Podcast Episode 23: This is David Scholes
Honoured to have the fantastic David Scholes with us for episode 23! David was joint-ninth in our top photographers of last year; second in the UK overall, with 8 Reportage Awards and 2 Story Awards in 2019 (and more since). Not only is he one of the best wedding photographers in the UK, but he’s also a lovely guy who’s a real pleasure to talk to. Stick with us today as David shares all about:
- how his uncle, grandfather and great-grandfather were all wedding photographers,
- his past life as a DJ,
- his degree in photography and how he got into weddings,
- his very first wedding and early approach,
- what he gets from being a TiR member,
- his tips/advice about Story Awards,
- things he would have done differently (both in terms of life and photography),
- editing tips and advice,
- some of the very funny things that have happened to him at weddings,
- the story behind one of his specific Reportage Awards,
- how he picks images to enter,
- Four Weddings and a Funeral and Bill Murray,
- what he’s afraid of,
- why he doesn’t want to be a wedding DJ,
- some of his most memorable images,
- what he’s looking forward to doing after lockdown,
- what makes a good wedding photographer,
- and much more…
You can listen on Spotify, iTunes/Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, YouTube, and below, where there is also a full transcript.
Alan Law
Hey man, how you doing?
David Scholes
Hey Alan, how you doing? You okay?
Alan Law
I am totally fine. Yeah, fine, man. Obviously strange times, but yeah, yeah. How are you? How are you getting on with things?
David Scholes
I think…just like everyone else really, you know, it’s strange times indeed. And getting through it and hoping that some positives will come from it. I don’t know what they are yet.
Alan Law
A busy 2021, probably, that’ll be positive.
David Scholes
Yeah, well, I hope so. Yeah. Yeah.
Alan Law
How’s it looking for you at the moment then? Had many postpone and stuff?
David Scholes
Yeah, I had got a few this month in May, and June. So I think realistically, I don’t think I’m gonna have one til sort of August, September, now. I’ve got a couple in the diary still, but I think they’ll move as well. So yeah, I guess they don’t know…some couples are obviously going to hang on because they want it to go ahead. They don’t know what’s happening, but yeah, I think if it was me getting married I’d be looking to postpone I think.
Alan Law
Yeah, and have you been finding the postponements okay to handle with?
David Scholes
Yeah, they’ve all been great, actually, really good and there’s only been one that I’ve not been available for the new date. So I’ll work with them to figure something out for that, but…
Alan Law
Okay, that’s not too bad. Okay, let’s let’s go off that subject for the moment anyway.
David Scholes
It’s definitely dominating at the moment isn’t it? I only agreed to this to try and forget about it.
Alan Law
I’m gonna bring you back to it later! So, am I right, you come from a long line of wedding photographers. Is it your uncle, grandfather and great grandfather are all wedding photographers?
David Scholes
Uncle Bob granddad Bob, his uncle john…my uncle, my grandfather and my great grandfather were all wedding photographers. Yeah.
Alan Law
Wow, proper lineage.
David Scholes
I know… I had no intention of following in the footsteps but here I am.
Alan Law
How did it happen for you then? So they didn’t force you down on their knees and say you’re gonna have to do weddings…?
David Scholes
No, not at all. It’s my mom’s side of the family. And so which is Pye. And yeah, they had at one point, the second oldest photography studio in the country, I believe. It was, you know, back when…Because it’s a small town where I’m originally from, it’s back when, you know, you’d have the town photographer and the town, you know, landlord or whatever. So, yeah, but they were all wedding photographers. And I just, like most teenagers, didn’t know what I was gonna do with myself. Drawing and art were my best subjects. So that’s kind of what I sort of focused on really, but I always just believed that my career as a DJ would take off and and this art thing was just in the meantime.
Alan Law
I was gonna ask you about that then, you used to do a lot of DJing, you played festivals and stuff, didn’t you?
David Scholes
I mean, not major festivals, but a couple of small ones. Yeah, played a few good clubs in England and a couple of gigs in Russia and stuff. So yeah, been about. Nothing like the level that Steve Gerrard was.
Alan Law
And it’s such a coincidence., he’s gonna be like one of the next people that I actually talk to.
David Scholes
Well, he won’t remember this, but actually, I think it was in 2004, I did a workshop with him. But as a DJing one. It was with John Digweed, who is one of my favourite DJs and I went to a DJing workshop day thing that he was putting on and Steve Gerrard was, I think the support DJ for the gig that was that night. So… because he was a big deal, man. Yeah.
Alan Law
That’s mad. Yeah, I know he’s had like, an album or something didn’t he?
David Scholes
Yeah. And he was also – I apologise Steve, if I’m getting this wrong – but I later found out I think he was part of an act called Rectangle. And I loved their records. I got a few of their records. I kept seeing his name in the Nine Dots group and going, ‘I wonder if that’s the same person?’ And it was.
Alan Law
It’s a funny coincidence with me and you then, because actually my very first wedding photography workshop was with Steve Gerrard.
David Scholes
Was it? The pioneer of everything.
Alan Law
So, you’re quite rare, I think amongst wedding photographers in that you actually have a degree in photography. Can you tell us about that? Did they teach about weddings at all?
David Scholes
Well, no. Well, okay, so I got into photography because I was doing art courses. I was really really slow at drawing. I just went into ridiculous detail, a bit like with editing, to be honest, but I was really slow at drawing, and I found that photography was a way of just getting the pictures out quicker. And I started to really like it and it was, you know, back in the film and darkroom days. I went to Nottingham first and it was a bit advanced for me and I changed to Manchester. And it was more of a fine art course with a camera. So I left that degree. I got Desmond Tutu, but I didn’t… I was into photographing like derelict buildings and things and had no interest in anything with people in, but that was because I just didn’t know what to do with people. So I was quite happy just being in a corner somewhere photographing an old room but they started wanting you to have all this contextual meaning to your pictures and I just… I wasn’t… I’m not much of a deep thinker, and I just started thinking, I just like the look of it. But that wasn’t good enough. But when I left university I didn’t know what an f-stop was. And you know I got an after uni job in a call centre… Barclaycard. Bad times.
Alan Law
Were you chasing people for debt and stuff?
