An Interview with Shirley Jones
Gardening and photography share similar design principles - composition, light, colour, texture, and Shirley Jones uses skills learnt as a photographer in her gardening work. When she purchased an iPhone, it transformed her photography and helped her to rediscover her photographic style. She began taking photographs with renewed enthusiasm. Using basic editing apps, Shirley can replicate most of the effects that she used to employ in the darkroom.
I gained my degree in photography from Napier University in Edinburgh before moving south to pursue my career in professional photography. I worked as a wedding and portrait photographer for a few years before moving into the car photography business. I worked as an administrator at Bigshots Studios in Pershore for ten years. This role was fascinating and saw me helping with the smooth running of large photographic advertising shoots for the like of Landrover, Jaguar, Toyota and even the Teletubbies! When Bigshots closed its doors nine years ago, I decided to move into another of my passions, gardening. Gardening and photography share similar design principles so I found myself using skills I had learnt as a photographer in my gardening work. This new direction also offered up lots of opportunities to take photographs again.
A year ago I bought an iPhone and it has transformed my photography and helped me to rediscover my photographic style. Using some basic editing apps, I can replicate most of the effects that I used to employ in the darkroom. I began taking photographs with renewed enthusiasm. In 2012, I was asked to photograph all the gardens opening for the National Gardens Scheme in Pershore. These photographs were exhibited at the library and hopefully encouraged more local people to visit the gardens. I also exhibited in the Wetlands project with Pershore Arts and I am submitting some work for our “Pershore and Surrounds” exhibition at the Library.
I sell some work through “Three Little Pigs” in Pershore and through my photography Facebook page. I enjoy photographing my local area and revisiting favourite spots in different lighting and weather conditions. It’s also fascinating to see how places change according to the seasons. It’s a great opportunity to know an area intimately through photography. I hope I can demonstrate that Pershore is a visual feast if only people would take the time to see instead of just look.
Shirley Jones
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