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Speaking with Photographer, Adam Sherratt
Wednesday, 26 August 2020 15:25:37 Europe/London
The photographer, Adam Sherratt captures amazing shots of a huge range of subjects. From wildlife to landscapes to sports, this talented photographer cannot be put in a box.
In our latest interview, we were lucky enough to speak to Adam to discuss his high-pressure job as a sports photographer, his favourite places he’s shot, his love of mountain biking and much more. Keep reading to find out more about Adam and for a chance to see his work.
Hi Adam, thanks for taking the time to speak with us. Can you start off by telling us a little about yourself?
Likewise, thank you for taking an interest. I’m 42 years old with a partner and two kids living happily in the Nottingham area. I work full time for an electricity distribution company as a computer programmer, working with mapping software.
During my evenings and weekends, I spend time helping to coach a girls football team, riding bikes, and when I can, getting out with the camera.
What’s a typical day like in the life of Adam Sherratt?
For my day job, I roll out of bed and walk to my desk. I’m fortunate enough during the current Covid-19 pandemic that I can work from home. I spend the day programming computer software in a world of my own.
On a photography day, it largely depends on the scenario. If it’s my photography “work”, the mountain bike races, the day starts by waking up in a tent in a field or wood somewhere. You have to be on-site early as the races start early and they are normally up a very big hill that I need to hike up with all my gear.
I will then follow the race from stage to stage, getting as many photos of the riders as I can. On a race, I will have two briefs to meet. Firstly, if I am part of the official media team, I will need to get shots to satisfy the organisers brief. Nice scenic shots with a rider in the woods, or on a ridgeline, covering all of the stages from various angles. This can be quite exhausting as there is a lot of ground to cover.
The second brief is a self-imposed one. I set myself the target of capturing multiple photographs of each rider at different stages of the race. There can be as many as 2000 riders, so you can see this is hard work!
I also set myself the target of delivering magazine-quality shots to every rider. Not every rider is equal, the top-level riders can do amazing things on a bike. Not everyone can do this, so you have to really work hard to make them look the best they can. I think they all deserve that for putting the efforts in that they do.
If it’s a landscape photograph day, I will generally be up chasing the sunrise, which is normally followed by grumbling that it fizzled out to nothing. I’ll then enjoy the day out, followed by chasing a sunset somewhere else. More grumbling ensues.
Such is the life of a photographer, I can imagine. How and when did you first develop an interest in photography?
To be honest, I’m not entirely sure! I’ve been asked this many times and can never really put my finger on it. I love being outside and I love technology. A camera brings the two together really well. Photography was a great excuse to get outside.
How did you learn you to master the art?
Well, I’m not sure that I have nor ever will master this particular art. I think to be good at anything you have to be extremely critical of yourself, and I am.
There are very few of my photographs that I don’t think that I could improve on given another go at it. It’s so rare that the conditions are perfect or that I feel my composition is “just right”. But that is what keeps me going; the need to improve upon each shot and never accept mediocracy.
What kind of kit do you use?
Well, according to my race photography buddy, a Toy Camera (he’s a Canon fanboy). I’m heavily invested in the Sony ecosystem. I have an A7Rii for landscapes and an A9 for a race and more active wildlife work.
For me, Sonys are perfect, insanely fast with an accurate autofocus on the A9 that hits 90% of the time on riders in dark woods riding at 30mph plus. There is no point in shooting if you think you aren’t going to get the shot.
The A7Rii has amazing dynamic range and detail. This allows me to really stretch a raw file in the edit. I always shoot underexposed knowing that I can recover shadow detail and protect the highlights.
You have a passion for bike photography - what drew you to the niche?
I was introduced to it by a friend and it’s lead to some amazing times. The events are always really good fun. Hard work but rewarding.
We set ourselves really high standards for the quality of our work, so it is great to see it shared far and wide by the riders on social media. The races take place in forests or on the side of hills, and there is always a really serene moment when you are stressing about the shots you want to achieve, waiting for the riders, and you just pause and take in the view. Brilliant.
Where’s your favourite place you’ve photographed?
Wow, this really made me stop and think. There are so many!
I think I would have to say the Old Man of Storr on the Isle of Skye for the challenge of getting up there, on a snow-covered mountain. Or maybe the Fountains Abbey Cellarium, where I took my first “proper” photograph, one where I worked the shot for what I wanted to achieve. Then there’s Bamford Edge in the Peak District, where the kids and I all went together to take photos.
If I had to pick one moment though, it would be the cloud inversion Chrome Hill in the Peak District. Standing there above the cloud, with the sunrise giving the cloud an incredible orange glow. Magical.
Is there anywhere on your photography bucket list you haven’t made it to yet?
I want to spend more time getting around the UK. I do wish to get and see the wider world, however, there is so much to see at home.
My current focus is on the Lake District, which is extremely challenging to photograph to the standard that I want to achieve. It’s such a changeable place, and I feel the photographs need to capture this.
Do you have any advice for an aspiring photographer?
Start saving up! There are always more lenses, bigger/faster/stronger cameras, tripods, trips and travel. It’s an expensive hobby/career.
I would also suggest that whilst they look to others for inspiration, they should find their own style. I will often use a guidebook to go and take a shot in an unfamiliar area. When I “recreate” the guidebooks shot to just tick it off, these are the ones I tend to be least happy with, even if the photo is okay.
Always look for your own angle and composition, do things differently. Break the rules; this is when you are really working, where the satisfaction lies.
Under no circumstances, accept the shot is perfect. It may be “good enough”, but next time, next time it may be perfect.
If you weren’t a photographer, what would you do?
Probably be out riding my bike on the weekends, either road or mountain biking. I’d still be out in the world.
What’s the future looking like? Anything big on the horizon?
This has been a really difficult year due to the lockdowns. Almost all of the mountain bike events were cancelled and are only just coming back.
Next year is pretty much catching up on missed opportunities for this year. I also intend to work less and make more time for landscape photography. And there may be a new camera and some lenses on the horizon.
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