David Scholes
No… potentially worse than that actually, Alan, I was in the sales team selling PPI…However, I was really bad at my job and I never made a sale. It meant I didn’t have as much money as people. However, my conscience is clear. I ended up working for those Venture Studios and pretty much put me off photography completely. I mean, but I was a studio photographer, you know, so you did a shoot there. All the settings on the camera, you didn’t change them. It was ISO 200, 1/250 shutter speed, f8, f16. You know, but it was all about just dealing with people and obviously organising group shots with kids and animals and stuff, which is pretty horrible, you know, in my early 20s as well… if I was doing a Saturday after a Friday night out, so, you know.
Alan Law
And how did you get that first wedding then?
David Scholes
So eventually people started coming through the studio, and you know them, and then they go, Ah, do you do weddings? And I was Oh, no, I don’t…and then shame, we really like your pictures…Well, I could do, you know, I was thinking to myself at the time because of how weddings were, because it was 2005 when I shot my first wedding, and I was just thinking, well, if I can sort out the group shots, then I guess the rest of it will just sort of happen, you know?
Alan Law
Did you bring, like, the studio lighting equipment and everything?
David Scholes
No, but the money that they paid me for it, I bought a speed light with. I already had one camera with one kit lens and I didn’t even have a lens cap, Alan, I put a sock on the end of my camera lens to stop it from getting scratched in the car.
Alan Law
At least you probably remembered to take the sock off though, probably.
David Scholes
Yeah, yes, someone pointed at it.
Alan Law
So how did that first wedding go then?
David Scholes
I got lucky. Like probably many other people and they just get into weddings. You look at the photographers in the area who were popular and there was one person she produced this work that was I think, you know, now, looking back, it was blatantly staged but it didn’t look staged. And I liked that and it seemed very popular and it wasn’t looking at the camera… like I said it was almost like setup reportage. So I had a few kind of ‘go to’ things that I would do if I needed to. But even then, I think I was just capturing the reportage stuff. It’s just I would go to more gimmicks with group shots and couple shots, you know, and… running at the camera and jumping up in the air on three and stuff, you know.
Alan Law
You’re not doing that anymore?
David Scholes
No, not anymore. I stopped that last year. I was planning on bringing it back this year, man, but yeah, it looks like it might be next year now.
Alan Law
So it must have gone pretty well though then?
David Scholes
I got lucky in the sense that it was really beautiful weather and they were a very easygoing couple and it was in nice venues with…it was just, it was easy. You know, it was actually the second wedding I ever did where it was more tricky because that was raining and I didn’t have a very good lens and it was a zoom lens. So I didn’t understand why when I zoomed in my pictures went underexposed. You know, because obviously it was a 3.2 to 4… yeah, anyway, so I didn’t know what I was doing. I saw one of my uncle’s pictures in a church. And I was like, Uncle John, how have you got this picture so well lit. I mean, you’ve not used flash, it’s not blurry. He’s like, I just cranked up the film speed. I said, what are you still using film in the cameras? And he went no, no, you know, the ISO. Ohhhhh…it was a light bulb moment. I was still doing weddings all at ISO 200 in church, everything. I was slowing the shutter speed down and getting these really blurry pictures. I remember standing in the first wedding. I sat at the back of the church, crouched on the floor with my camera resting on my knees. I was holding my breath and doing like these 10 seconds exposures. So if anyone ever gets criticised for doing weddings and not knowing what they’re doing, well, there you go.
Alan Law
But obviously, it must have gone well, because then you’ve done… that was 2005 did you say your first one?
David Scholes
Yeah, but I only did a handful of weddings up until I started working for myself, which was 2010. I still worked in this studio and if someone asked me if I’d photograph their wedding, then yeah, brilliant. But, I did really enjoy it, and I was planning on moving into that anyway, sort of going part time and having a bit of a security blanket, but then I lost my job at the studio and had to go straight into it. But that’s when I started to really, really love photography. And, you know, because I do, I do really genuinely love this job now, I feel very lucky to do it. But I didn’t at the start when I was working at a studio. Like I said, I didn’t have a camera and I just thought, when is this DJing gonna take off.
Alan Law
So do you think that was a bit of a blessing for you then, to lose that job and that kind of forced you to go into it full time.
David Scholes
Yeah with hindsight, the only thing is I started off with a lot of debt. So, you know, credit card balances and things like that. So yeah, but yeah, no all good. Everything happens for a reason, I guess.
Alan Law
Yeah, I totally believe that… and you’re rockin it, man. So like you came joint-ninth in the world in our top photographers of 2019, which was second in the UK as well. I mean, that’s awesome.
David Scholes
Yeah, It baffles me really I don’t know. I’m always surprised when I get that Reportage email. Very excited, obviously. But I think that This is Reportage – I’m gonna sound like I’m after a free year’s membership here, Alan – I think it has, genuinely, I’m not just saying it, it’s really helped me sort of look at my own work and try and improve my game. I remember when it first came out. I thought this is brilliant. And obviously, I knew you and I wanted to be a part of it. I thought it’s gonna be a great thing. And there’s some awards, I thought, well, I need to enter the first round, you know, before everyone’s a member because that’s my best bet of getting one. But I think as it’s gone on, the award Collections are so amazing. And they really made me look at myself and think I want to – not ever copy other people – but I want to just try and get a bit more…I want to get more humour in my photos, and I want to try and get more stories within one image… I get like little goals and targets and things that I just want to set for myself. And so that’s what I really like about it. You know, it’s, I would say that it has helped me improve my work. I think so. Because that’s the hard thing working for yourself, isn’t it? Because you don’t have a boss that says yeah, you’re not doing bad, you’re All right. Yeah, you’re on target.
Alan Law
Does your wife not look at your images and say they’re just so bad…?
David Scholes
Oh she’s lost interest. I think she does quite like some of the pictures I take but she just didn’t have any interest in looking at them. Sometimes, every now and then on Instagram, I get a Victoria Scholes has liked your image. “Slow day at work today, Vic?”
Alan Law
It’s funny how you mentioned, you entered the very first Reportage, which you did. You’re actually one of the original Story Award winners, you know, back then I think there was only three or four Story Award winners in the first Collection.
David Scholes
There you go, you see, that’s how I won it. Get in there before everyone else enters. If you just started out now it’s too late!
Alan Law
And I think you’ve won three more Stories as well. So you’ve won like four Stories? I think, is that right? I think it is.
David Scholes
Yeah. I mean, obviously they’re what you’re most proud of? It’s the unique thing to This is Reportage, isn’t it?
Alan Law
I know quite a few people are interested in the stories. Do you have any tips or advice about how to win one?
