Amateur Photographer - UK (2020-12-05)

PERSONAL PROJECTS Technique

stories,whetherviafilmorstills.‘I feellike
I’mquitea peopleperson,’heconfirms,
‘I lovetointeractwithpeople.I enjoythe
chemistryandI lovegettingtoknow
someone.Beingabletotaketheirportrait,
forme,feelslikea privilege.’

Lightup
AnotherreasonTommygravitatestowards
portraitureis thatit allowshimcomplete
controloverthelighting.HisYouTube
channelis packedwithtipsforusing
off-cameraflash,andhedeliversit insuch
a no-nonsensewaythateachset-upseems
completelyachievable.Hehasenjoyed
playingwith‘big,fancy,nicetech’since
studyingfilmproductionat theUniversity
ofGreenwich,butadmitsthathisskills
havebeenhonedthroughtrialanderror.
‘I havea littlestudiospaceandan
affiliationwithPixapro,whoallowmeto
borrowkittoplayaroundwith,’hereveals.
‘Thishasbeena hugehelpinpushingme
togetdifferentlooksonprojects.’These

projectsgiveTommytheperfectexcuseto

experimentwithconcepts,lightingand

cameraequipment.‘I’malwaystryingto

seehowmanynewthingsI cansqueeze

intooneshoot,’helaughs.

TommyhaswhatpsychologistCarol

Dweckcalls‘a growthmindset’– anability

toembracechallenges,persistinthefaceof

setbacks,andvaluetheprocessas muchas

theendresult.‘Youcan’tprogressuntilyou

stepoutsideofyourcomfortzone,’he

suggests.‘Ifyoudon’tstepoutsideyour

comfortzonethenyou’renotgoingto

learn.’Thekey,it seems,is toallowyourself

tobevulnerable,don’tbeafraidto

experiment,andtakeonworkthathas

genuinemeaningtoyou.Soundslike

a prettygoodmantratome.

To see more of Tommy’s photography (and behind-the-

scenes content), subscribe to his YouTube channel

http://www.youtube.com/tommyreynolds89, visit

http://www.tommyreynolds.co.uk or follow him on

Instagram @tommyreynolds89.

© ANDY HOLMES

Above: Tommy
worked on
promotional material
for singer/songwriter
Nerina Pallot. He used
continuous lighting in
this scene
Canon EOS 5D Mark III, 70-200mm,
1/50sec at f/2.8, ISO 2500

Left: Tommy is a
master of lighting,
and offers plenty of
practical tips on his
YouTube channel
Canon EOS 5D Mark III, 35mm,
1/160sec at f/5.6, ISO 320

Right: Tommy and
his model prepare
a tutorial for his
YouTube channel