Digitalab Featured Photographer: Martin Bishop
At Digitalab, we appreciate the power of photography, whether it’s personal or professional. We asked Martin Bishop for one of his images and posed a couple of questions to find out exactly what it is he loves about photography and what he’d say to any enthusiastic photographer hoping to make a career out of their passion.
Tell us a bit about this image and why you chose it to be featured.
This photo was taken just before sunrise on a mild winter’s morning at South Shields beach. The weather forecast was for a grey and overcast start, but undeterred I set out in the hope that there would be a break in the clouds; that something magical would happen.
The image represents hours of planning, pouring over maps and tracing the position of the sun before choosing what I hoped would be the perfect location. Once there, standing ankle deep in sea water, I set up my tripod and waited in anticipation for the sky to peacefully explode with colour as the new day began.
Which styles of photography most interest/inspire you?
I am constantly surprised and inspired by photographers who put themselves into seemingly impossible places and situations to capture a moment, be that camping on the side of mountain to capture the morning light or documenting humanitarian aid.
Their willingness to endure such conditions to tell a story with a single image is a constant source of inspiration and a reminder of the power of photography.
What one piece of advice would you give to an aspiring photographer?
My advice to an aspiring photographer would be to embrace the internet. There are so many new and exciting opportunities available to put your work out there and have it seen by others. Websites like Flickr can provide invaluable feedback from other photographers whilst you are learning your craft and finding your artistic voice. However, you should also embrace social media websites that reach people who aren’t photographers, so that your work can be also be seen by an audience of people who will enjoy your images without breaking them down to their underlying technical considerations.
As a photographer, I want people to see my work, so I don’t limit my audience size by hiding my images behind a pay wall or stamping it with an ugly watermark. In this way you can build an appreciative audience and opportunities will arise that you could never have anticipated.
Martin Bishop Photography