The summer of 1983 was a memorable one for Simon Williams, the well-known face behind the lens at Crest Photography.
After sitting his O Levels, rowing for England in Paris and enjoying his first holiday in Spain with his pals, he came home to do some work experience in a commercial photography studio in Gosforth before, he thought, starting a photography course at college. Everything went to plan, apart from being offered a job in that studio after a couple of weeks. The college course was abandoned and a 40-year career as a professional photographer began.
So, we thought it was time to catch-up with him.
What was the photography world like when you started?
It was so exciting as a 16-year-old to be involved in shoots, processing and printing the images and ultimately seeing them in newspapers, magazines and brochures. That feeling is still as strong today when I see my work in print, online, on the back of buses, on advertising hoardings all over the UK or even in a Sheffield casino toilet!
A lot has changed since 1983, but the skills I developed in the dark room are still the ones I use today when editing images on my computer.
When did you start Crest Photography and why?
After 12 happy years working in Gosforth, I was ready for a new challenge and wanted to be my own boss, so launched Crest Photography. I currently work with over 100 clients every year so, in reality, I have actually many more bosses today! I’ve worked with some of them for more than 30 years and they’re all very collaborative, which is a great way to work.
I found a niche in the Corporate PR world and quickly built up a solid client base, working across all sorts of industries, from house building, engineering and hotels to food, education, transport and many more. This variety keeps me excited to this day and no two days are the same.
How varied can a day taking photographs be?
Any given day really could involve anything. I can start with a shoot in Inverness, then head to London, then finish off in Durham before going home.
I once worked with Sting until the early hours in Newcastle,…was shooting in a casino in London the next morning and then across at The Houses of Parliament in the afternoon. It could even mean shooting King Charles on Hadrian’s Wall before shooting in a factory in Ashington – that’s the variety I love and it’s given me an amazing portfolio of images.
It sounds like you’ve worked with some amazing people – does anyone stand out?
I was the late Queen Elizabeth II’s host camera at a visit to Dame Allan’s School, which was an amazing honour for me, and I’ve also done one-to-one shoots with King Charles in my home county of Northumberland, which was a great opportunity to meet and work with the man, rather than the occasion.
Sting, Sir Bobby Robson, Sir Richard Branson, Sir Steve Redgrave, Ant and Dec, Princess Anne, Cheryl, Tony Blair, Gordon Brown and more ministers than I can remember have also been in front of the Crest lens.
Forty years is a long time – how have the highs and lows been?
There’ve been a couple of recessions during that time, but I’ve been lucky in my spread of clients being varied, so while some may have suffered, others carried on. I actually worked all the way through the pandemic as I work for a few NHS Trusts and there was a lot to do. I’m especially proud to work for my NHS clients – they’ve had me in tears a few times over the years, but I always had the camera to hide behind.
Forty years later, how has the job changed?
Other than the changes in technology, it’s essentially the same job. I know exactly what and why I’m shooting at each job, and while it’s not necessarily the prettiest photograph, it’s the best picture to tell that particular clients story every time. It’s their story I’m getting over in a shot, whether it’s a train on the coast for LNER, staff and cake at Greggs, an excavator for Komatsu, an aeroplane and cabin crew at Newcastle International Airport or even a cover shoot for Northern Insight at Buckingham Palace.
What does the future hold for you?
I’ve got such an amazing set of clients, the job’s getting better every year and I’ve no intention of letting up any time soon.
Doing 60,000 miles a year photographing good news stories is still an absolute joy, and I’d pay to do this job – just don’t tell them!
Check out Simons work on Crest Photography’s Facebook page and if you’d like to contact Simon, give him a call on 07889 532545 or simon@crestphotography.co.uk