Recently I interviewed a Freelance photographer named Jimmy Wheldon who has over thirty years of experience in the Media Industry. I had a great time during the interview and I learned a lot from it. You can view the interview through the link below or on the gallery page on my website. Below is also a transcript of the interview so that you can look over certain aspects of the interview easily as well as see it in writing in-case the audio is hard to hear.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xlR5UlXyaU0&t=53s
Robert McCabe: Okay. So, this for the first question. How long have you been working in the media industry? Let's say, how long have you been a photographer?
Jimmy Wheldon: Well, over 20 years. I was an amateur, kind of for the first few years. But then 22 years ago I left my job to pursue my career in photography.
Robert McCabe: And what was it that influenced you into starting photography?
Jimmy Wheldon: Well, I suppose I was always interested in art. And I was always interested in artwork, and exhibitions, and photographic exhibitions. So, I used to go to any exhibitions beyond in Dublin, and to local exhibitions. So I really had a great interest in even looking at landscapes but I really love looking at portraits of people. A whole mixture of things. And I always wanted to do photography. I used to have a little compact camera. And I used to take pictures of my mom and dad and things like that.
Robert McCabe: And what are some of your most favorite categories to photograph, let's say in terms of landscape, animals, people kind of stuff like that?
Jimmy Wheldon: Well, if you were to ask me, I've done everything. I've done products in the factory. And I'm doing it because you can make some money from that. It wouldn't be my favourite work. I've done landscapes. I went out to beaches, I went out at all hours of the morning. And for the millennium, the local [unintelligible: 02:14] independent asked me to do a special picture for the Millennium supplement. And then it was the year 2000 and I headed out to a trader out. And they went in the early hours of the morning. I waited there until the sun was coming up. And they actually used it on a full-sized page. But the landscapes I enjoyed doing them but they weren’t my favorite. No matter what work I do if someone might ask me to photograph a room, or they might ask to photograph a new house or the interiors of the house but it's just part of the work. And you learn over a few years how to do. But they always go back [inaudible: 03:07].
Robert McCabe: And how has your passion for photography influenced your life?
Jimmy Wheldon: It has changed my life dramatically. It has changed my life big time. It took over my life. That's really the truth. Every day I move my camera out of my bag. I mean, you have to make a living but it's not about money. You know there are great chances there with some people. If you really are passionate, and you really like it, you'll always [inaudible: #:50] and you'll always have a camera. And I'm very lucky to be a person like that.
Robert McCabe: And in your time working as a photographer, what have you seen in the industry, let's say in your time that you've worked, what have you seen in terms of the photography industry you'll say that's changed the most from when you started?
Jimmy Wheldon: Well, when I started was negative film. And there wasn't even such a thing as email. So, if you were doing pictures for the newspaper, you had to go and take the picture, and you had a [[unintelligible: 04:37]. You had to go and print your pictures and then bring them down to the office or whatever you were supplying the pictures for. And that was the way it was done then. There was no, like now, where you can transfer an image immediately after you take. What amazes me is [unintelligible: 05:02] than they used to be. But if I'm doing a job now, say outside [unintelligible: 05:07], I bring my laptop with me. And if I'm taking pictures I'll actually email them there and then. But before you use to have to come home, process them, and then you know, caption them. See a lot of people don't realize what's involved, even today, even though the internet's great and the email is great. If you take a picture [unintelligible: 05:37] and you're on a contract or if you're working for anybody, especially a newspaper, you have to take the picture, you have to come home, and you have to caption the picture, say what the picture is about. And then email it to the newspaper. Where before all that, as they say, a minute ago, you had to print the photograph at home, get a slip of paper, write the details and the captions, stick it to the photograph, and then give it to the editor, whatever which newspaper you'll be giving it to.
Robert McCabe: In your opinion, what is something that's really important for someone in photography to learn, that you feel people don't really consider quickly? What's something that is a very important skill for a photographer, but it's something you wouldn't think of immediately?
