Member Profile: Mark Fullbrook

About me:

Who are you? Do you consider yourself a Professional/Semi-Pro/Amateur/Beginner photographer?

My name is Mark Fullbrook, I am an amateur photographer living in Scunthorpe North Lincolnshire. I am 63 years old and took early retirement from the steel industry 3 years ago so that I could care for my wife who unfortunately has Motor Neuron Disease. I joined the army at 17 and served 23 years before leaving and settling in North Lincolnshire.

Your Photography Journey

During my first posting in Germany (1979), one of the single lads living on camp asked me if I would like to buy a camera. At first, I thought, why do I need a camera? I considered this for a few days and then went back to him and said, “If you show me how to use it and develop the film then I will buy it”, which he did, so there I was with my first camera, an old Zenit. He did show me how to use it and I spent hours in the darkroom developing black and white photos. I never really took it seriously at that time.

It wasn’t until lockdown that I really got into photography like many others. I got out as often as I could photographing birds which I found very interesting. It was at this time that I thought I wanted to improve my photography and I typed in photography courses into Google search and found TSOP. I can’t remember which order I took the courses in but among the first were the Photoshop and Trudy Kepke’s Fine Art course which I found fascinating. I must admit that Photoshop scared me at first but now I use it all the time, thank you TSOP. I use a lot of textures in my still-life photography thanks to Trudy’s course which I think can turn an ok photo into a competition-winning photo. I have completed a lot of the TSOP courses, I will finish the Head Shot course and then start on the Fine Art Portrait course.

What is the most valuable thing you’ve learned from TSOP?

I think I have learnt a lot from the courses on TSOP I find that the monthly assignments are a great way of learning, teaching us how to look at things from a different perspective. “We look but we don’t always see”.

What is your preferred genre?

I really do enjoy wildlife photography but unfortunately, I can’t get out as often as I would like to as I’m caring for my wife so I have turned to still life and flower macro photography which I can set up in my garage. I think I would describe my style as creative, which I can do with both genres, which has included hanging teapots on a very fine thread from the garage roof. I use a lot of texture overlays in Photoshop for my still-life images and I also use the focus stack function for macro. I am very interested in impressionist photography which is something I have dabbled with for a while now overlaying multiple images in Photoshop.

What inspires you to create photography?

I get a lot of inspiration from a Spanish photographer, Pep Ventosa. He creates multi-layered images often by photographing all around a subject. Another photographer is, Matt Molloy from Canada. Matt uses time-lapse photography to create stunning sunset and cloud movement images. I have had a go at this, my Humber Bridge image is 220 shots layered in Photoshop using the lighten blend mode. I also get a lot of inspiration from groups that I am in on Facebook including some of our own photographers in TSOP. In March last year, I joined my local camera club which has been a great source of inspiration for me, seeing other photographers work and entering competitions.

Describe your first photograph in your learning journey.

One of my first wildlife shots taken at the beginning of lockdown was of a pair of Greylag geese in flight. It was a total fluke that it was sharp as I didn’t really understand the camera setting, I should have used or how to pan properly. Over the past few years, I have learnt how to use my camera to get the best images I can.

My favourite photograph:

My favourite photo that I’ve taken ©*Mark Fullbrook*

What is your favourite photograph that you’ve taken?

I think my favourite photograph I have taken recently is a still life of bluebells. I don’t really know why but I had a whacky idea to have bluebells pouring from a teapot. This is where I had the teapot hanging from the garage roof and then added bluebells and textures in post processing.

What’s next for Mark?

I think I need to concentrate on my chosen genres and look to develop those further. I have several ideas that I will work on in the near future, watch this space as they say. Earlier this year I had 2 photographs accepted for The North & East Midlands Photographic Federation (N&EMPF) exhibition which I was really pleased about. The standard was very high especially from the Rolls Royce club (as you would expect). This has given me a taste for competition, and I’m determined to go further next time.

Conclusion

Photography has been a very welcome distraction for me and has given me a lot to look forward to. I get a lot of enjoyment from setting things up in my garage and photographing them. My photography has come a long way since I bought my first camera back in 1979. I have sold some of my prints which gives you a big buzz and I would love to sell some more.

I don’t think that there is anything out there that hasn’t been photographed, so how can I do it differently?

Where can people follow you?

My Instagram is - @markfullbrookphotography