Can rollerblading change someones life and turn you into a wedding photographer? Find out what Craig Clewlow from New Road Photography has to say about it.
Pictured: Artwork by Craig Clewlow New Road Photography
Please Introduce yourself
Hi I’m Craig Clewlow a Wedding Photographer & Newborn Photographer. I take inspiration from many other wedding photographers within the industry as well inspiring myself with my own creativity and style, as photography is a constant learning curve no matter your skill level or title, I constantly thrive to be better at what I do and this helps my mindset to be constantly pushed so that my clients gain massively from my hard work and skill just as much as I do.
Pictured: Craig Clewlow New Road Photography
The Wedding Photography industry can also be a very negative place to work, which I found out the hard way in my early years, this pushed me to never be negative towards others and help them whenever or where ever I could, which led me to create a local photography community on facebook called ‘The Fellow Photographer’s Community’ which is a great little community to be a part of and is slowly branching out further afield.
Pictured: Artwork by Craig Clewlow New Road Photography
This group has not only helped a lot of photographers but it has also helped me, as the photographers within the group all support each other and we advise and share work and ideas and it has helped me believe in myself a lot more, pushing my confidence to strive for bigger and better things within my career which I have fully achieved in 2019 and I couldn’t be prouder than where I am at right now, running fantastic workshops and talks to help other photographers further there careers.
Pictured: Artwork by Craig Clewlow New Road Photography
I love to shoot mainly on prime lenses 35mm & 85mm as these focal lengths really helps to tell a story and they also push you to move around a lot more and get up close and personal when needed. I love to shoot wide open as the images this creates is just incredible and I also love to mix up my shooting with different light sources depending on locations and lighting available.
Pictured: Artwork by Craig Clewlow New Road Photography
How did you get started with photography?
My photography journey started a long, long time ago in my late teens when I became a semi-professional rollerblader, I constantly filmed and took pictures of me and my friends for all the years we did this never realizing that I actually loved being behind the camera more than anything, I then became too old to carry on doing this and life changed with new responsibilities of marriage and children, I hadn’t used a camera for many years after leaving the rollerblading scene, but once my first son was born it sparked that bug that was sitting dormant in me and my awesome in laws brought me a Panasonic micro four thirds camera which soon led to my first Nikon DSLR purchase, I imagine I then started like most photographers just shooting for fun for friends and family and then getting told I should try pushing this as a career, so off I went to shoot my first wedding and then I really caught the bug and the rest is history as they say.
Pictured: Artwork by Craig Clewlow New Road Photography
What is your #REASONTOPRINT?
My Reason to print is very simple, I love nothing more than handing over albums to clients as I final product, purely because this is something of far more value than just downloading a gallery from the internet. This is a product that will hold more value to clients when friends and family come round to look back on the clients big day, and they get to show it off in an incredible album that will just overpower everyone with incredible joy and not to mention they will love the look and feel of such a stunning product, just like there parents and our parents if you ask to see there wedding they will most certainly pull out an old album with prints slotted in, as back in there day that was all you could receive and hold far more value to them and we need to hold the same value now for our products and not just devalue there big day and our industry with a digital download.
Pictured: Artwork by Craig Clewlow New Road Photography
What business tip / advice would you give to other photographers.
Personally from my own experience I would 100% recommend being true to yourself and work your ass off as nothing comes for free, you do not want to get left behind in an industry that is constantly progressing and changing, Also only take advice from your peers who are kind enough to speak or reply to you via email or facebook or phone etc not just when they see you face to face, as some people are only in it for themselves and its not hard to speak to people and show respect for others with the digital world we live in. Also never be afraid to actually believe in your self and chase a dream even if others around you try to bring you, this happened to me very recently yet I battled my demons and here I am with my fantastic little business and stronger than I have ever been full of pride for the first time in my life, if I can do it then so can you.
Pictured: Artwork by Craig Clewlow New Road Photography
Pictured: Artwork by Craig Clewlow New Road Photography
Pictured: Artwork by Craig Clewlow New Road Photography
Pictured: Artwork by Craig Clewlow New Road Photography
Pictured: Artwork by Craig Clewlow New Road Photography
Pictured: Artwork by Craig Clewlow New Road Photography
Pictured: Artwork by Craig Clewlow New Road Photography
Pictured: Artwork by Craig Clewlow New Road Photography
We would love to hear your questions or feedback so please feel free to leave a comment.
Please check out more of Craig work at his website:
newroadphotography.com
Also make sure to follow him social media:
https://www.facebook.com/newroadstudio/
https://www.facebook.com/groups/267330230375412/
https://www.instagram.com/newroadphotography/
If you would like to be featured on our blog and showcase your work feel free to contact us at: michal@nphoto.com