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A graduate's life in a London photography studio
Article by: David Millett
Publication date:We recently caught up with our photography alumnus Harry Adams. He may have only graduated last year, but his career is off to a flying start working in a hotel photography studio and shooting some of the UK’s top sports stars.
(c) Harry Adams
Harry first studied science before making a career shift into portrait and advertising photography. This led him to study a BA (Hons) Digital Photography course at Ravensbourne, which he graduated from in 2021.
Since then, he has worked on some incredible projects, including working as a second shooter on Alpro's ‘Team PB’ campaign – that’s Team plant-based, aka swimmer Adam Peaty, boxer Nicola Adams, and footballer Tyrone Mings. He has also worked with lager company Estrella Damm and fitness company Gymbox.
Last year, he was one of the winners in a competition run by Ravensbourne in partnership with Montcalm East, an innovative new Shoreditch hotel, which opened its doors in May 2021. It positions itself as ‘part hotel, part East London creative hub’ and comes equipped with a photography studio taken up by resident photographers, which will rotate every six months.
Harry, the first photographer to take up the post, is now three months into his residency. We asked him about his experiences in the post so far.
Nicola Adams
(c) Harry Adams
Adam Peaty
(c) Harry Adams
Tyrone Mings
(c) Harry Adams
What has it been like as the photographer-in-residence at the hotel so far?
The experience so far has been great, the team at Montcalm have been incredibly accommodating both in welcoming me in to the building and helping me get the on-site studio up and running.
What kind of projects have you been able to work on?
Alongside giving workshops to teach basic photography skills to guests and members of the public, I have been able to use the time to shoot personal tests and build my portfolio.
I also shot some images for the hotels Christmas decorations, and am currently working on something exciting with hotel that will be announced in the coming months!
What have been some of the highlights so far?
I’ve really enjoyed giving the workshops and helping people learn about photography, getting to see people improve so rapidly after a short two-hour workshop is really fulfilling!
What advice do you have for someone who wants to follow your footsteps to become a professional photographer?
My biggest advice to someone who wants to pursue photography, is to make images as often as possible. Even if it’s taking photos on your phone, try to take purposeful photos (i.e. not just of your lunch or cat!) every day, and you’ll start to notice your style and eye developing in no time.
Can you tell us about any other interesting projects you've been working on?
I’ll see out the rest of my residency at Montcalm East whilst continuing to grow my own practice and develop my work as a photographer.
Harry Adams
(c) Harry Adams
Harry Adams
(c) Harry Adams
Harry Adams
(c) Harry Adams
Harry Adams
(c) Harry Adams
Harry Adams
(c) Harry Adams
Check out more of Harry’s work on his website and on Instagram!
