Amateur photography in focus

Music and Dance

Photographic images invade every part of daily life; we are the object of mass media coverage, of ID cards and of celebrity magazines. But what do we really know about photography?

I woke up after a night of greasy barbecue food and copious amounts of sangria. Yes, this was the day that I was to pose for my first ever photo shoot. Bleary eyed and encrusted into my mattress, I foresaw a tearful day ahead.

However, I scraped back my hair, glugged water and sauntered to the studio, clutching my weighty makeup bag. I was to model jewellery for a young jewellery designer, Linda Byers, from Glasgow. I have never had such fun.

Shoots with four-inch neon eye lashes, back-combed hair, painted white faces: every girl's dream. Kerry Grainger, a close friend and winner of an amateur section of the Sony World Photography Awards, made everyone involved comfortable with crisps and sandwiches (the hardcore model diet, I know).

Despite four hours of makeup, hair brushing, body painting and crumb picking from my lipgloss, Kerry's unwavering enthusiasm prompted me to question her about her passion for photography.

CD: When did your interest in photography first develop?

KG: Truthfully I don't remember an exact time at which I began to love, or even became interested in photography. My dad is a keen photographer so I always enjoyed looking at the photos he had taken.

My family travelled around Malaysia and Indonesia for a couple of weeks when I was still quite young; this was when my passion for photography was ignited. I like to think that the trip inspired me – with its beautiful scenery, interesting subject and most importantly the cheap technological malls in which I bought my first serious camera.

CD: How did you nurture this interest?

KG: I studied Art from GCSE until A level, where I specialised in photography. This was probably the main way in which I kept the hobby going, as we were required to do a certain number of projects per year.

To be honest, this was fantastic for me as it gave me an excuse to really push my creative mind and experiment a bit. I loved art so much it became more of a treat than a class.

For a few years now I have used the internet to further my involvement in photography. There are some brilliant opportunities, competitions and websites that can really help get amateur photographers out there. Exposure is probably the biggest benefit of the internet, though you need to be wary of competitions that are out to scam you of money or copyright.

CD: Has university life allowed you to continue your interest?

KG: Since coming to university I have definitely missed the way that my art classes encouraged, rather insisted upon, the continuation of the hobby. However, I soon realised that here there is an equal amount of opportunity to continue taking photography seriously. Photosoc have some brilliant equipment; competitions are aplenty around the campus and there is an abundance of support and enthusiasm for the arts.

CD: Tell us about competitions you have entered and the experiences these have offered.

KG: At the beginning of this term I was lucky enough to experience the incredible benefits that online competitions can bring. Months ago I entered the Sony World Photography Awards, entering online one photograph into the amateur section.

There were nine categories in the amateur section and I chose to enter the ‘Music and Performance’ category. When it came to the announcement of winners, I received a call and a selection of emails informing me that I had won my category and that Sony would be treating my mum and I to a night in a 4-star hotel in Cannes for the award ceremony, dinner and cocktail reception.

My photograph would also be put in an exhibition, open to the public for a week, alongside the other amateur winners and all of the professional finalists.

A few weeks after all of this, I was surprised (but in a very good way) to receive a brand new Sony Digital SLR in the post, courtesy of the Sony team. Winning this competition gave me exposure that I couldn’t have ever acheived alone. I had the chance to network; the press came to the Sony events and I passed out my card to anyone I could force it upon!

I think that as long as you are cautious about which competitions you enter, the internet can be an easy way to try and get yourself out there and I would recommend it to anyone.

CD: What are your future plans as an aspiring photographer?

KG: I definitely want to pursue a career in photography. With so many branches of photography I think there are countless different paths I could take: portraiture, fashion, travel, advertising or just pursuing photography as an art form and starting my own studio. Ideally fashion is the route I’d love to take.

CD: Why fashion photography?

KG: I think what appeals to me is the heightened sense of drama and explosive creativity that you can explore with fashion shoots. I love the excitement of creating weird and obscure images, though I think sometimes my wonderful models think my ideas are slightly bizarre!

The downside of working in the media today are the pressures of body image and other superficial conventions which restricts a photographer's work. My aim would be to attempt to change the shallow foundations of the fashion industry, if I were to end up in a fashion oriented career. I think photographers hold massive responsibility in the media and that they should be making more of a conscious effort to bring about a healthier message in the fashion world.

Photography is definitely my passion and I can’t really think of anything I’d rather pursue as a career!

"When words become unclear, I shall focus with photographs. When images become inadequate, I shall be content with silence." Ansel Adams

Visit Kerry Grainger's website to find out more.

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