Jimmy Wheldon: Two things, one is very important, your background. Your background is so important. Now, as I referred back to when we were doing pictures before, there was no digital. And if you took a picture of someone standing beside a pole, the pole to be sticking out of their head, and you'd have to go into a dark room and crop the photo from the dark room. And maybe it was sticking out of their head a good bit, you'd have to pull on it and dodge it out. But now with digital, you can actually physically take a look. But don't do that. When you're taking a picture think of your background and your composition. And they're very important sequences. There are 3 of them. One is your background. Make sure there's not mistaken [unintelligible: 07:36], make sure that they're not [unintelligible: 07:40] behind you. And the other one is your compensation. Well, people, I often see them going to get the photographs developed. And then when they go to make a big size photograph, there's a piece of the head missing or they ended up legs or their arms are missing is to crop the photograph, and leave plenty of room. Because when you leave a piece of room above their head, it means when you go and you want to print the photograph you can do the big size. But a lot of people I see going to like Harvey Norman's and the pharmacies to get their pictures done. And they'd be given out [unintelligible: 08:28]. But what they don't realize is they're not leaving enough room, some people chop their heads off [inaudible: 08:35]. Very important. And the other third thing is [unintelligible: 08:41] from having a picture exposed clear image, nice and sharp and away you go. It's very important for the picture to be sharp.
Robert McCabe: [Crosstalk: 08:48] that
Jimmy Wheldon: If you accomplish that you can do anything. But if it's not sharp, there are limits to what you can do. My advice is [inaudible: 08:59] the photograph if it's not sharp. So, try and get the things at the beginning. And you have less work to do. So, when you go when you process your photograph, your father's there and your background is right, you have lovely nobody exposed, clear image nice and sharp and away you go.
Robert McCabe: And how have the advancements in editing software? Let's take a freelance photographer, for example, let's say he's going off to do a job. And do you think with all these advancements in editing software, like Photoshop advancements and Lightworks and everything, do you think that changes how the photographer of today would approach a project?
Jimmy Wheldon: Yeah. I would I have friends in the business and they shoot in RAW all the time. As you know, a JPEG, and you know with a raw file, it's far longer, it takes you more time to do it. Personally, I don't shoot in RAW. I shoot all my pictures in JPEG, even weddings [inaudible: 10:16]. And a lot of the mass shoot in RAW and they go home then because they know they can brighten them back and [inaudible: 10:23]. Personally, I leave my work less to do. And if you follow what I told you there that we're having to do. I love Photoshop, but I do very little because I use it for cropping. And I use it for file information. But in general, I don't do very much Photoshop. I shouldn't have to.
Robert McCabe: I do you think people do... would you say, think people do too much as I said, they'll take a photo, as you said, you would change sort of the brightness and the sharpness and do you think people that's it going on too much and take away from what the actual photographs they're taking are?
Jimmy Wheldon: Of course it can be overcooked, and it's a bad idea. And you'd get people adding stories. And that's okay, for someone, if they're doing a project take a few days to do it. And they want to add a bluer sky than the sky is, they want to add boards. And see if you coming to the wrong person if you're looking for that from me because I just take what I see. And I do very, very little. Sometimes no matter even how much it take photographs. Sometimes [unintelligible: 11:54] whether it might be a little bright, or might be it [inaudible: 12:00]. But in general, there's not really much that you have to do. As I was explained to you before, if I take a picture of you here and I take a picture of you [inaudible: 12:19] it's going to be different. That's the way the digital is. And you have to try and balance your light, your camera, and your flash. And try and have the same image. But it takes a while to learn. But when you can do that then you're able to do anything.
Robert McCabe: And how long do you feel it took you to feel really confident in your photography where you wanted to put on a public stage?
