Throwback: My Channel 4 Photography Tips
Some of you may have seen a throwback clip I recently shared on Instagram. It was filmed back in 2007 — 17 years ago now — when Channel 4 invited me to share my Top 5 tips for getting into photography for their programme Debutantes. The piece ran as both a TV and cinema commercial, part of a campaign introducing creative voices and giving advice to those looking to start out in the arts.
The programme itself was hosted by Rankin, though funnily enough, he passed on filming the commercial because the fee wasn’t quite right. So instead, they asked me to step in — which is how I ended up on screen. The model in the ad was Tuuli Shipster, who went on to build her own impressive career.
The haircut’s changed since then, but the passion certainly hasn’t.
The Video
Here’s the original clip
It’s strange to look back at it now, but also rewarding to see how much of the advice still feels relevant, even after two decades of huge shifts in photography.
My Top 5 Tips
Tip 1 – Keep Shooting
Put as much film through your camera as possible — the more you shoot, the better you become. Still true today, only now it’s a case of how many memory cards and hard drives you go through.
Tip 2 – Learn from Others
Check out as many photographers as you can. Email the ones you admire, pester them until you get a foot in the door. You’ll learn so much more from assisting an established photographer than any other way. This principle remains the same today.
Tip 3 – Focus Your Portfolio
Get your portfolio together and be consistent. If you’re going to shoot people and portraits, then just focus on that — don’t go in to see a potential client with portraits mixed in with still life. Magazines especially like to pigeonhole photographers and book them for a particular style. This also still stands today, although things are starting to open up a little.
Tip 4 – Put People at Ease
If you’re lucky enough to photograph a celebrity or actor, the first thing you need to do is make them feel comfortable. The same goes for anyone you photograph: sit down, have a cup of tea, and talk before pointing a camera at them. No point in shooting someone if they feel nervous — get them chilled out first.
Tip 5 – Copy, Then Find Your Style
If you’re just starting out, look at the work of photographers you admire and try to emulate it. Eventually, you’ll find your own voice. In my day it was magazines; today it might be Instagram. The principle hasn’t changed.
Then and Now – Still Relevant Today
Looking back, I’m struck by how much of this advice still feels true. Photography has changed enormously since 2007 — from film to digital, and now to a world shaped by smartphones and social media — but the fundamentals remain the same: shoot as much as you can, learn from others, focus, connect with your subjects, and keep refining your style.
When that ad aired, photography was still firmly analogue — digital was on the horizon but nowhere near today’s world of Instagram and TikTok. And yet, some things haven’t changed: the need to experiment, the value of slowing down, and the importance of finding your own voice through images. Those ideas feel just as relevant in 2024 as they did back then.
Continuing the Journey
These are the same ideas I continue to share today through my teaching, mentoring, and workshops. Whether it’s working with salt printing in Silver & Salt, cyanotypes in Light & Iron, or gum printing in Layers & Light, the principles are unchanged: patience, practice, and presence.
If you’d like to explore these ideas further, I run photography workshops and mentoring sessions from my Hackney studio — full details are on the workshops page.
Some advice really doesn’t go out of style.