Dominic began working in the photographic industry more than 20 years ago when, after leaving school, he spent a six month internship with one of the UK’s biggest magazine publishers. ‘The photographic industry was a very different world in those days’, explains Dominic, ‘digital cameras simply didn’t exist and we all shot on film. This was a great way of learning, as not only did you need an understanding of how to capture a great image, you then had to develop your own film and make your own prints by hand.’.
In the early 1990′s Dominic moved to London and joined Metro – the photographic lab of choice for the capital’s leading photographers. ‘Working day in, day out with the most demanding clients you could imagine really taught me the value of attention to detail. For example, I remember processing the film (nearly 300 rolls), from the annual Pirelli calendar shoot with both the photographer and his client anxiously waiting to see the results. If a mistake was made the film could be irretrievably ruined. Not a situation you would want to encounter!’
Towards the end of the 1990′s Dominic left Metro to pursue his own freelance career and worked for a variety of commercial and private clients. ‘My experience in the industry stood me in good stead and provided a base from which to develop my own style and approach.’ Initially, photographing weddings wasn’t part of his plan, but an unexpected call led Dominic to think again, ‘A couple who knew my portrait work contacted me asking that I shoot their wedding. This was something I’d never done before and despite my reticence, they persuaded me to take the booking. Despite it being a bit nerve-wracking, I was amazed at how much I enjoyed the day and it very quickly led to a number of subsequent bookings’.
Dominic now solely concentrates on weddings and has become one of our most respected photographers. However, in order to maintain a high standard of quality he limits himself to 35 bookings per year. ‘On average, a wedding requires a weeks worth of work. It’s not simply a case of turning up and taking a few shots – there’s preparation and planning before the day followed by anything up to 4 days worth of editing, post-production and album design!’
Dominic lives in Sevenoaks, with his wife Jo and their shaggy lurcher, Alfie.