David Scholes
I don’t think anything I say is gonna be a surprise or something that no one’s ever said before. You know, you’ve got 20 images to enter. And they’ve got to be, every image has got to be strong, it’s got to be, you know, all killer, no filler. And your first image in particular, it’s got to be a strong image.
Alan Law
I think that’s important when the judges are looking at so many as well.
David Scholes
Yeah, and one of my favourite Story Awards was one of the more recent ones that I got, which was from the Indian wedding. And again, it’s a personal thing, isn’t it, and it could just be because it was different judges but I felt, personally, that that was one of the better weddings that I’d photographed. There was just so many moments throughout the whole day. I got lucky, all the ingredients were there for it to just… the pictures took themselves, you know,
Alan Law
No, your modest though by saying that; you can’t get lucky with a Story Award, though, I think, because you have to have so many moments and captured so well.
David Scholes
But there was a lot of moments and in a 6am start to a midnight finish. It was, you know, getting it down to 20 was impossible. But I entered it the time before and it didn’t pick up an award and after I, you know, kicked everything around the room in rage (nah, I’m only joking) But I mean, the Story Awards that round was so amazing. I was like, well, I completely see why. But I went back to that. And rather than just resubmitting the same set of images for that Story Award in the next round. I had a look at it, and I rethought… have I got the right shots here. And there was two images that I liked. I mean, there was one in particular, which I ended up taking out… it was a real moment, but it was just of the couple during the ceremony. And it looks like it could have been a couple shot. And I thought ‘I like this, I think it clearly isn’t a couple shot, but it’s not advancing the story on at all, from this point to the next point. And it’s just two people looking really happy.’ And so I took that shot out and I put in a different… I can’t remember which… but I put in a different, more of a transition, shot. And then there was a later shot, which was very emotional Indian wedding, it was the bride leaving the family and all the family hugging her and tears. And also, I think there was a black and white shot. And I think I’d got randomly like one or two of the black and white… It just felt like the whole thing balanced out a little bit better. I did make a couple of changes to that Story, but it could have just been that it was different judges.
Alan Law
Well, there’s always that factor as well, different judges, but that’s interesting that you went back and kind of revised it that way. I think that’s a really, really good thing to do, actually. Yeah.
David Scholes
I mean, don’t get me wrong, the last round that I’ve entered, I didn’t really feel like I’d got anything worthy of a Story so I did enter the same as what I’ve entered before. But it was because I felt that this one was a strong wedding and it perhaps needed tweaking… so yeah.
Alan Law
Oh that’s cool. I mean both ways of doing. It’s so valid with the different judges each round, you never know what’s going to appeal to people as well.
David Scholes
Yeah, and I guess the point is always, if you believe in an image or a set of images, if it doesn’t get an award, enter it again. Keep doing it. So that, you know, as Peter Kay says (can I swear?) “if you throw enough s-h-i-t, some sticks.”
Alan Law
People have gotta spell though now, man. I don’t know if they’re gonna be able to do that.
David Scholes
No one can tell me off for that.
Alan Law
Cool, let’s change tack slightly. What’s something that you really love, but that most people seem to hate?
David Scholes
How long can we have for a pause here? What do I really love that most people seem to hate?
Alan Law
Yeah.
David Scholes
I’m struggling here. I feel like this is one of those answers where I’m gonna be walking down the street afterwards and I’m gonna go “Ah, God, why didn’t I say this?”
Alan Law
Let’s spin it around What’s something that you hate but that most people seem to love?
David Scholes
I’ve gone completely mind blank. I could give you a million. I could give you a million answers for this one. Everything. Everyone loves loads of stuff, and I’m like ‘are you kidding?’ Frozen! I saw some people the other day talking about Frozen. And I thought, What?
Alan Law
You don’t like Frozen?
David Scholes
No. I mean, I don’t dislike it as much as I used to. But I mean… because I’ve got two kids, a boy and a girl and the first time I felt that, you know, it’s been a few years since Frozen came out and Stan doesn’t seem too interested. I think I’ve got away with it, and then had a girl. Ah, it’s on all the time!
Alan Law
It’s great though man! But have you seen Frozen 2?
David Scholes
No, this is the reason why I rent an office now and don’t work from home anymore.
Alan Law
Frozen 2 is really good actually.
David Scholes
No, I’m sure it is, I’m sure if I actually sit down and watch it…. We’ve had it on this morning if I’m honest. I don’t dislike it. I think it’s just that song. It’s that song.
Alan Law
Oh, it’s a great song. It’s a great song. Do you know what though? I love… Have you ever seen Wicked the musical?
David Scholes
No.
Alan Law
Oh Okay, so it’s not very interesting. But I love Wicked. And I love the music to that. I mean the songs and it’s the same singer who does Elsa in that, and so, that’s really uninteresting anyway, little segue.
David Scholes
If I think of a really good answer can I phone you back and edit it back in? Oh, I feel like I need to get a really good solid answer for this one and I’ve got nothing.
Alan Law
Just keep it in your mind. And if you think about it later on in the podcast episode you can just put it in.
David Scholes
Yeah. What do I love that nobody seems to like?
Alan Law
Yeah, I think it’s quite an interesting one but I can’t think for myself either. So, let’s just go on something else: Dave, looking back, at life or business or both, are there things that you would have done differently?
David Scholes
Yeah, yes.
Alan Law
Okay, that’s a good answer!
David Scholes
I mean, okay, I’ll do life first. I could give you all the classic things, when you look back on your life as a teenager and I wish I was more like this or I wish I’d done that. I’m not gonna go you know, too far down the line, but I do definitely wish, with life, that I had done more travelling before I got into this. Before I got to lockdown. Yeah, no, I mean, my wife did loads of travelling, had a great time. And I kind of went straight from university into a job. And while I went on holidays and holidays with friends and things like that, I never did that travel. And now I’ve got kids, and it’s not so easy. There are so many places that I would love to just go. And while I love being with the kids and going on family holidays and things, there’s just there’s some things that you just want to do either on your own or with your wife or something, you know. Like tour America. I want to go to a lot of places in America, like the West Coast and stuff. I’ve only ever been to New York. So yeah, one day, hopefully.
Alan Law
When the kids are like 18 or 20 and they’re at university.
