Andrew Higgins, 47, from Warrington, joined Wilkinson Cameras in 2011 when our Warrington branch opened. Having worked with our director David in photographic retail previously, he says joining the team was like ‘coming home’.

I’ve Never Lost my Passion for Photography

Andrew knew photography was for him from the moment he left school at the age of 16.

“I had an uncle who had some camera gear and as a child I remember fiddling around with it. When I left school, photography was something I was really interested in. I just knew it was the path for me.

“It absolutely helps the role to have a passion for photography. I’m lucky that I’ve never lost that from the moment I started my career.”

I’m a People Person

Andrew has always pursued photography as a hobby and says his favourite photos are shots of people.

“I’m a great believer that the most powerful images are those of people. I’ve got loads of family photos – my walls at home are full of them.

“I’ve got some landscapes and other images that I’m very happy with, but for me the most potent images are pictures of people. Those are the shots that are dearest to me. You occasionally get shots that really encapsulate the individual. The person is what makes those images so special.”

Pictured right: Carolyn, a member of our Warrington shop team.

 “I like this shot as it looks relaxed and unforced. To get this picture, I was walking along whilst shooting, which I often find helps to get more natural, dynamic portraits. I like to shoot into really intense backlighting for portraits and the lighting was really strong here, which I think works well.”

Throughout his time in the photography industry, he has also done some professional work but says he’s always been happy to stay in retail.

“I’ve done photography for exhibitions, books, brochures, and had work published in the national press. Over the years I’ve also done the odd wedding and explored portrait photography. I’ve always enjoyed retail and stuck with it from the start.”

I Like My Photography to Tell a Story

Andrew also does a lot of travel photography and often takes a storyboard approach.

“You can link days together by photographing little things you’d perhaps overlook sometimes. It’s about creating a better flow. If I have any sort of style it’s always been an attempt to tell a story.

Pictured above: Andrew’s ‘New York Skyline’ image.

“This was taken from the top of The Rockefeller Building looking towards the Empire State Building. The binocular viewer adds an element of humour, as it is clearly designed to look like a face. Taken as a colour image, I converted to an antique tone. It looks like it could have been taken at any time in the past fifty years or more, which is what I was trying to achieve. The fierce light adds an element of drama, and helps to highlight the buildings, and hide some less important detail.”

“I try and look for slightly less obvious objects that you’d often easily miss when taking photos. It’s a good way of linking things together. Everyone remembers what the Eiffel Tower looks like, but where were you before that? When you’re making a photo book, those little shots can bring a story to life.”

The Canon EOS 5D Mark II DSLR is a Legend

“I’ve had this camera for three or four years now. It’s the sort of product that a lot of professionals would use and is a legendary model, the sort that most people talk about in hushed tones.

“'The image sensor inside the camera is what is referred to as 'full frame’ so it can gather more light over a bigger surface area. This has a huge effect to the quality of your images. Full-frame cameras are really the pinnacle of what’s possible in photographic technology these days.”

Pictured above: Andrew’s image of an island in Wastwater in The Lake District.

“This was shot on my Canon camera at around 200mm. It was a very bright, cold winter day and the light was starting to fade. This shot wasn't set up. I noticed a man just sitting, contemplating, he hardly moved. I took the shot as the light was starting to produce a beautiful warm glow on the hills behind, and the almost perfect reflection adds an element of calm.”

For Andrew, technology has liberated us from the mechanics of photography and enabled amateurs and professionals to focus purely on being creative.

“In the early days of my career there was always that problem with the technical side of things, you had a lot to think about when getting the camera set up. At the same time, you had the creative aspects to deal with.

“Technology has liberated us from the mechanics of a camera. You can focus on how to create that perfect shot and let the camera deal with it.”

Phone Cameras Just Don’t Do Justice

Andrew says that camera phones and other mobile devices lack what’s needed to produce good photos.

“Quality and versatility is what phones lack. You need picture quality, low light capability, zoom range, the ability to control the product. For me, a camera phone is a notebook to occasionally document things, I use mine for nothing more.

“I have to say, I cringe sometimes when I travel and see tourists taking pictures of the Sydney Opera House with their iPad. I think to myself, how can they believe they’re doing it justice? People are fooling themselves really because it’s not a shot that you can go back and re-do.”

Pictured above: Andrew’s image of the Sydney Opera House.

“All classic shots of modernist buildings are taken against deep blue skies, to really show off the design and colour of the materials. The sky has helped enormously here to achieve that classic 'holiday brochure' shot. Taken on my Canon at 85mm, it was mainly just a matter of lining up the boat correctly that I was on, and I had the shot I wanted.”

Fortunately, many people realise that you need system products to get the quality, particularly young people.

“It’s nice that an awful lot of young people are still buying cameras. The phone industry is very aggressive in telling people they only need one device, but you do need a camera to get the quality –and more and more people are buying them.

“It’s very encouraging that young people understand that, as they’re the future of our industry.”

Funny Moments in the Camera Shop

As manager of our Warrington store, Andrew has had some very humorous experiences with customers.

“We had a vicar who came into the shop and his trousers were tied with string. He was browsing and within a second his trousers dropped to the floor. It was like something from a Carry On film.

“I was once asked by an elderly lady if we did part-exchange. So I said yes and she rustled around in her bag and handed over a packet of Dolly Mixtures.

“I was also asked if we sell very small video cameras. I suggested some of our GoPros and he said no, that’s far too big, I need something to attach to my tortoise. It turned out his pet tortoise wandered off a lot and the gentlemen wanted to know where he went. That’s definitely the most obscure request I’ve ever had.”

The Best is Yet to Come

Having only joined the team three years ago, Andrew thinks his best moment is yet to come as he’s involved in lots of exciting projects starting this year.

“We’ve got lots of new things coming up this year. Recently I’ve been involved in new projects making the most of new technology. We’re exploring multi-media involving video, audio and also print-based media. We’ll be doing workshops, seminars and photo safaris this year, so that’s where the future is heading for me.

“2014 is going to be a big year for us and I’m very pleased to be involved in some of these new projects.”