Steve Mitchell

I discovered the enjoyment that studio photography can provide when I attended a club night at Worksop Photography Studio in February 2005 shortly after making the transition from film to digital camera equipment. I became a Studio Member at WPS and attended several group shoots and one to one shoots over eleven years together with location shoots arranged annually by the studio. Over this period the studio owners; John and Pete Dixon, provided both the encouragement and sound technical advice that enabled me to gain in confidence with the consequence that I found this form of photography to be an ideal escape from the stresses of normal working life.

In September 2015, I discovered Mansion Photographic Studio in Ripley when I booked a couple of hours on a Kelli Smith Studio Day. Subsequently, I attended further Studio Days at Mansion before it closed in March 2017. This provided me with the ability to work with models from across the UK that otherwise I would not get the opportunity to photograph. It also highlighted the importance of working in a variety of different studio environments as each offer their own unique challenges and opportunities.

My current approach is to reduce the mileage that I travel to shoots and explore some of the photographic studios closer to Worcestershire. So far I have experienced: Far Forest, On Film, New Upper Mills, f/8 Studio (formerly Shadow, Matchbox), Bodyline, Natural Light Spaces, A Scorpion Residence, Two Wei location, Sandon, Barlow, Image Red, Joel Hicks, The Photo House, The Boardroom, Studio 58 in Bristol and Flash Studios.

Photography is purely a hobby and therefore for me it is important that a successful studio shoot must be relaxed and fun for both photographer and model alike. My approach is to try and capture the unique style and personality of each model that I am fortunate to work with. Within a shoot I like to try and capture a whole range of styles including fashion, glamour through to figure depending on the preferences of the model.

My other photographic interests include shooting sporting events (especially athletics) and capturing images of circus performances where the combination of low light with fast movement and inability to use flash offers a unique challenge. I have been shooting circus performances since 1978 when all I had was a rudimentary camera, hand held light meter and fast film; all pre-internet. This certainly demonstrates how much advances in technology have transformed photography in my lifetime.