David Scholes
Exactly yeah. And when I’m too old to do anything. So yeah, with business, I mean, I don’t know…There’s more there available now, like workshops and, things like that where people… I’ve got some friends now that their pictures are absolutely brilliant. They’re doing really well, they’re getting loads of bookings and they’ve only been going a year or two and that’s amazing. And I mean I went from having a year with two in the diary and the next year I had, like, five and then 12…and it was just years and years and years of just not really knowing what I was doing. And I’ll tell you that the biggest thing for me – because I was living down south near Brighton at the time – when we moved back up to Clitheroe, where I live now, it was just getting out there and hanging out with people, other suppliers, you know, other photographers, vendors, people at venues, wedding dress shops, everything, just just making friends. If there was a social event going to it…
Alan Law
Do you get nervous, you know, social anxiety?
David Scholes
Yeah, I’m rubbish at small talk.
Alan Law
No you’re not!
David Scholes
No, no I am. There’s loads of people, you know, like other photographers, I love this guy’s work, I’d love to go and talk to him. And then I just feel like another boring person that’s got nothing to say.
Alan Law
Oh dude, ‘course not man!
David Scholes
Obviously there’s some people that are an exception, that you sort of can hit it off easy with, like yourself. And I remember at Nine Dots having a great laugh with Dan Morris, just easy people that are really easy to have a laugh with, you know.
Alan Law
I get that social anxiety, you know, I’ve been to loads of conferences and stuff now, I still get it. I think it’s really important if anyone’s listening though, has never been to like a conference or networking thing. It’s just so good to do, isn’t it?
David Scholes
Yeah, yeah. And you find most people are really friendly as well. And I think that reputation of, you know, people not sharing secrets and being really funny and whatnot, I think that’s an old thing. I don’t think it’s really true anymore. I sometimes see some egos in Facebook groups and things but you know, you just ignore it, don’t you?
Alan Law
Yeah, that’s true But even sometimes some people in the Facebook group, when you meet them in the flesh, they’re totally different as well. And they’re like little lambs. It’s funny… Let’s change tack again slightly.
David Scholes
I’m still thinking of that answer.
Alan Law
I’m gonna ask you again at the end. I want the best answer ever to that question. Let’s go specific and something I’m not touched upon that much. So regarding editing specifically, can you tell us a bit about how you do yours, any tips or bits of advice that you’ve found over the years that has maybe streamlined it or just made it more effective for you?
David Scholes
I guess editing is an ongoing battle, I think, isn’t it? I mean, I think I’m always looking for a more streamlined, easier way because I think one of the most important things I’d like to have is a better work-life balance. And so I’m always keen, anything, when anyone says ‘oh do this to speed up blah blah blah’ I’m interested. But then I went the opposite way recently and went on Ross Harvey’s workshop…
Alan Law
When you were gonna say you were going the opposite way I thought it must have been Ross Harvery’s workshop.
David Scholes
Yeah. So, it goes back to I was saying about being slow at drawing, if I see something in a picture, I can’t leave it. I know some people can just go ‘yeah, next’ and I can’t do it, if there’s a dot that’s bugging me or something it needs either cropping out or cloning out, so I can’t do it. But one of the biggest tips I think for me with consistency with editing – it was a it was a game changer for me – was around about the end of 2016 I stopped using auto white balance; I shoot with a set white balance in my camera because … I know that you can just easily sort your white balance in Lightroom. But it just meant that all the pictures, if I do have a preset or a set colour or do an image that looks right, I can apply that to most of them and they’re all a similar colour temperature. So that saved me a tip and gave more consistency in the look of the images. And yeah, just like everyone says, I think, you know, however many podcasts we’re into this now, I think a lot of things have been said. Cropping is a very important thing, isn’t it? It goes back to again, it goes back to submitting for awards, it made me look at my images and think how can this be better? Does that need to be in the shot? Can I crop this better? And when when I’m editing like that all the time, it then seeps into how I shoot in camera. In fact does that make any sense?
Alan Law
Yeah, it does. Yeah. And I think is, you know, I look at all the submissions and the awards as well. And just, sometimes I think ‘ah, if that was just cropped it’d be so much better. It’s so powerful.
David Scholes
I mean, when it comes to awards, I think it’s definitely worth having a look at your image and and saying, and obviously, I’m not saying, blackout all the background, but I’m saying is, does that image look as good as it can look? Is it cropped right? Or, you know, does your eye go straight to that area of the image that you want it to go to? That is something that I do, actually quite a lot of in editing is that I do use radial filters, but I use them, I think, very subtly. I don’t want it to look… the trick is that it’s not got to look like I’ve done that. It’s just so that the part of the picture that I want your eye to go to is just that fraction brighter than the rest, do you know what I mean? I don’t like it when people go overboard though, I call ‘dodgy dodging’, you know when they’ve got, like quite a nice contrast-looking image and the face is like really hazy. It’s not gotta look like it’s been edited. That’s the trick. Hopefully I do that.
Alan Law
You do a great job with the editing man, I think that you really do, it’s spot on. Really, really good.
David Scholes
Yeah. But I’m getting lots of grey hairs because of it. I just take too long.
Alan Law
Just be thankful you’ve got hair, man.
David Scholes
Yeah, well, too much of it now ’cause of lockdown. And that’s the other thing as well, I’m easily distracted. Five images in I’m watching something on YouTube or playing music again, or yeah…
Alan Law
How long does it take you on average to edit a wedding then?
David Scholes
Six months. Nah, I’m joking. I’d love to be able to say that I could edit a wedding in a day. It blows my mind that people can edit a wedding to the standard that they do… because the photographers who I really admire the work of and I’m really inspired by… and I just look at their pictures and I think how the hell have you done that in a day? I can’t do it. Culling obviously is a is a good shout, you know? I think if I don’t get distracted I could probably do a wedding in two days but realistically with everything else in life going on it probably takes me probably four or five days… I think some people are spitting their coffee out on the computer right now.
Alan Law
D’you know, I like to get to the next wedding having already edited the one before so, you know, I don’t build a backlog. So that’s the goal.
David Scholes
Tell you what also is tricky. Sometimes if it’s been a really good wedding and I want to share a lot of the pictures immediately, like on Instagram. I edit too many sneak preview shots. So then when I come to actually editing the whole wedding, the colours in those are slightly off what they are when I’m doing the whole wedding and it’s like ‘ah, now I need to make them look like this’…’oh actually these ones look a bit too yellow now’, you know. So yeah, so don’t do too many preview shots! These are only things that work for me of course, there’s no right or wrong answer with anything is there?
Alan Law
No. There is no right or wrong answer. Apart from some questions that do have a right or wrong answer.
David Scholes
There will definitely be some right or wrong answers coming, I can feel it. The wrong answer is giving no answer.
