There is a persistent myth that modern editorial photography has become effortless: point camera, press shutter, let artificial intelligence do the rest. The reality is rather different. AI is a tool, powerful, yes, but only when embedded inside a disciplined workflow built on verification, context, and experience. I use paid versions of both ChatGPT and Claude. That matters, because the paid models remember preferences, tone, and rules. Over time you can train them to behave

After years of shooting beauty contests, fitness competitions, and commercial portfolio sessions, I've learned that a fashion portfolio isn't just a collection of pretty pictures—it's a strategic document that opens doors. Whether you're a model breaking into the industry or an established professional refreshing your book, the principles remain the same. Start With Purpose, Not Just Pictures Before booking a single shoot, ask yourself: what work do you want to attract? A por

When a client preparing for Miss Swimwear contacted me about portfolio photography in Brentwood Essex, I knew we needed authentic locations that would showcase both competition-appropriate presentation and natural confidence. What I didn't anticipate was turning a quiet gym into an impromptu theatre. The moment I fired the first strobe test, the previously empty gym suddenly acquired an audience. Male gym-goers materialized from nowhere, nonchalantly working out while watchin

John Healy Defense Secretarty in Downing Street on his way to a cabinet meeting. I work regularly in and around Downing Street and Westminster as an NUJ-accredited press photographer, covering political arrivals, meetings, protests, and the routine choreography of British power. This is not glamour photography. It is procedural, time-critical, and often uncomfortable. That is precisely why it matters. Access is the job. Without accreditation, background checks, and an unders

There is a persistent misunderstanding about local photographers: that “local” means limited. In practice, the opposite is often true. I am based in Brentwood, Essex , and work across the county and beyond. Essex is my home base — the place I understand instinctively — while the images themselves frequently travel much further, appearing in national media, commercial websites, professional profiles, and digital platforms with audiences well beyond their point of origin. That

Fei-Fei Li by Ian Davidson Standing in Downing Street at dawn, waiting for an arrival that may or may not happen, I've had time to think about what's coming. As a press photographer with Westminster credentials, I operate in a world that AI cannot easily enter — you need a body present, at that place, at that moment. Yet I watch the stock photography market I also work in being transformed by AI-generated imagery. I find myself living across two realities: one resistant to au

I make approximately £3,000 a year from 32,000 images. After travel costs, I'm operating at a loss. Any business advisor would tell me to quit. Any efficiency consultant would want to "fix" my operation. They'd both be wrong. What looks like failure under conventional business metrics is actually a sophisticated bet on randomness—one that provides financial optionality, intellectual stimulation, and genuine freedom. Understanding why requires understanding a concept the write

The Last Roll of Film: A Personal Account from the Frontlines The Bell Inn Epping by Ian Davidson Standing in the press pen in Downing...

I was challenged over the content of my earlier blog on missing ministers, why is this important? For me the issue goes to the very...

In the polarized cultural debates of our time, Jordan Peterson has become a lightning rod. To some, he is a dangerous reactionary; to...