Member Profile: Adam Wakefield
About me:
©Adam Wakefield
Do you consider yourself a Professional/Semi-Pro/Amateur/Beginner photographer?
I would say I’m an experienced amateur.
Who are you?
My name is Adam Wakefield, I’m 54 and live in Bristol, UK. I’m a mechanical engineer and currently employed as Technical Director at a pump company based in south Wales. I have two grown-up children and live with my partner Emma.
Your Photography Journey
I have been interested in photography since childhood and was fascinated with my dad’s SLR although he hardly used it. I was given a Kodak Instamatic camera as a kid and enjoyed taking pictures of random things, but with the cost of film and having to wait for developing, I lost interest sadly. I picked photography back up again when my family bought me an Olympus E510 DSLR for my 40th, I started taking pictures at my son’s youth football team and became obsessed again, spending most Sunday afternoons sorting through and trying to edit the decent ones I’d taken. At the end of the season I’d put together a DVD for the parents and to raise a bit of money for the club. I had the Oly for 10 years when my partner bought me a Nikon Z50 APSC mirrorless for my 50th. This was a game changer for me as the quality and ease of use were so much better and only enthused me more. With newfound enthusiasm, I decided to try and learn how to do things properly and so searched for a suitable and flexible course, where I came across TSOP and haven’t looked back!
Once I joined TSOP I dove straight in with the beginner’s course and was amazed at how much additional knowledge I gained and also the bad habits I’d picked up. The next step for me was to learn how to edit properly so I purchased Lightroom and Photoshop and went straight into those courses.
I loved the macro course and I am currently working my way through the landscape course and also keen to do the astrophotography too.
What is the most valuable thing you’ve learned from TSOP?
I think the most valuable thing is the correct use of exposure, to get the effect I am looking for, closely followed by composition.
What is your preferred genre?
I think my photography preference is quite fluid, I do really enjoy landscape (particularly sunrise/sunset), night/city shooting and macro photography though.
What inspires you to create photography?
I think it being able to see something interesting and being able to bring that vision to others for their pleasure and enjoyment. I am quite a creative person so I do like to experiment with my photography, sometimes even coming up with something half-decent!
Who are some other photographers you’re inspired by?
I do enjoy looking at people’s work on Instagram, particularly night shots. I also watch a fair view YouTube videos of photographers on location to get some ideas and inspiration.
One of my first attempts at night/city shooting. This was taken from the Clifton Suspension bridge, I liked it so much I have a print on my hallway wall. ©Adam Wakefield
My first photograph with TSOP:
My first submission to TSOP for “Leading Lines” assignment. ©Adam Wakefield
Describe the first photo you took during your learning journey.
The first photo I took when starting TSOP was for a leading lines assignment, I had the idea of lining up some bricks and placing a small Budha statue at the end, it kind of worked but didn’t have the skills to edit properly and so it does look very amateurish. I think the two main things I have picked up on my learning journey is the use of available light and composition, I can see these aspects have markedly improved my photography, I also have a short attention span but found the way the TSOP learning method is broken down into easy to follow steps which I can jump straight back into.
My favourite photograph:
What is your favourite photograph that you’ve taken?
My favourite photo, well, the one I thought “wow”, even before editing, was from a weir near Bath. I was working on a site nearby and could hear the water pouring over all day, when I finished the work shift (it was just before sunset and in autumn) I decided to wander over, luckily I had my camera and tripod. Behind the weir is a busy railway line so managed to compose a shot with some decent colours, light and a train in movement. The location and evening light were perfect and adding in the train just made the scene for me.
This is my all-time favourite shot, considering I shot this early in my learning, I think it has everything a decent photo should have, composition, interest, lighting and colour. ©Adam Wakefield
What’s next for Adam?
I have just bought my first full-frame mirrorless camera and also a decent all-purpose 24-70 lens, and so, looking forward to moving my images up a notch. I was recently gifted a photo trip with a pro in Snowdonia, which I’m planning to do in the autumn.
Conclusion
I believe I have improved a lot as a photographer since joining TSOP, I see image ideas everywhere now and I’m always looking for new locations and ideas and take my camera gear pretty much everywhere now. The assignments are fun and also take you out of your comfort zone on occasion, the other members are great and it’s nice to interact and get /give feedback to like-minded people. Photography for me is my therapy, I can lose hours taking and developing pictures allowing me to forget the day-to-day troubles and to be able to produce something beautiful or interesting at the end is the icing on the cake. I’d love to do this for a living and hopefully will be able to sell some of my pictures one day.
Where can people follow you?
You can follow me on Instagram @adampw69
Adam’s Gallery:
All images ©Adam Wakefield