Alan Law
You have some good wedding stories. Can you tell us about what you did in front of your ex girlfriend at one of your weddings?
David Scholes
Oh, well, I didn’t actually do anything in front of her but something happened to me. Yeah, this is a short one. I was running along, saw a puddle, jumped in the air and as I jumped in the air, split my pants. And as I landed, I just overheard her go “Has Dave split his pants?”
Alan Law
Was it awkward enough anyway, with your ex girlfriend being at a wedding you’re shooting?
David Scholes
Probably not, I hadn’t seen her for a long time. Nah, not really, it’s all good. I was happily with my now wife at the time. So it’s all good.
Alan Law
What was another time you were mistaken for someone else?
David Scholes
Oh, yeah. So there’s a wedding venue that I have shot at a couple of times before. But when I got my pre wedding questionnaire back the bride and the bridesmaids were getting ready… they’d hired this lovely little cottage to get ready in. So I’ve not been to this cottage before, it’s 20 minutes away from the venue, popped it in the sat nav. And it’s a bit in the middle of the countryside, but there’s a couple of houses and I pulled into the driveway and I was like ‘is this it?’ And I saw in the front window group of girls with all the dressing gowns on and waving through the window at me. So here we are, I’m here. So took a few scene-setting photos of the outside of the building. And then with my camera bag, knocked on the front door and this lovely lady answered the door – again in one of those kind of dressing gowns that they wear at a bridal prep – and she invited me in and I assumed it was the bride’s mother. So I get taken in, I get taken into this room with all these other girls. Hey, how you doing everyone? Nice to meet you all. Hello, hello, I’m Dave blah blah blah, and then let them sort of carry on with their thing. You know, whatever they’re doing and I put my camera back down, I went ‘Oh, so where…’ it was Amy, the name of the bride. ‘So where’s Amy?’ Oh, she’s just upstairs. ‘Oh, cool. Cool. Right. Okay, well, she’ll be down soon I take it’. Yeah, yeah. So I started getting my camera out of the bag and they all – now looking a little bit confused. And they said, ‘Sorry, what are you doing?’ I went, ‘I’m the photographer, I’m photographing Amy’s wedding’. So by coincidence, the person upstairs was also called Amy. And they went oh, no, it’s not a wedding, we’re a hen party, we thought you were the stripper. It was only nine o’clock in the morning as well? How wild was that hen party gonna get?
Alan Law
Did you…?
David Scholes
No I didn’t, Alan! I know what you’re gonna say. I should have done… this is one of life’s regrets, definitely. I could have done two things here. Well, I mean, I could have got arrested actually. Or I could have made some extra money that day. But the one thing I should definitely have done is started hustling. I should have got those business cards….Hen Party! Here’s my business card.
Alan Law
Wow, that’s so funny.
David Scholes
I just left, packed up my camera gear, had a really good story o when I went to meet the real Amy.
Alan Law
What are the odds, as well, both called Amy?
David Scholes
I know, it was the way they were waving at the window and invited me in and were so welcoming. I was like, yeah, so…yeah. How many strippers bring a camera? I don’t know.
Alan Law
Talking about coincidence, just reminded me, I’ve got a wedding videographer friend and he sent out a finished edit to one of his couples but he accidentally sent them the wrong video, another couples’ video. But the couple – the wrong couple – these people knew who the people were in the in the video, they were friends with them and my friend hadn’t shot both of them. Oh, well. Oh man I just lost that totally. I’m totally just gonna edit that bit out ’cause I just lost the story.
David Scholes
That’s not fair. So basically if you make a mistake, you edit it out, if I do, you don’t.
Alan Law
Yeah! I’m not even gonna go back to that story because it was not even that interesting.
What?
David Scholes
Salmon, smoked salmon.
I hate smoked salmon. Everyone loves it. It’s horrible. And I love mushrooms. I mean some people love them. But a lot of people I know think they’re slimy horrible things. I will have mushrooms on everything; every meal. If it doesn’t have mushrooms… my wife actually rolls her eyes every time she’s going to the supermarket – or was – and says ‘anything in particular from the supermarket, Dave?’ And I say mushrooms. And beer.
Alan Law
Have you tried mushroom beer?
David Scholes
I’m sure it’s out there but I haven’t yet, no.
Alan Law
I’m with you on mushrooms. Yeah, I’m not a vegetarian, but I love mushroom pizza. A funghi.
David Scholes
Same, that’s my favourite, yeah. Well you’re a ‘fun guy’, Alan.
Alan Law
Boom boom! I’ve not heard that one before, that’s good, actually.
David Scholes
Have you not? Oh, you’re welcome.
Alan Law
That’s a cool Dad Joke, I’m well gonna use that.
David Scholes
Oh I’ve got a few of those, but don’t put me on the spot to say them.
Alan Law
What’s your favourite Dad joke?
David Scholes
I knew that was coming! I don’t know. I use them all the time. Sometimes I don’t even realise they’re dad jokes.
Alan Law
They’re the best.
David Scholes
Yeah, no, I came up with one I was particularly proud of and I can’t tell you what it was. Cool story.
Alan Law
A great story!
David Scholes
I have many great stories.
Alan Law
One of your Reportage Awards I really love is the one with the cake in the foreground and the very cheeky looking boy in the background, looking through the window at the cake, which I love (see above). And if people are listening to this while they’re editing, well, they’re probably not because there’s no weddings to edit at the moment, or…
David Scholes
I’ve still got one. I’ve got one to edit. Saving it so I’ve got something to do.
Alan Law
I’ll include the image that we’re talking about here. Yeah. So that Reportage Award is awesome man, can you tell us about that shot?
David Scholes
Oh, well, thank you very much. And, I mean, yeah, it was a gift, really, that shot. So it was during the reception, the cocktail hour, where there’s loads going on and there’s loads of people out front having a laugh and I’m in the middle of it all listening out for the people that are about to do the big belly laugh jokes as everyone does. And I know that as reportage photographers, you know, obviously, we don’t admit to doing too many detail shots and things. But I do a couple if I feel that there’s nothing too much that I’m missing. So I nipped off just to get a quick picture of the room and photograph the cake and whatnot. And as I went to photograph the cake, I saw this little boy running backwards and forwards at the back through the window behind, and I just thought, well, this is way better than a boring cake shot. I want the cake in shot because that’s my cake shot but it’s, you know, it’s got something else to it. And, I took loads of pictures, I framed it so that, you know, it was composition, but it was squared up. And the cake was on the left hand side and I had loads of space for this boy running left and right to the side of it. And that’s what I got. And I was just constantly trying to time it so that his face was in one of the squares of the window. And I just keep going until he stops, you know, so that I know that I’ve got the best shot you know, shoot through the moment, the moment curve, as you say. But then he just randomly saw the cake and stopped and just went, ‘Ohhhhh’, and started pointing at it. And and I was just still there, I’d not moved. I was like, ‘bam bam bam bam bam bam bam!’ Loved it. Yeah. I’ve got about 40 of the same shot. Only one was in focus because I’m not a Sony user.
