Analysis of interview Paul Pickard

I find it particularly intriguing that Paul gathers his inspiration from looking at paintings rather than other photographs and surroundings etc..but two photographers he did mention as inspirational were Denis Thorpe- a photojournalist from the Guardian and photographer Albert Watson.

Steve Jobs Portrait

http://www.albertwatson.net/

Denis Thorpe-
As a Guardian photojournalist between 1974 and 1996, Denis Thorpe was well placed to record a period of upheaval in the British political and cultural landscape. From reportage of the miners’ strike and Strangeways riot to celebrity portraiture and travelogues, he captured the essence of the age. Author of ‘A Long Exposure’ 100 years of Guardian Photography in Manchester

Source: http://bippnw.wordpress.com/2012/05/08/denis-thorpe-9th-may/


Paul also asked me what I thought about the title 'Professional Photographer' and it is such a vague term especially when you think of everything that can be covered under its name. Pickard has experienced many different forms of photography within his career, photojournalist, portrait photographer, evants, fashion, advertising etc but i dont think its what your called that should define you and the way you work but the way you present yourself as a photographer. Its certainly a profession but a professional photographer could be anything nowadays.

Paul prefers 'as they happen' photos and I very much agree that timing is a major factor involved when capturing images- get it right and it could retain the emotion and feeling of the moment it was shot.

He also mentioned that he was recently working with director Shane Meadows on the Stone Roses film...a diverse career that constantly throws up new opportunites and provides exciting new shoots.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-manchester-21876825

Paul's signature style, i cant define a particular characteristic within is work either but i know what others mean..not so much the style but the way in which the photos are shot is quite unique. Perhaps the method he uses or elements in a photograph he uses, but i'm also struggling to put my finger on it.
They each hold a sense of seriousness and have a dramatic feel to them, but dominate the photo and steal your focus immediately. The way colour and light is used also adds a certain signature style to each of the photographs.

 

 

 

Think its aspirational that he is such a renowned photographer, has worked with such iconic clients but was a self taught photographer and used the simple method of trial and error to learn the art of taking a photograph.
The two main pieces of advice drawn from his interview is to have experience and confidence within the field if you aim to have a successful career in photography-
'I would say it is very important but so is confidence. You can manage with one, both is better, none, and you will struggle'
Search Engine Optimisation
Definition-
Initialism of search engine optimization, the use of various techniques to improve a web site's ranking in the search engines and thus attract more visitors.
Source:  http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/SEO

I wasnt sure what this actually was but now understand it in context, when asked about important aspects of becoming a photographer- getting yourself known is very important when  trying to start out and SEO is a key tool involved to optimise clients viewing your site.