Road to SWPP: Scott Johnson

With only six weeks left until the Societies’ Convention 2017, we’re counting down the weeks with some of our customers who are hosting seminars and workshops at The Convention. This week, we spoke to wedding photographer and Loxley customer, Scott Johnson.


A seminar with a Twist

Scott is one of the best wedding photographers working in the UK today, winning highly respected awards this year such as the BIPP London and Essex Creative Wedding Photographer of the year and the Wedding Fashion Photographer of the Year. He is also a Fellow of both the BIPP and SWPP. He has also just been nominated for the second time in three years for the Photographer of the Year at the Societies of Photographers’ Awards.

His Wedding Wow superclass will be set up almost like a step-by-step tutorial on shooting the perfect wedding. He wanted to offer something interesting to delegates:

“I think it’s really important to offer a live shoot in all classes, nobody wants to sit in a room for four hours watching a keynote presentation! Also, it’ll give delegates a chance to practice what they’ve (hopefully) learnt in my class.”
Scott Johnson: Road to SWPP

His aim is to teach photographers about the abundance of shooting opportunities to be had at any wedding, regardless of the venue or weather. His classes will be discussing a range of tips and techniques for photographers to adopt for weddings. Scott’s hands-on approach to seminars means he is providing each of the delegates the opportunity to develop different skills:

“I’ll be doing a live edit after the shoot, so there will be lots of lightroom tips and tricks, so even if it’s how to get the best out of your files, and create a better finished album, then I’ve done my job.”


Working with Loxley

Scott has used Loxley Colour to help him develop a range of products including frames, canvases and prints, as well as his own promotional material. When it comes to wedding albums, Scott uses the Bellissimo Fine Art albums which he describes as ‘beautiful’. When submitting competition prints, he used Loxley Colour too:

“Loxley have been an amazing partner in my business over the last few years… It’s no secret that Loxley printed my most recent BIPP Fellowship submission and all the assessors commented on the outstanding print quality of the images.Attic Frame


Advice for Beginners

The professional photography industry is constantly changing and, like many sectors, is incredibly competitive. Scott’s advice to those interested in setting up their own business is to stick with it no matter how difficult it gets:

“You’ll experience many changes in your style and creativity on your path, but the fun part is finding your place in the market and carving out your style, so eventually, people look at your work and instantly know it’s yours… Learn to have a thicker skin, and learn from them [critics], as they will only make you a better photographer in the long run.”Scott Johnson: Road to SWPP


When & Where

Scott has three seminars at The Convention; his Wedding Wow superclass is on 13 January, he has a class about film photography on 14 January, and a wedding seminar on 15 January. To book tickets, visit http://www.swpp.co.uk/convention/2017/speaker-bio-Johnson51471.htm. To look at more of his work, visit http://www.theedgephotography.co.uk/.