I loathe all the UK photographic organisations and their silly competitions - without exception they're run by a click for a click and have no intentions of moving photography on in any way. In fact the main reason most give for joining 'the UK's only organisation for full-time pro's' is the discount you get on the credit card machine!
I'm much more flattered to be picked out by the 'body' of my work by people I respect - rather than becoming 'Tog of The Year' with one fluky image!
Here's the brief interview - if you've got five minutes to kill!
DWF - Let's start off with a little bio, tell us a little bit about yourself.
RUSS - I’m 40 and live in a little village in Kent. I left Bog Street Elementary at 16 with zero qualifications or direction and eventually fell into Estate Agency in ‘94. It turned out I was a natural (mum's so proud!) so I opened my own agency 10 months later. I eventually sold it at the end of ’2005 when I realised I loved shooting weddings and hated estate agency! I’m married to Emma who works with me in Level Eleven. We’ve got a little black Staffie called ‘Chutz’ and an 8 month old food-to-pooh-converter called Hetty. In what little spare time I have, I play with boats and - bizarrely – hovercraft.
DWF - How did you become a wedding photographer?
RUSS - Back in 2001, I had a guy working for me that needed some cash quick and I bought a Canon SLR film camera off him for shooting car and hovercraft racing. It really bit me and I started photographing a few friends as well – I even enrolled on a college course. Finally, some education! Then a mate asked me to shoot their wedding, which was a bloody nightmare but they seemed happy with the results. I was happy just to have survived it and didn’t fancy weddings much after that. It was 2002 at a friends wedding that I got talking to the photographer – an eccentric, Versace wearing Serbian called ‘Dragan’ who was shooting on digital, drove a BMW M3 and made wedding photography look fun. He was wacky and amusing – the guests loved him and he reawakened my interest in shooting weddings. We ended up really good friends and he mentored me (it thoroughly embarrasses Dragan when I say he was my mentor but it’s true) He invited me to his studio, was absolutely open in everything he taught me and took me out on weddings. A month later I bought a Canon D60 and shot a couple of freebies. Over the course of the next two years, part time, I shot around 30 weddings before turning full time when I sold the estate agency in 2005. I owe Dragan a lot - without him I'd probably still be doing a job I hate.
DWF- Who or what inspires you as an artist?
RUSS - Without wanting to sound all ’Cecil Beaton’ about it, my biggest inspiration is beauty. I love Ferrari’s, sunsets, buildings with character and great architecture, fabulous clothes on pretty girls, pretty girls(!) Supermarine Spitfires, well-lit movies, amazing sculptures, stunning artwork and golden beaches. I could go on, but my biggest inspirations are rarely photographic, though there’s plenty of photographers who’s work I admire and I’m an avid reader of Dazed & Confused, id-magazine and the missus copy of Vogue. I don’t know whether it counts as inspiration or not, but I want to be good at what I do and I work hard to produce great work, appreciated by my clients. I like being recognised as a reasonable tog, and I’m not ashamed to say that I do enjoy the praise of photographers that I respect when I feel my work warrants it.
DWF- If we needed a photographer today why would we book you? What makes you unique?
RUSS - I guess it would be my consistent ability to make couples look good and give them a good experience. I have a lot of interaction with the couple and their guests on the day, and direct a lot of images. I make it fun which means I get some ‘life’ into my albums and I believe that reality often needs a nudge in the right direction before it makes a great image!
DWF- If you had to pick a favorite "Tool of the Trade" what would it be? and why?
RUSS - Fast lenses and my assistant Katie.
DWF - Care to share your favorite photograph? and tell us a bit about it?
RUSS - This has become kind of, my 'signature shot' and we use it on virtually all Level Eleven branding and advertising. I was lucky enough to shoot a wedding in Venice last year and all the pieces fell into place. Great location, good weather and light, good looking, willing couple.....happy days!
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