Alan Law
That’s such good avice though, man, shooting through the moment like that.
David Scholes
Yeah, it’s important, isn’t it? But I think, and I’m not doing anything new here, but that is definitely what I do a lot at weddings is, if I see something that I think is an interesting composition, frame, you know, it’s getting that shot setup in camera, but then it’s got to have the moment because otherwise it’s just a pretty picture with no substance. So it’s just waiting for the moment then, isn’t it?
Alan Law
Yeah, totally. I bet you were well happy when the boy was looking at the cake, then and doing that, it’s exciting, isn’t it?
David Scholes
It was better than I could have hoped for his expression was amazing. And there was no way I could have known he was going to do that or asked him to do that. Or, you know, even if he could heaqr me through a window. So it was better than I could have hoped for. Yeah, definitely.
Alan Law
And with an image like that, you know, you’ve won a lot of Reportage Awards – and other awards at different associations. You know, when you’re editing the images from the wedding, do you come across a certain image nd do you think this could be good for an award?
David Scholes
Yeah, yeah, yeah. Yeah. It’s funny. It’s a real mixture of things like there’s some shots where as soon as you take it, you think, oh, that could be good. Could be good, I hope it’s in focus. That could be a good shot. One of my favourite ones. It was in the story, my first Story Award of This is Reportage, where they’d come out of church and the bride’s grandma was coming up for a hug and I knew she was important to the bride, so I ran in – this is a, you know, a moment I want to capture – but then over the top, the groom starts high fiving his mate. So I’ve got the two things in one frame, which I loved (see above).
Alan Law
I think that’s your banner…I think that’s your banner.
David Scholes
Yeah, I think it is. Yeah. So that was a shot that I ran away thinking, I hope that was in focus. But other times, it’s when I’m editing and I go, huh, I don’t remember taking that one. The award where everyone’s eating the ice creams. I don’t even remember taking that, it was when I was looking through and I went, ah, I love that. I do remember taking it but I wasn’t there for long… there was only two shots. You know, like when I was talking about shooting through the moment, which you normally do, and like the bride walking to the ceremony with a dad and I got a reflection in the mirror. That was something I’d sort of seen in advance and waited to happen. Like with the boy with the cake.
Alan Law
That reflection shot, is it Gaynes Park or something? Where is it?
David Scholes
Yeah it is, Gaynes Park.
Alan Law
Yeah, I’ve seen that same mirror… I shot there 18 months ago. I saw that opportunity. I was like, I want to try and get it, and I didn’t get it like you, you nailed it.
David Scholes
I love that venue. I tried to rank for it…I did a blog straight away for there… It’s one of the few that I’ve done. And I’m currently ranking eighty-three so…I’ve not had many enquiries for there.
Alan Law
Do you ever ask another photographer to look at your images to say what they think might be good for awards or anything? Or…?
David Scholes
I probably have before, sometimes, but generally I don’t. But I do kind of use Instagram as a bit of a gauge really sometimes.
Alan Law
The ones that get the most interactions and stuff, or?
David Scholes
Yeah, yeah, I try. I would like to post more on Instagram and post more sort of things that happen at weddings, but I always just try and post pictures that I really, really like. That’s what I try to do. Because it doesn’t matter. We always complain that it’s just other photographers that are liking pictures and you want couples, and obviously that’s the main thing. That is what we do it for. But if I put an image out there, and a handful of photographers like yourself, who I really admire and whatnot, and love the opinion, you know their opinion really matters to me. And if they like it, I go ‘ah, maybe this one’s not too bad. I’ll I’ll enter that one.’
Alan Law
That’s interesting. That’s a good way of looking at it, actually.
David Scholes
I don’t always do that. I mean, sometimes you just have a feel…like that shot with the ice cream that I was just talking about. It wasn’t one that I planned on entering. It was a quiet time, and I submitted a few new images and I went, ‘I’m just gonna throw this one in. I’ve got nothing to lose. Why not?’ It wasn’t one that I initially loved. But I just had a feeling about it that I liked. So…yeah.
Alan Law
That’s cool. I think it’s so important just to submit the ones that you really love, that you really have a passion for, you know.
David Scholes
Well, yeah. Because also, one thing, if ever an image that you don’t love wins an award you don’t want to shout about it.
Alan Law
That’s so true. Isn’t it! Yeah, I get that.
David Scholes
Or if you’re trying to sell yourself as a reportage photographer, and you get an award for this amazing epic, you know, couple portrait, ad it’s like, well, I love this shot but it’s not really what I’m trying to sell myself as.
Alan Law
Mmm, that’s true. Let’s change tack slightly again now and this is a question I’ve asked a few times, but I’ve always been quite disappointed with the answers. So this might be the last time I ask it, I don’t know. Do you love Four Weddings and a Funeral?
David Scholes
Ah, and why is it you’re always disappointed with the answers that you get?
Alan Law
Because most people have not even watched it.
David Scholes
Craziness. Crazy.
Alan Law
Do you like it then?
David Scholes
I love it. Yeah, I’ve got it on DVD. And it is one of the films that I sometimes have on in the background while I’m editing.
Alan Law
I’ve never edited to it, but that’s a good idea. Oh, it’s so good, isn’t it? I love it. I love it.
David Scholes
Oh, everything. Everything about it. I mean, it brings back loads of memories from my, like, my sister’s wedding’s that era, that time, but also just the humour, the English humour. You know certain catchphrases and swearing that you can’t repeat on a podcast.
Alan Law
Oh yeah, it’s the first line of the whole film isn’t it?
David Scholes
I love the speech. Yeah, it is. Yeah, I love the speech when he says ‘Of course they’re not still speaking to each other’ and the guy laughing his head off in the background. It’s brilliant. What is not to love?
Alan Law
I know I love it and also I love Andie MacDowell.
David Scholes
I do. And I also love Groundhog Day.
Alan Law
Oh, yes, dude.
