My name is Larry English and I'm a professional Photographer and

Videographer from Cape Town. I've been capturing stills and videos for as

long as I can remember. But, I found the courage to go professional about 20

years ago.

I was captivated by the magic photographs have to tell a single story but

produce a varied number of emotions in different people. I wanted that. I

wanted to be able to stir emotions in people, to make them feel something

with my work. That was a huge motivator for me to pursue a more

professional career.

I think every profession has its own negatives and positives. For me, setting

up shop as a photographer was difficult. Working from nothing and with

nothing to create something spectacular was tough. Resources and

connections were not easy to come by and when nobody knows you, it's

tougher to get your foot through the door.

On the upside, seeing my work in print or video being aired is an incredible

pat on the back. Meeting incredible and talented people with knowledge and

skills to share has also been a highlight. I think the two main incredible

rewards for me have been the culmination of years of hard work and practice

and learning and preparing coming together with the opportunity for me to be

able to shoot the kind of film work I have always wanted to create and to see

that final product after editing. And also, just the moments where I continue to

learn more about my work and myself and what I'm capable of.

It humbles me when young photographers come up to me to ask for advice

for entering the field of photography. Honestly, it's difficult to share something

specific with everyone. One of the things I always say is 'Do it if you're willing

to cry for it'. Because the profession is so fast-paced, constantly changing

and always in competition with the new kid on the block, you have to go into

it knowing yourself and what you want so you're always focused. Also, I

recommend not having too many attachments - this profession sometimes

requires you to be away from your people and comfort zone - so the less

you're attached, the easier jobs away become.

On the point of knowing yourself when you work in photography, I have

found that developing your own personal recipe of your style and identity as

a photographer is the secret to success. Of course, hard work, commitment,

discipline and all those elements play a role. But if you look at thee most

globally successful photographers, they each have a very distinct style of

working and a unique visual identity.

With all the work towards success, I like to ground myself with a swim - laps

to be specific. I find being enveloped by a body of water calming and a great

way to relax. The laps not only help tone my body and keep me physically fit,

but silencing the tech-noisy world also helps with my mental tenacity to take

on the next big photography or film job.

I'm hoping the jobs I'm taking on will lead me to my goals of producing

feature films and working as a Cinematographer on major mainstream films.

Shooting international fashion, including campaigns is also in my future

plans.

Right now, projects in the pipeline have not been fully confirmed and signed

off, so sharing specific details will be premature. Let's just say, though,

there's going to be plenty of fashion, a sprinkle of outdoor adventures and

possibly big international work.

You'll have to follow my socials to find out more.

https://www.instagram.com/larryeproductions/

https://www.instagram.com/larryephotography/