’ dog ownership started. Again, not a catchline we are likely to see on rescue charity advert’s – ‘If Hitler can rescue a dog, so can you..’ But it seems his first pet was a stray white Fox Terrier, found during World War One, called Fuchsl.

He later went on to own a succession of German Shepherds, with names like Prinz, Muckl, Blondi, Blonda and Bella.

It’s said that Hitler was so scared of his beloved Blondi being captured by the Russians, he had his personal physician put her to sleep.

So, whilst I wasn’t around to photograph Hitler and his dogs, I really am glad that somebody was, as this adds a really interesting perspective to the history of the 20^th Century.

Hitler was so impressed and captivated by the intelligence of dogs, that he truly believed they could help him win the war. We’ll look at this a bit more in another blog post.

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