David Scholes
Because it’s also got Bill Murray in. If it’s got Bill Murray it’s in my top 10
Alan Law
But Ghostbusters is awful isn’t it?
David Scholes
How do I end these calls? Yeah, no. Ghostbusters is perfect. It is my all time favourite film. It’s got it all , it’s brilliant. I mean, I keep going back to all these, you know, clever films that I should like, you know, Grand Budapest Hotel and, I love Lost in Translation. I mean, that’s awesome. Yeah, and Blade Runner and things like that. And I love horror. I’m a massive horror film geek but but yeah, Ghostbusters, every time and The Goonies.
Alan Law
I do love The Goonies. I’ve not seen Goonies or Ghostbusters in years.
David Scholes
Yeah, my kids are getting to that age now where they can watch it. I’m so excited.
Alan Law
Dave, what are you afraid of?
David Scholes
Coronavirus? No…what am I afraid of? This podcast going out? There’s loads of things. I mean, I don’t know if I would say I’m afraid of it. It’s something that I do worry about is what I’m going to do next. Because I love wedding photography. And I want to do it as long as people want me to photograph their weddings, you know. Because I had a little scare about five or six years ago, where I just wasn’t doing very well and I thought I’m gonna have to get another job. And I just haven’t got a clue what I could do. Or everything that I’ve learned from the past however many years is all photography, it’s not a transferable skill for a job that’s going to earn me a good living. Yeah, that scares me. And I might get to the age where some cool young, early 30s couples don’t want this old duffer at the wedding.
Alan Law
That’s next year, probably. Or the year after…
David Scholes
Alan, how dare you; how rude of you! I think you’re at least a few months older than me.
Alan Law
I do get that as a valid worry, though. Do you think we’ll still be shooting in 10, 15 years time…?
David Scholes
I do, yeah. I’m thinking more a bit longer than that. I do think that it’s not an immediate worry. And I think things will, you know, evolve. Things always evolve, don’t they? And maybe there won’t be as many workshops then and then I can do workshops.
Alan Law
You really should do your own workshop, man, you really should.
David Scholes
I’d love to at some point, but yeah, I don’t know if the time’s right yet. I don’t want to do one just for the sake of doing one, I want to offer something…I want to have a unique twist. I want to have something different to what everyone else is doing. I don’t know what that is.
Alan Law
You could DJ whilst you’re doing the workshop as well.
David Scholes
Yeah, how to do stripping photography and DJing all at the same wedding.
Alan Law
There you go. That is a USP.
David Scholes
I’ve DJed at a wedding before actually.
Alan Law
I was gonna ask, when you turn up as a photographer in the evening, do you ever like, you know, are you ever tempted to just jump on the decks?
David Scholes
No. I’ve DJed at two friends weddings before; I don’t want to do it again. It’s very stressful.
Alan Law
You just put on S Club 7, don’t you, and then go sit at the bar…?
David Scholes
No, I don’t. Should do. And then you pull out, you know, your big hitters, like I don’t know, Fleetwood Mac ‘Everywhere’. Everyone loves that tune, that’s a surefire hit. And then you get three people on the dancefloor!
Alan Law
Yeah, that must suck!
David Scholes
If I’ve only got 3 on for this, what do I do next?
Alan Law
Is it hard not to take personally when people just leave?
David Scholes
Not really…well, the thing is, is I don’t really care because I don’t plan on being a wedding DJ! But I think what it is, is… I’ve only ever done it at two friends’ weddings, and I said, you don’t want me at your wedding. I’m not a good wedding DJ. I don’t play that thing… ‘No, but we don’t want you to Dave. We want you to play, you know, whatever that you might have played at Sankeys or something.’ I’m like ‘Really? I’m not sure your parents and grandparents want that.’ ‘No, no, no, don’t worry. They’ll be in bed by then.’ They’re not in bed! The moment comes and they’re wondering why you’re not playing Barry Manilow! I don’t have any. So yes, start sweating, bad sweats. So, yeah, I mean, you’re just waiting for the buffet to come out so that you can call the buffet. Everyone will be happy again.
Alan Law
What do you find the most challenging aspect of wedding photography to be?
David Scholes
Well, I mean, there’s so many answers, isn’t there? So many things. I mean, it is challenging. And, I suppose staying unique and, standing out so that you get, you know, the bookings.
Alan Law
How doyou do that though? I mean that’s such a good point. And it’s something that I think a lot of photographers are so interested in. How do you get your style? How do you stand out from the crowd? How do you do it, personally?
David Scholes
I don’t know. I don’t know if I do. I think over time and it’s come from like, I have done a few workshops myself, I’ve done your workshop which was brilliant and I got loads of golden nuggets from that and I always remember taking from that to only show what you love and, you know, although I do group shots I don’t ever show group shots things like that… and I think over time, you know, I like to think – hope – yu develop your own style. But you’ve got to do everything, haven’t you, there’s not really one trick anymore. I don’t think you can just be good at SEO or good at this one thing or whatnot. However, Alan, one thing that I will say – again, I’m really angling for the year membership to get extended here. I have had four enquiries which have turned to bookings now and they found me through This is Reportage. So it shows that the couples look at the This is Reportage site. I said earlier – I keep banging about Awards, they’re a personal challenge for me like I said, and I I always feel awkward, if ever I’m lucky enough to get one, I always feel… I’m not much of a social media person. I wish I could think up some funny thing to say along with it. Some other photographers, like, Andy Keher or someone, I always find whatever they put with there’s obviously hilarious. And I wish I was able to think of something witty to say. But that’s one of the reasons why I like to enter these things because because couples do find… they do look on there and find you and and that’s the proof.
Alan Law
Have you shot those weddings yet?
David Scholes
No, one of them is still on for August this year, but we’ll see…they’re next year. But they’re really good weddings as well. And I’ve got it on my screen here. I don’t want to bore you, but they’re good enquiries, you know what I mean?. It says we’re looking for a reportage photographer, it’s really important to have someone who can capture the true atmosphere and moments. That’s the opening line. You know, late later on, it says, we’re not necessarily looking for a heavy bokeh and obstruct shots, but really just the moments, but I mean, that’s like a dream enquiry, isn’t it? And alarm bells started ringing and I was like, where have you heard about me. This is Reportage.
Alan Law
That’s really cool, man, thank you. It’s great to know about feedback as well and know that people are getting found and bookings from it, as wel, that’s really cool.
David Scholes
Exactly. It’s worth the membership alone, isn’t it?
