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Member Profile - PaulHebditch

PN: Tell us how you got into photography? You may have studied it, know someone else who is in to it, started because of the ease of digital etc.

Paul: I knew you would ask that!
When I was about 17 I was going out with a girl (the current girlfriend is gonna be miffed I mentioned this!) whose dad was into photography, not for business but just for fun. I looked at the stuff he was producing and thought I'd like to try that, that's how I started. I bought a second hand Canon eos 600 film body and started to shoot away. It's been Canon ever since and I started with digital 2 years ago.

PN:What camera and gear do you use?

Paul: I use a Canon 10D body with a battery grip and I've just recently purchased a Canon 5D (Yay, full frame!!). The 5D is an awesome tool, I love it, mainly because of the wide angles you can achieve for landscapes and the size of image you get from it. Although, it's not as good at long exposures as people make out, it seems to be very noisy to me at anything over 2 seconds, maybe its just me! The 10D is also a great camera and I would recommend anyone trying to get into digital to try one. They're really cheap and built as well as any Canon pro bodies. I've thrown mine across car parks and rocky mountain paths and still produced some amazingly clean images. As for lenses, I use a Canon 17-40L f4, Canon 100mm f2.8 macro and a Canon 50mm 1.4. The 17-40 is not as great as I thought it would be, 17mm looks great on the 5d but is very soft at the edges. The two prime lenses are amazing and I would recommend them to anyone. I've been looking for a wider prime that's sharp but there aren't many options for Canon users that cost under £800! I also use a Manfrotto 055 tripod and head. That's the main stuff but I have many more bits and bobs! I really would like some studio gear, like a flash outfit but I really don't have the money.

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PN: You have a terrific range in your subject field, and a real knack for setting up and capturing extremely useful images. Is there a particular genre or subject you find easier or more enjoyable than others when it comes to taking photographs?

Paul: The only reason I have a camera is to shoot landscapes! I mean I hate photographing people, they're just a pain and product photography is too annoying and fiddly! Trying to isolate a hole-punch on a white background just isn't as much fun as getting up in the early morning to take in a coastal sunrise. I can't really explain it; I think it's just something you're born with an eye for. I can appreciate other people's work but I have no motivation to produce other styles myself.

©Paul Hebditch 2007

PN: You use props and your own image in some of your pictures. This means that a lot of your photos are desirable images with permissions and subjects that are otherwise hard to get - like people breaking into homes! Tell us how you went about getting these images.

© Paul Hebditch 2007

Paul: The 'break in shots' were a complete fluke, I didn't realise they would sell so well! My (real) job is very useful for stock as I work all over the place and get to see some really interesting things the public don't often see. The great thing about the break in shots is that they are a genuine crime scene, nothing in them was set up, the only thing that is bogus in the picture is me. Also, from a stock point of view, the model release is mine and there's no need for a property release as the buildings I shot the images in no longer exist, perfect!

Paul: PN: You clearly study the photography market - do you tailor your subject matter for those markets and what are your observations on the industry in general?

Paul: I'm not sure I study the markets as such. I often think of images that I would like to shoot then check out what is available. If I have a better idea or think I can do something better I'll shoot it. I often check out wanted image lists, but I've never sold anything shooting to order.

PN: How did your hear about PN? Were you already looking to make money from your pictures or are you new to the whole concept as many of our members are?

Paul: It was just luck that I found PN so early, I read a post in a forum somewhere and checked it out. I can't remember which one and I still think it was Jane trying to drum up some early trade! I think I would've found you guys eventually but at the time no search engines even acknowledged your existence! When I began in film I thought that I could have a chance in the stock industry, but I didn't try because I was too young and skint to spend thousands on film and equipment. Looking back I'm glad I didn't try, from what I've learnt now I would have had a lot of rejections and wasted money! I don't consider myself to be a great photographer, I often shoot things many times and still think they're rubbish! I don't know how pro's produce the images they do, wedding photographers amaze me all the time. Their images are so spotless and well composed, even under many different lighting conditions, I could never do what they do everyday!

PN: The digital revolution has made photography more accessible to a whole variety of people. Do you have any thoughts on how this has affected the photography industry?

Paul: Digital cameras are amazing! Just to be able to see your image, check the exposure and composition straight after you've taken it is a massive bonus! Really, you need never come home with a bad image (unless your delete button is broken!). In terms of the stock industry, there is definitely a revolution going on right now. I shoot for pro libraries too and I can see the pro's are running scared because of agencies like Picture Nation who are supplying images shot by people who may not have their own studios but still have a love of what they're doing. This counts for an awful lot, as we're more likely to try new things and produce a higher standard of work. We also have people from all walks of life with many different ideas. The only trouble with the digital revolution is that now there are potentially 6.5 billion stock photographers on the planet and there will be a saturation level where pictures are less desirable. This may already be happening with the new school of computer illustrators selling their pictures alongside photographers in many agencies. They have the advantage that they don't need model releases and can produce an images on any conceivable subject without studio costs, which can be scaled to any size the client needs. Its obvious the price per image is falling, four years ago you couldn't get RF images and you would be paying hundreds for a licensed image. Now picture buyers can buy an image for a couple of pence from a library. Digital costs a fraction of the price to produce an image so some would say this is fair. All I know is it's a scary time for people with money invested in photography!

PN: Do you have a story to tell about any of your photographs that are on PN?

Paul: Well I went out to shoot image 17817, a backlit cross on a church wall in Norwich, at about ten a clock at night. Just by chance, I saw it on a drive home one night. I got into the churchyard with no trouble and set up my camera on a tripod. I Shot a load of frames and must have been there for about 10 minutes. Suddenly I heard a car pull up and voices; someone had seen me going in and called the police. Now bear in mind that I'm a 28 year old male of big build (NOT FAT!!) with a long Mohican and you'll get some idea of how hard it is for me to explain me being anywhere in the middle of the night!!

©Paul Hebditch 2007

© Paul Hebditch 2007

Also for image 22585 police tape, I had to go out very early in the morning and steal the police tape from the side of a main road. I came home, quickly strung the stuff up around the front of my house and set up my camera. I live in a small village in Norfolk and the early morning dog walkers were giving me some very odd looks, especially as I was dressed in white forensics style overalls with the hood over my head. I thought it would look good in the pictures! It really must've looked like a major incident! Nothing was mentioned in the parish newsletter but I think people round here suspect me of something sinister!

PN: Which photography magazines/books do you read or can recommend, if any?

Paul: I stay well away from any photo magazines as there's just so much equipment snobbery, if you don't have the right high end lens, your nothing! That seems to be the thinking, so stuff it! My girlfriend bought me the freelance handbook this year, that's very helpful.

PN: What are your top 5 photography tips for PN members?

• HAVE FUN!
• Use a polarizing filter.
• Try something new.
• Don't be afraid to ask for anything, you wouldn't believe what you can get away with if you have a camera and look professional!
• Don't get caught up in the arms race, if everyone has Canon 1Ds MkII's and L lenses then we'll all be producing the same images. Learn to use what you have to the fullest. A pinhole camera made from a margarine tub can produce some amazing images if you know what you're doing!

Paul: I would really like to thank PN and especially Jane for taking an interest in what I do. I Hope PN goes from strength to strength and everyone makes a million, result! Laters, Paul H.