Studio Profile: Mike Williams

The only thing that can change from one photographer to the other is in technical ability, I feel that in my career that I have gone past that scenario and I want to create work that cannot be compared with other photographers. I want to harmonise between the client and myself - between us we will produce the product that is desirable. That way I will gain the reputation of producing not just fine photographs but images that truly satisfy the client Mike Williams LSWPP

Based in Trelogan a small hilltop village in North Wales, Mike has run his successful wedding and portrait business for over twenty years. He is a full time professional photographer, undertaking commissions largely attracted by his reputation for quality and an almost unique attention to detail.

Coming in to the business through the amateur route, Mike doesn't recall one particular social photographer who influenced him in his early days though he had always admired the superb work of Ansel Adams.

Originally a joiner by trade, he found the failing building industry in the 70's somewhat lacking and being a keen photographer and a Rhyl Camera Club member, he was asked by one of his work mates to photograph a family wedding. Having plucked up the courage to take on this job Mike soon realised that taking on other work would be an ideal way to finance his purchase more professional equipment.

Mike Williams Pic One of Mike's first camera purchases was an Agfa Silette F 35mm; however this was not his very first he owned, that being a Ross Ensign 620 Bellows Camera, given to him by an uncle. The first pictures where a disaster, so he went around to a local photographer and asked if he had a processing kit. It cost one pound, ten shillings, with no instructions, the photographer just said "take this home and try it". A friend of his, who was an industrial chemist, pointed out that the developer was to start it and the fixer to stop it. So that night Mike made his first print and any photographer who has made his own prints will recall that magic moment when you print your first image emerges into the red gloom. From that point on Mike was hooked for life.

Graduating from the Afga Silette F Mike bought a Canon FP 35mm SLR, though even this high tech camera did not have a built-in light meter and suddenly this made everything else he had used before it obsolete.

Mike didn't necessarily intend becoming a professional photographer in the early days, though the money that he was making allowed him to invest in the best equipment. He bought a second Canon, a Mamyia RB 67 and upgraded all his enlarging and darkroom equipment. He had started photographing Picture Mike Williams weddings on the 35 mm, however with the introduction of the 'RB' he was able to produce work of a much higher standard.

His studio, he recollects, started with a promotion by 'Stork Margarine' though at the time he did not have his own studio, therefore his sittings had to be shot at his client's home. Travelling from one sitting to another on his motorcycle, Mike's equipment had to be kept to a minimum, for flash he used a Metz CT60 with an adaptor to put a small brolly on. He also used a small reflector, all of which fitted in a small box on the back of his bike.

Stork Margarine ran a promotion in which a client saved. When they had enough tokens they were eligible for portrait sittings by a professional photographer. This promotion produced about ten clients. Mike then converted his lounge into a studio on a Sunday - he had weddings on the Saturdays. Mike and his wife, Shirley, realised that this arrangement was causing havoc within the household, so they took the decision to convert the dining room into a full-time studio. This involved a considerable amount of building work, (all of which Mike could do himself, he was, after all, formerly a joiner!). The conversion gave Another Mike Williams Pic him a studio measuring 20" x 12", more than adequate for the purpose.

Mike's studio today bristles with electronic flash lights, some hung from the ceiling on tracks, others on stands and some attached to the walls. This system allows him to creative endless effects from high key through to low key. While his early experience in the camera clubs was with tungsten lights, Mike is quick to explain that the principles of lighting remain the same. Over the years he has learned a great deal from fellow professionals by attending many seminars and workshops. Even though he is an accomplished lecturer on portrait lighting you will often find Mike in attendance at seminars. He still believes that 'you never stop learning', that it is important that you keep up to date and attend as many seminars as you can.

In recent years Mike's lighting techniques have been influenced by peers such as Brian Ollier, who used a 'Starfish' lighting system. So impressed was Mike when he came home from this particular lecture that he made his own 'Starfish'. Another admired lighting expert was Gil Cox. He showed how to light effectively with two brollies and a reflector, often referred to as 'wrap round lighting'. After 20 years or so Mike's preferred method of lighting is still two brollies and a reflector.

"Digital Mike" has found a natural progression. He bought a Fuji S1 virtually as soon as they were released and placed his order for the S2 as soon as it was announced. The new technology has transformed the way in which he can now work, when starting photography all of his work was in black and white. As soon as colour photography became available Mike made the move. Turning 'digital' was of a similar importance to the shift from b+w to colour.

However digital photography did not just start with the purchase of his S1; Mike had seen examples of work by Damian McGillicudy who had started by scanning his negatives and printing out on inkjet technology. This was inspiration to Mike who realised that this was a turning point, both within the industry and within his working practice and this was Mike Williams black and white the way forward.

With a change in the way that he approached weddings after listening to an eminent Australian speaker and the introduction of the S1 and S2 Mike's business has been completely transformed. The freedom of using these cameras allowed far more shots to be taken at weddings and their versatility enabled a more fluid, reportage style to be adopted - in keeping with the requirements of modern brides.

The investment in the equipment has also seen a different business strategy, the equipment now can easily be financially be written of in one to two years.

Many years ago someone said to Mike, "if you do today what you have to do then tomorrow you can do what you want to do." What this means is that when you first practise photography you have to take photographs in the same style as other photographers as the product is know to the client. Later you can move to develop your own style.

The SWPP 2008 Convention was an outstanding success,
we have 138 days to get ready for the 2009 convention - which starts on January 14, 2009

Photo Quote: It seems so utterly naive that landscape - not that of the pictorial school - is not considered of "social significance" when it has a far more important bearing on the human race of a given locale than excrescences called cities. - Edward Weston, Daybooks