Jimmy Wheldon: It took me a few years. I start after about three years, I was taken on doing big work shots. And I still do that today, big work shots, and I love him. And that's what you need to, I find after a few years I started when you go into a room or when you're dealing with people, you need to force the [unintelligible: 13:23], you need to be nicely mannered, but you need to get to do what you want them to do. Even if it's to someone to sit on the floor. And someone stands behind them. It depends on the many people there are but you need to command that. And when you're able to do that they respect you and do anything for you. And that comes with confidence. And you're in there to do the job. You have it done in a few minutes and you're done. You're going to go into a place with your tongue in your mouth saying what am I going to do here? It doesn't really matter. You make a picture. Doesn't matter what room you're in, what venue you're in, you just look and you say oh, I'm going to pick this space here, I'm going to go over there. And you might have 20 people, you might have 30 people and you're saying okay, I'll get a few chairs and I’ll do the rest [unintelligible: 14:26]. It does come naturally when you're doing it [unintelligible: 14:30] and then you could take pictures anywhere.
Robert McCabe: And let's say whenever you're given a job to go somewhere and take photos, what are the sort of plans you put in place before that? In terms of let's say, do you try to think about what stance you would like them to take, where you want them [crosstalk: 14:59]
Jimmy Wheldon: No plans. Because someplace you go to you do a lot [unintelligible: 15:05]. Some people go, if they're doing a wedding, say, you call to check out the church a week before. I don't do anything like that. I just work with what I see. Even if it's only a square room, square box, I'll go for it. When you have confidence like that, even though sometimes it might not work but most of the time it will work. It's all about communication. You could be the worst photographer in the world, but if you can communicate with people it'll help an awful lot. You get them doing what you asked them to do, and they'd move or do they'd get up. One day, I was at an event and the revenue [unintelligible: 16:02-16:07] and was full of dignitaries. And there was a big sign on this stage to the right and they called Battle of the [unintelligible: 16:16]. So, when you're going to get the revenue [unintelligible: 16:21-16:26]. So, I saw the [unintelligible: 16:28], I wanted to get them at that sign. So, I went and I asked [inaudible: 16:35] the stage, absolutely no bother. I had them all up. I had the people from Northern Ireland up as well, and then holding the [unintelligible: 16:45] The Battle of [unintelligible: 16:48]. And I had them all and that picture is iconic now. But seeing the sign and by communicating, and I'm going to ask them, would they mind coming up on the stage, they done willingly and do what they like it to do. So, the communication is [unintelligible: 17:13] taking the picture it's important.
Robert McCabe: And just for my final question, what would you say to someone who came up to you and said, oh, I really want to start photography, how do you think I'd start? And do you have an example for someone saying that to you, saying, oh, I want to start photography? Where should I start from here?
Jimmy Wheldon: Right. My best one would be, everyone has the favor but they feel confident doing what they like. Some people like taking landscapes. Some people like doing wildlife. Some people like doing portraits. Some people like doing architectural work. But it's a personal choice. Some people don't like taking people, they're more comfortable doing the [unintelligible: 18:12] in the field and then the bird feeds or whatever [unintelligible: 18:20]. Some people like to go out and take lovely scenery pictures of the [unintelligible: 18:27] in the fields. Some people might like to do [unintelligible: 18:33], some people might like to do horse racing. I do horse racing as well because they work [unintelligible: 18:43-18:46]. And they're the only racecourse that I do, they're on annually every year. And I can't wait to be doing that, I love them. And that's totally different than taking people. But then you might be doing the best-dressed lady as well. In all sorts, all interesting. But most people, some of my friends, and they bought big expensive lenses, and they started doing wildlife. They're doing it a lot. And they love taking the [unintelligible: 19:17] in the garden and they love [unintelligible: 19:21] foxes and the hairs and [unintelligible: 19:23]. But personally, I just like dealing with people. And everyone will find what they liked doing and what they're comfortable with. If the person was really, really interested in doing everything and doing people say and they want to become a Press photographer I advise them to get out every day and take their friends and take pictures with everybody. If they wanted to do that. Go to events or go with someone that's actually walking during the events inaudible: 19:58] and go with them and see how they do. And that's the only advice I could give.
Robert McCabe:
Thank you. That's all my questions. Anyway, I'll just stop the recording there. See ya.