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professional under the spotlight.
‘I am a perfectionist to the point of
Jonathan Beer
bordering on obsessive compulsive.’
Jonathan Beer.
deconstructed
J
onathan Beer spent most of last year photographing
domestic irons and hairdryers. He describes himself as a
commercial products photographer who specialises in
‘bringing boring objects to life’.
And he’s exceptionally good at it.
This Manchester-based still-life photographer is the current FEP
(Federation of European Professional Photographers)
Commercial Photographer of the Year - and when he picked up
his award at a special ceremony at Photokina he said: “I never
dreamt my work would ever be appreciated on a European
stage, particularly as I believe a good deal of continental still-life
photography is superior to much of the ‘fast and cheap’ work
produced in the UK.
But Jonathan has built a solid reputation for producing highest
quality imagery in the UK – even if the subject of the shoot is
frequently mundane and plastic.
“I am stubborn and I am a perfectionist to the point of bordering
on obsessive compulsive”, he confesses. “Fortunately I enjoy
the methodical nature of what I do and I am lucky that I have the
time and the patience to keep plugging away until it looks right.
I’ll often spend four or five hours lighting something before I see
it hasn’t worked – and then it all has to be stripped back and
started over. It’s a difficult decision sometimes because you
know you’re in for a very long night – but when it’s finished it’s
worth all the hassle.”
He adds: “My desk is a complete rubbish tip with papers, books
and VAT returns scattered all over the place. But in stark
comparison, my lighting is completely clinical. For me it’s the
lighting that pays my bills.”
© Jonathan Beer
www.jonathanbeer.co.uk
06 www.bowens.co.uk
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