5 Questions with Brad Longworth.

I'm Brad Longworth. I'm originally from England but became a self-employed photographer during my travels in Australia and SE Asia (2017).

Photography started as a hobby but after getting asked to second-shoot a few weddings, I realised how much I loved it and that I had potential to turn it into a job. 

Lots of learning and networking later, I just decided to take a risk and make it my full-time thing whilst carrying on with my travels.

I did plenty of different jobs to make ends meet but over the last couple of years I've been able to focus on my niche and focus on the projects which I'm truly passionate about. 

My clients are now primarily in the automotive industry and I'm steering more towards the commercial side of things

Q1. What made you first pick up a camera?

I've always had a bit of a creative side and used to walk around town with my phone when I was younger, trying to take 'cool photos' and experimenting with 'long exposure' apps to really just figure out how it all works. I wanted to learn the fundamentals of photography before I invested in a "professional camera" so I did this for about a year whilst I was studying and working in a bar during the evenings/weekends.

Eventually, I managed to save up a bit of money and decided to do a 'gap year' to Australia so it was time to buy a proper camera to document my travels. That's when I bought a Fujifilm HS30EXR and had absolutely no idea what I was doing with it. I couldn't get enough of it though. I was just completely experimenting, having fun and I met heaps of other people who enjoyed it too.

It just snowballed from there and I eventually learnt more about cameras and naturally went through a couple of upgrades since.

Q2. What does success look like to you?

At this stage, I'll be 'successful' when I have enough large, consistent clients so that I don't have to worry about where/when the next client is coming from.

I'll also have a nice house near the beach with a couple of motorbikes, an Audi RS6 and a happy family (with dogs, not kids) to live there with.

However, once I reach that stage, 'success' will then be a different vision - I think 'success' is always relative to where you are now, and where you want to be in the future.

I suppose progression is what I see as 'success'.

I'm not sure if there'll ever be a point where I can say "I am successful" but if I'm heading in the right direction, then I'm happy.

Q3. What is your desert island lens?

I'd have to take an 85mm f1.4.

85mm is such a great focal length to keep you on your toes and they're awesome for really separating the subject from the background - dreamy results every time!

Q4. Which shoot for you stands out as most memorable?

It'd have to be the Ferrari 250TR that I shot in Christchurch for a private client.

Growing up, my dad worked on classic Ferraris as a spray painter so it was somewhat nostalgic to spend the day riding shotgun in what is arguably one of the coolest classic Ferraris.

We had a perfect sunset and some great roads for the shoot and it was just surreal, driving at speed in this multi-million dollar car, after we had nailed the shots we needed.

The client gave me full creative freedom as well, so I was able to plan the

Q5. Which photographer influenced you and your style the most?

I find it hard to pick just one photographer but I get a lot of inspiration from Aaron Brimhall, Drew Phillips and Alex Penfold.

I feel like I'm constantly finding more and inspiration from a range of sources though and I'm always keen to experiment with new things.

For more on Brad check out his Instagram @bradlongworth