Gavin Gough Freelance Travel Photographer & Writer | Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Are you self-taught or did you take classes?

2008-04-23T15:31:53.519+07:00

I did take a couple of evening classes and they were really useful for teaching me the technical side of photography. We were lucky in having a really inspiring teacher and on a couple of occasions when we took a class out in the field I could see how observant he was. He would notice all sorts of little things that the rest of us had missed and it was clear that photography was more than a job for him, he was passionate about what he did. If you're not able to study full-time then I recommend taking an evening or part-time class to learn the technical side of photography. Having said that, there are so many great books and web sites available now that if you're dedicated and self-disciplined you can teach yourself quite a lot.

Who are your favourite photographers?

2008-04-11T06:00:00.000+07:00

There are many but the first photographer to really have an impact on me was Don McCullin. It's impossible to adequately describe his work but the one thing that seems to link all of his images is that he is very definitely a presence within them. Something happens when you look at a Don McCullin photograph, they require some conscious activity on your part as the viewer, you can't see them and not have a reaction.

Steve McCurry was the first Travel Photographer that I became aware of he's obviously the most well-known now but there are many photographers producing inspiring work. I enjoy seeing Bruno Morandi's colourful images. I love the work of Ami Vitale too. Glen Allison and David Sanger are both accomplished and dedicated travel stock photographers who I admire for their approach to the business as well as their work.

I'm chuffed to be able to say that David duChemin, Matt Brandon and Tewfic El-Sawy have all become acquaintances in recent months and they're all great travel photographers. I like looking at David Noton's web site too because he shoots great landscape images and lives in Dorset, one of the loveliest counties in England.

How long have you been a professional photographer?

2008-03-01T07:00:00.000+07:00

I sold my first commercial photograph in June 2004 and although the first couple of years were very much spent building up the business, that's what I consider to be the point at which I began my career as a professional photographer.

How did you start your photographic career?

2008-03-01T07:00:00.000+07:00

I took a year out from my previous job as a Systems Analyst to go on an around-the-world trip. I'd long held ambitions of becoming a photographer and used to order catalogues from libraries like Tony Stone just to look through them. Some people buy novels, I used to read photo library catalogues. It's a little strange, I know. There's no defence.

Returning to the UK from that trip I started to see whether any of my images were marketable. Encouraged by the response, I started to learn as much as I could about the stock photography industry. Joining the Stock Artists' Alliance was invaluable in this respect and people like Bob Croxford and Pete Dean were great resources who happily shared their knowledge.

What is your motivation for taking pictures?

2008-03-01T07:00:00.000+07:00

I'm intrigued with the world. But then who isn't? Perhaps photography is really only my solution to a nagging need I have to record what is otherwise so fleeting and temporary. The Buddhist approach to the world is that we should appreciate that everything is transient and accepting that fact will help us become more content. I guess I'm simply trying to capture something of the things that I see before they're swept away into history leaving an impression only in our memory. What happens when memory fades? It's just a desire to keep hold of things that I like.

What equipment do you use?

2008-03-01T07:00:00.000+07:00

I'm currently using Canon EOS 1Ds MKII bodies with a selection of Canon lenses including:
Canon EF 16-35mm f/2.8L II USM
Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L USM
Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS USM
Canon EF 85mm f/1.2L II USM
I use a 580EX II Speedlite with wireless controller.

I use a selection of Lee Neutral Density graduated filters with a wide-angle adapter to control exposure. I use Lexar CF memory cards and carry the whole lot in either a Lowepro Vertex 200AW or a ThinkTank Airport Antidote. I also carry a Billingham Packington bag when I'm trying to look a little less dishevelled.

Tucked away in the bottom of one of these bags is a Visible Dust Arctic Butterfly, A Seconic Light Meter, a Lens Baby II, and I secure my camera with either a Velbon Sherpa Pro tripod or an innovative little gadget called a Pod.

