Zanussi

I was formally trained as a Photographer in the Royal Navy, prior to that I was just a keen hobbyist, learned dark room techniques off my dad, a former professional photographer.

My prime task in the Navy was to fly over Russian ships and photograph them, something they disapproved of and the work could get nasty. But on the up side I also got to photograph visiting beauty queens and celebrities. I have Prince Andrew, Fergie, Di and Linda Lusardi in my folio to name just a few.

My wife at that time sold Ann Summers gear for some extra money and she asked me one day to shoot some of her new items on a model as they were not in the catalogue. I hired a studio and a model and had a great time. Ann Summers liked the work and published it and hired me part time, as did Silver Rose, Fiesta and a few other magazines, I even did glamour articles for vintage car meets. I drifted into main stream men’s mags such as Rustler and got my nose thoroughly slapped by the Navy so stuck with lingerie mostly after that.

When I left the Navy I went abroad to work and lost my contacts in the photography world. I returned to the UK years later to a new world of digital photography. I worked for the Labour Party as a media manager for a while and gained a comfortable rep for providing a discrete service beside my official function of PR work, mainly wives wanting to surprise their husbands with a glamour photo but also couples looking for some fun shoots.

For a while I teetered on the verge of going professional again but the money was just too insecure and I cowardly turned to graphic engineering. But I still love to pick up a camera and shoot glamour, at the moment I am producing publicity shots for an amateur Burlesque Show and I do private glamour work for amateurs and help build Folios for aspiring models. I will do lingerie and such as a favour, but generally my rule is if the girl’s top does not come off then neither does my lens cap!

I do hire models, mainly to allow me to practise new ideas without also having to sooth and pamper a complete newbie. I prefer those who can work from home to give the shots a unique and amateur flavour, after years of studio work I like to break the rules these days!