Alan Law
I know this is probably a super hard question. But can you think of a certain photo that you took that’s had -and I’m thinking about just one single image – have you taken a certain image that’s had some kind of lasting impact on maybe on your career, maybe on your confidence, your direction, or just an image that’s really memorable to you for some reason?
David Scholes
Yeah, that’s a good question. The one that I mentioned before with the hug and the high-five, that was one of the earliest shots that I was really happy with the moment but I felt like I’d captured it pretty well. And I used that picture a lot after that. So that was, that was one. There was also a really lovely moment with the bride and her dad. Actually a lot of people who have commented on it think it’s her granddad but it’s her dad and he couldn’t walk and he was in a wheelchair and he was at the end of the aisle. So she came down the aisle on her own, and before she went to her husband-to-be, she just went over and crouched by her dad and held hands andhe just welled up and yeah, that was a really touching moment. Definitely. Yeah, there’s loads I mean, there’s… I don’t want to bring anything down here but there was one that I took a recent wedding and it’s not one that I’ve shared anywhere – no one’s seen it except me and the couple. But it was just during the speeches and the groom’s stepmom; you could tell at the time that she obviously, you know, wasn’t well. She’d had a bandanna on in the morning, you know, a drip in her arm and .. do you call it a bandanna? A handkerchief on her head, sorry. And a couple of weeks after the wedding, the bride got in touch and said we know you’re really busy. You know. James’ step mum hasn’t got too much long left, kind of thing. And we were hoping to show the pictures sp obbviously I bumped them up the queue and got the pictures out. And there was one picture during the speeches where she just looked so happy and beautiful and she just had this tear just rolling… she was just smiling, big smiling, you know, teeth smile. She just got a finger on a cheek with this little tear coming down. And I just thought she looks brilliant on that. And they’re gonna love it. You know, that picture? I’ve never had any feedback on that picture, but I just yeah, and it chokes me up a little bit as I was editing it. Knowing what I then knew. You know, I didn’t know it when I took it. But when I was editing it I knew. Is that what you asked, is that the right answer? Is that the question?
Alan Law
Well yeah there’s no right or wrong answer. Yeah, about memorable images to you, really. So yeah, that’s really interesting, man. It’s mad, isn’t it?
David Scholes
Because that’s what it’s all about, isn’t it? It’s been able to give people these pictures.
Alan Law
It is, totally, that is what it’s about. We’re in such a privileged position to be able to do it when hopefully weddings come back – you know, if weddings come back…
David Scholes
They will.
Alan Law
They will, they will, they will, I know they will, they will.
David Scholes
Well, I just can’t wait to start seeing you checking in at McDonald’s again.
Alan Law
I can’t wait for that, as well!
David Scholes
What is your first meal going to be?
Alan Law
I think it might be a chicken legend.
David Scholes
What is your favourite McDonald’s meal?
Alan Law
Chicken legend.
David Scholes
Do you have the desserts?
Alan Law
No, I don’t actually…
David Scholes
I’m giving people the interview that they want, they want you.
Alan Law
What are you looking forward to the most, not just a meal, what are you looking forward to doing the most when lockdown is lifted?
David Scholes
Ah, I’m gonna sound like an alcoholic here but going for a pint in a pub.
Alan Law
Do you have a nice local that you go to?
David Scholes
Yeah, I’ve got a couple. Well, I actually so… I have an office above a wedding venue in Clitheroe, which is a really cool venue and on the ground floor it’s a massive Beer Hall. So, yeah, so that’s good. Yeah. In all truth, that was a bit of a joke. I mean, I am looking forward to having a pint but I’m looking forward to giving my parents a really big hug.
Alan Law
Yeah. It’s sad, isn’t it? Oh, dude. Okay, one more question. Just got time for one more question. What, in your opinion, makes a good wedding photographer? What is your overall advice? How to be a good wedding photographer?
David Scholes
How efficiently you can arrange a heart-shaped group photo. Well, I think delivering what people want from you… I like to think people find you because they like your work. And that’s what they want and giving them that consistently. And being reliable, consistent, professional and just knowing that you can get these from every wedding, you know, these kind of shots that they want from every wedding really. It’s easy to organise a family photo, isn’t it? It’s easy to get a shot of a bride and groom looking nice, but I always want to just know that I’m giving them some pictures that means something, and just being consistently able to achieve that, I think is being a good wedding photographer. Is it?
Alan Law
I think that’s really good. Yeah, man. Definitely. Definitely.
David Scholes
And it’s not about money, but also having enough… running a business that you know, you can pay the bills without having too much stress each month. That is important, isn’t it? I’ve not achieved that yet!
Alan Law
The current climate has made that a little bit harder as well.
David Scholes
Yeah, yeah, yeah. But I think that is a good photographer, isn’t it? If someone loves their work and the couples love their work, and they love the pictures they get back then you’ve done it, you’ve nailed it.
Alan Law
Oh, exactly. Exactly that. Yeah, exactly that, man.
David Scholes
Is this gonna be edited down, all the fluff and nonsense I’ve talked, down to the shortest podcast yet?
Alan Law
No man, everything you said is just awesome, dude. Honestly, thank you. That was so good.
David Scholes
Thank you. No, thanks very much. It’s always a pleasure to talk to you, thanks for asking me. I’m honoured with the the amazing people that have been on so far. I hope I can live up to it.
Alan Law
It’s my honour to have you on here and of course you did. You’re awesome. Anyone who’s listening, you know, as I said, while editing or running – if you’re doing your one run that you’re allowed to, you know, for the moment, head to the site. Thisisreportage.com. I’ll include loads of examples of Dave’s work that specific Reportage Award with the cake he was talking about as well.
Alan Law
So man, awesome, Dave, honestly, thank you so much. And hopefully I’ll get to see you in the flesh again soon.
David Scholes
Thanks mate. Yeah, definitely. I hope so. I hope it won’t be as long as next year.
Alan Law
Yes, fingers crossed. Fingers crossed, man, dude, thanks again so much.
David Scholes
Thank you, mate. Keep safe.
***********************************************************
My thanks to Dave for this fab interview!
Check out more of his work over on his website or here on his TiR profile.
Interested in joining us here at This is Reportage? Members receive lots of benefits, including 60 Reportage Award entries and 18 Story Award entries per year, an unlimited number of images shown on your profile, and much more. Deadline for our next Award round (Collection 15) is 23:59 BST on 24th May 2020. Check out all the benefits and join us here.
Do you want to enter the contest that we talked about in the episode? Click over here for full details and to enter.
