Airdrie & Coatbridge Advertiser
John is letting the camera roll online
A multi-award winning Airdrie photographer with an eye for a creative image is looking to help develop the next generation of sensational snappers.
John Wilson has “turned a negative into a positive” during lockdown by launching education tutorials and advice for photographers of all experience levels.
The 39-year-old was put on the path to photographic greatness by his dad John, who then handed over the keys to family business John Wilson Photography, based in Bellshill, to his son when he retired just over a decade ago.
Innovative John, from Cairnhill, creates fun images involving putting his wife Carol and kids Jacob, eight, and Florence, five, into all sorts of exciting and unusual situations and positions.
He is keen to pass on his knowledge and creativity to others, telling the Advertiser: “It was my wife Carol who originally suggested that I teach photography and I would always say I didn’t have the time.
“But I then turned a negative into a positive during lockdown by deciding to launch my online education site.
“People can buy tutorials, from beginners to advanced, and it’s also aimed at helping students just out of college or university looking to get into the profession.
“I am trying to help local people into the workforce and, as I was an apprentice to my dad after I left school, I know all about the importance of passing on your experience.
“I’ve done talks in schools and there are a lot of kids who want to work in photography.
“I do tutorials on product photography too, explaining how to add people to scenery, and I’ve created custom brushes and show how to create effects like smoke.
“I’m adding content all the time and it’s proving to be really popular. I have 175 members on a private Facebook group, including people from all over the world.”
Photography has always been John’s passion and since learning from his dad and taking over the family firm, he has proved he is no flash in the pan.
Years of success have included him scooping the Digital Master of the Year award for Scotland twice as well as six international accolades.
He said: “I went through a Masters photography programme, where you learn as you go. It’s not easy to earn your stripes but all the hard work and effort is definitely worth it.
“I am one of only six associate photographers in Scotland and all of the awards I’ve won have been a tremendous boost to my career.”
Before Covid-19 struck, John did school photography and portraits but he hasn’t let lockdown stop his creative juices flowing – and getting his family involved in the fun.
He explained: “I often put my wife and children in all sorts of positions for pictures, like hanging them upside down like bats, and then place their images onto different backgrounds and objects.
“I make the process as fun as possible for them as it can sometimes take hours, or even days, to get the right image. They tell me they enjoy it and they really like seeing the final pictures, to see what I have done with them.
“I have always liked concept art and my biggest inspiration was Walt Disney.
“He had a great life story and displayed wonderful creativity and one of my earliest images was of Alice in Wonderland walking into a book.
“I think up all sorts of scenarios and my imagination takes off, like my family getting caught up in a giant snowball. If I can take some of the magic Disney delivered and put my own spin on it then that will do me.”
To view John’s images, visit https:// www.wilsonphotography.co.uk, and his educational work and tutorials are available at https://www.education. wilsonphotography.co.uk
I know all about the importance of passing on your experience