Work Experience at Hylton Photography

Since August 2021 I have been working on and off as a freelance photographer's assistant at Hylton Photography, staging sets, setting up equipment and painting backgrounds. The owner, Simon Hylton, is very professional and experienced within the photography industry. He has many clients ranging from furniture to technology companies, some of whom I have met and worked with onset. I love working with Simon because I get to collaborate with stylists and learn new technical skills everyday such as lighting setups.

Onset in the studio I have painted sets such as the front of an American town house that was used to photograph outdoor Christmas decorations. It's nice to be involved behind the scenes getting sets ready for upcoming photoshoots without the stress of clients watching. I find painting calming and felt a sense of accomplishment when I finished. I've learnt some tips and tricks for set backgrounds, using cheaper materials such as textured foam bricks and painting them to look realistic.

On numerous occasions I have communicated with clients onset helping arrange lights and making sure the clients are happy with the presentation of their products. During the first couple of days of work experience I found myself steaming bed linen and positioning props. Gradually I have earned more responsibility building and arranging products and even taking a few photographs myself for clients whilst Simon was busy in meetings. One of the most frustrating tasks so far has been making some of the furniture look more presentable, smoothing out crushed velvet which is difficult to do if the material has touched anything during transit.

However, my favourite days so far have been on location, visiting country estate homes for high end home and lifestyle companies. Recently, we toured around Leeds City Centre, visiting a range of cafes for a technology company's rebrand with the aim to show how employees have a positive mindset and enjoy working. We also visited their newly built office, capturing the friendly atmosphere and the 'employee first' approach to business.