I process images on a MacBook Pro with Adobe Lightroom 2, iView and Photoshop CS3. I also carry a Garmin eTrex Vista cx to record GPS information and use HouahGeo to export GPS data into my images.

I also have a bad back and large insurance premiums ;)

What is your dream assignment?

2008-03-01T07:00:00.000+07:00

Any assignment that pays a reasonable daily rate is a dream come true. I'm very lucky because I can often choose my own assignments and I have very few limitations as to where I can travel. Because of that, the dream assignments would involve photographing people who are difficult to get to see rather than places and I can't imagine anything more privileged than being able to photograph the Dalai Lama. Unless it was being able to photograph the Dalai Lama in his homeland of Tibet.

Which of your photos is your favourite?

2008-03-01T07:00:00.000+07:00

I will always be very fond of this photo that I took of a young Vietnamese girl in the village of Dalat in 2004. I love her raggedy dress and bare feet and the colours are obviously very striking. More importantly for me, it's a picture that signifies the point at which I moved from being an enthusiastic amateur photographer to a professional. It was only afterwards when I analysed how I'd gone about taking the photo that I appreciated that it is a shot that I would usually have walked past. However, on this particular day I made the extra effort to get the photo and the result is something that pin-points a change in my attitude.

What is your favourite place in the world?

2008-03-01T07:00:00.000+07:00

I'd have to say that it's great to turn up anywhere new with a camera and the ability to go and take photographs. Consequently, the competition for "favourite place" is tough and the glib answer is to say that my favourite place is the one that I've most recently arrived in. Having said that, I find myself feeling most at home in Nepal, which I think is an extraordinary place with the most enchanting of people.

If you fancy a bit more in the way of a paradise location though then you have to look no further than Samoa. Made up of two islands in the South Pacific, Samoa is almost the very definition of paradise with unbelievably beautiful scenery, balmy weather, warming seas and the most hospitable people I've ever met. I'd retire to Samoa if they'd have me.

What advice can you offer budding photographers?

2008-03-01T07:00:00.000+07:00

Like many other helpful tips, I got the basis of this tip from David DuChemin. Write down in a single sentence who you are, what kind of a photographer you are and what the goal of your photography is - whether it's to sell to a particular market, to document your experiences or simply to record your friends and family over the years. Then, base your shoots, your equipment choices, your marketing strategy, your logo, your headed paper and business card design and everything you do upon that single written sentence. And stick with it.

How can I get into Stock Photography?

2008-03-01T07:00:00.000+07:00

I think it's a difficult business to be successful in and it's worth pointing out that most commercial stock photography is very different from travel photography. I'd suggest that you carefully study the market by looking at library web sites and seeing what style and type of images are being used in magazines and on travel advertising material. I think you also have to be conscious of shooting for the market rather than purely for yourself.

The most honest answer I can offer you is to say that I'm still working it out for myself and if you come back here in five years I might be able to offer some more productive advice.

Do you employ assistants?

2008-03-01T07:00:00.000+07:00

Unfortunately, at present, I do not employ assistants when I'm working.

I am beginning to outsource certain aspects of my work, such as keywording, but I am inclined to employ local guides, porters and assistants when I travel. I know that local people will offer me an insight into their country that I might otherwise miss and, in return, I can offer a little support to their community by employing locally.

Where else can I find inspiration and advice?

2008-03-01T07:00:00.000+07:00

Andrew Gibson has a pretty comprehensive interview with me on his "Magical Places Fine Art" Blog.

If you're keen to find more hints and tips on being a photographer, I heartily recommend David duChemin's web site at pixelatedimage.com and his own "Advice on starting out as a Humanitarian Photographer".

You'll also find regular new links to the work of inspiring photographers at Tewfic El-Sawy's blog, together with a mix of his own "opinionated and sometimes ascerbic commentary on travel and editorial photography".

Also, check out my Links page where you'll find a host of other web sites.