Paul Rogers of Rogers Pictures is a UK documentary wedding photographer. Before wedding photography, Paul was a photojournalist with The Times newspaper in London where he photographed a full range of subjects – from royalty, celebrities and world leaders to war zones and natural disasters worldwide.

His Instagram bio sums up his current approach nicely… “UK and Europe based Documentary Wedding photographer working with relaxed couples who love photography but don't want a photoshoot on their wedding day.”

This episode of the Photography Xperiment podcast is sponsored by the super talented digital editors at The Image Salon… more about them in the show.

Here’s some of what we cover:

  • Life as a major newspaper photojournalist
  • What made Paul leave The Times when he did?
  • The problems facing print news organisations today
  • Considering exit plans when working as photojournalists
  • How and why Paul chose wedding photography as his niche
  • News photographers that Paul look up to
  • Paul’s level of comfort in letting old colleagues know he is now a wedding photographer
  • Why Paul chooses to shoot weddings today
  • Learning to adapt to change
  • How Paul learnt photography
  • How to become a photojournalist
  • The difference between news journalism and photo journalism
  • How Paul managed to land a job at The Times magazine
  • How was it working for The Times?
  • Where Paul learnt his photography skills to become the photographer that he is today
  • When photography becomes a job
  • Is there any longevity in the wedding photography business?
  • Does wedding photography business have the potential to disappear in the future?
  • Why shooting so much at a wedding is important
  • What is ‘shooting through the moment’?
  • Whose work made a huge influence on Paul’s photography style?
  • Why the UK has so many documentary photographers
  • The best way to become better at photojournalism
  • How will you benefit from attending the Foundation workshop?
  • Why Paul still attends workshops today
  • The difference between a news photographer and a war photographer
  • Paul’s reason for outsourcing his photo editing
  • First time outsourcing – how does it feel?

Paul Rogers Photography Podcast

What is your big takeaway?

Following this interview, I’d love to read your feedback and comments. Was there something from this interview that struck a chord, inspired or motivated you?

Will you take any kind of action after hearing what Paul had to share?

Let me know by leaving your thoughts in the comments below.

I’ve made all those mistakes out there and you know, you don’t intend to make them the second time; or there’s maybe a second time but not a third – Paul Rogers

If you have any questions that I missed, a specific question you’d like to ask Paul or if you just want to say thanks for coming on the show, feel free to add them below too.

Paul Rogers Photography Podcast

When you are confident in what you’re doing you can get to the point of shooting the images that you know you need a lot quicker than when you’re faffing around, experimenting, trying something out that doesn’t work and you’re not quite sure you end up overshooting – Paul Rogers

Paul Rogers Photography Podcast

I knew that I needed to do something in the field of documentary photography to do the kind of work that I wanted to do – Paul Rogers

Paul Rogers Photography Podcast

Things change and this is who I am now – Paul Rogers

Paul Rogers Photography Podcast

We will never stop learning and I just want to push myself every single wedding. Every year, I want to get better at everything – Paul Rogers

Paul Rogers Photography Podcast

Links to people, places and things mentioned in this episode:

Paul Rogers Website

Paul Rogers on Facebook

Paul Rogers on Instagram

Paul Rogers on Twitter

Jeff Ascough

Neale James

Sean Smith

Brian Harris

Daniel Meadows

Don McCullin

Jane Bown

Foundation First Workshop

I suppose what I’m trying to do is explore other people’s vision of how they see – Paul Rogers

Equipment

Zenit camera

Canon EOS 5D Mark II Full Frame DSLR Camera (Body Only) (OLD MODEL)

Canon EOS 5D Mark III 22.3 MP Full Frame CMOS with 1080p Full-HD Video Mode Digital SLR Camera (Body)

Paul Rogers Photography Podcast

Thank you!

Thanks again for listening to the show and thanks to Paul for coming on and experimenting with a new and different format for this photography podcast.

Also, a big thanks to The Image Salon for sponsoring this episode of the podcast and making the show possible. If outsourcing your editing is something you're currently doing or considering, please put the guys at The Image Salon to the test… I think you'll be blown away!

If you immerse yourself around people that have a philosophy in the way that they work it could certainly rub off on you and it can change the way you start looking at the world and that’s just the beginning. It’s now up to you to develop that and to look for other influences and to develop your style and to find out what works and what doesn’t – Paul Rogers

If you have any suggestions, comments or questions about this episode, please be sure to leave them below in the comment section of this post, and if you liked the episode, please share it using the social media buttons you see at the bottom of the post!

That’s it for me, hope everything is going well for you in life and photography!

Thanks and speak soon

Andrew

The Image Salon