I thought it would be interesting to vary the content of this post in as much as instead of coming from me, it is Joanne's own thoughts which makes very interesting reading.
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I became a wedding photographer by accident. My best friend
was getting married for the second time and asked me to do her photographs for
her. In total ignorance of what it involved, I accepted, mainly because she
told me if I didn’t do it, she wouldn’t have a photographer at all. I ran by
the seat of my pants and did what I did by instinct. I must have done something
right, because I suddenly had lots of enquiries and brides wanting to book me.
For the first couple of years, I carried on, in complete happy oblivion,
producing wedding images for delighted clients and not even thinking much about
what I was doing. I then made the fatal error of starting to look at what other
wedding photographers were doing, and by doing this; I convinced myself that I
was doing the wrong thing! After all, no one else seemed to be doing what I was
doing; working with available light, and the trend seemed to be for off camera
flash and horror of horrors, I knew nothing of this mystical art!
So, in a
whirl of anxiety, I did various courses, bought training DVDs, read books and
generally filled my mind with all sorts of new ideas. Twelve months later, I
had a body of work and a collection of images that I couldn’t relate to. Whereas,
in the beginning, I had had my own style and a way of working that sometimes
frustrated me, but often gave me joy, I now had a collection of images that I
felt disassociated from and unhappy with. In utter desperation, with a very
heavy heart, and following a rather intense couple of hours one Saturday
evening with a large bottle of red, I emailed Kevin Wilson asking for help. On
the Sunday morning, when the phone rang, and my husband told me it was Kevin, I
thought it was a wind up! Kevin’s uncanny perception was evident in his first
words to me, “Had you been drinking when you sent me that email?” My shock and
embarrassment were further heightened, when he followed up with “I’ve had a
look at your website…” Ruing that bottle of wine and cringing at the thought of
him actually looking at my work, I squirmed as I had never squirmed
before! I needn’t have worried, he
followed with a cheery, “I can help you!” Despite my acute embarrassment, the
relief was massive and within that first brief conversation, I learned enough
to know that this was going to change the way I approached my photography
forever.
Kevin mentored me
for 15 months and in that time, I squirmed and suffered many times. Mainly at
having to show him images that I know didn’t cut it. However, he has a unique
ability to deliver feedback on your work in a way that makes you think rather
than shrink! He encourages you to examine your work and to identify the
weaknesses as well as pointing out the strengths. Never once did I feel that I
was being criticised and I always came away from our conversations feeling
positive, inspired and excited about what I might achieve. Working with Kevin
gave me the confidence to be creative, the determination to work hard, the
ability to be self-critical, the tenacity to keep trying and the inspiration to
be different and avoid the commonplace. Mainly, I desperately didn’t want to
let him down, fearing I would be the first of his many mentees to fail to make
the grade! His guidance and belief in me, when I doubted my ability, kept me
going and pushed me to find a way to achieve the results that I was seeking. I
shed many tears (and I am sure I drove him to a few too!) and drank more than
the odd glass of wine! There were a few times when I wanted to give up, and I
almost fell at the final fence, when preparing my panel for my BIPP submission,
but Kevin’s total confidence in my ability gave me the courage to go on.
I learned so much
from working with Kevin, not just about photography, but about myself and what
I am capable of if I really set my mind to it. Even now, when I am not under
his expert guidance, I am continually surprised to see that each time I shoot,
there is ongoing improvement and the skills that I developed under his
guidance, continue to evolve and help me to grow as a photographer.
Under Kevin’s
mentorship, I submitted a panel of work to the British Institute of
Professional Photography with the faint hope of achieving my Licenciate
qualification. To my utter astonishment, I was awarded the Associate level. Que
another bottle of wine!
Kevin’s mentorship enabled me to reconnect with my own
creativity. More importantly, he is a lovely person with the patience of a
saint, and somehow, despite my determination to convince myself that I am crap,
he gave me the confidence to be the photographer that I longed to be, and to
achieve standards that I thought were beyond my reach.
If you are
thinking about working with Kevin, stop thinking and sign up. You will be
investing a very small amount in comparison to what you will get back! It isn’t easy. You will work hard and Kevin
does not spoon-feed you; he challenges and encourages you to seek your own
solutions, offering guidance and feedback along the way. For me, this makes him
a truly exception teacher, because it means that not only are you improving
your own photography skills but you are also developing the skills to
continually reassess your own progress and keep your work moving forward.
Working with
Kevin, gave me permission to be the best photographer I can possibly be. Thank
you Kevin, there are no words to express just how much this means to me!
One of the best things about Joanne is that she is constantly looking to improve and move upwards.
kevin wilson photography | wedding photographer | dorset
