Judith graham
Hi I’m Judith from Village Photography in Hebburn and I have been interested in photography for more years than I care to mention.
My love for photography started when I was just 9 years old. The very first camera I had was a 125 camera. And for those old enough to remember it, it was the one where the flash was a little cube on top of the camera. I started by photographing landscapes, birds, and family and of course, my family soon got sick of me creeping up behind me.
My first Camera
Dad bought me my first 35mm camera in 1983 when we were going to Yugoslavia on holiday, and I wanted a “proper” camera. My passion grew and in 1989 I bought my first DSLR camera. We were going to Florida on holiday and I went armed with a bag of 35mm rolls of film it was my intention to catch every bit of Disney World on film as this was a once-in-a-lifetime trip.
Over the coming years, my love of photography continued to grow and my Uncle David encouraged me to join the camera club he was a part of. I enjoyed trips to the Farne Islands, capturing images of puffins, seals, and seagulls. But after a time this trip confirmed to me that landscapes and birds weren’t for me. What excited me more was capturing the other photographers being attacked by the seagulls 😊
I started photographing the panto for my local community centre back in 1990 which then lead to bookings for birthday parties & weddings for family, friends, and the local community.
Judith Graham – Village Photography began
In 2001, having been made redundant from my job, everything changed. I used my redundancy money to purchase my first professional camera and I decided to become self-employed. I was contracted to a legal company based in Manchester to carry out photoshoots of personal injury scars, and location spots where accidents and defects in the roads and pavements caused people to trip or fall. Furthermore, I carried out insurance assessments and took images of damaged bathrooms and kitchens for a number of insurance companies.
Meanwhile, I began to concentrate on weddings at the weekends, along with my dad Derek. This allowed me to work freelance during the week. In 2006 I set up my first Studio in South Shields allowing me to introduce:
- Children’s portraits
- Family portraits
- Dog Portraits
- Corporate Headshots
to my Photography Services offerings. I soon outgrew my studio and I moved to bigger premises in Hebburn, where I still operate from today.
Bigger premises allowed me to offer themed shoots as well as more newborn baby and pet portraits.
Judith Graham Training
Along my journey, I have continued to learn to increase my abilities by attending various photography courses, including training in Health and Safety around photographing babies. I attend the Residency of the North East Workshops too, I just love learning new techniques.
In 2011 I trained as a New Born Baby Photographer. The training was delivered by one of Australia’s top Newborn Baby Trainers. I learned the tips and techniques together with health and safety requirements, that I still use to this day.
In 2017 I joined the National Portrait Awards. This was a national group of professional photographers who raise funds for charity through portrait Awards. In just 3 years Village Photography, with the great support of our clients, raised over £8,500 for charity!
Achievements
- 2017 – Pet Portrait Photographer of the Year – Winner
- 2017 – Photographer of the Year – Runner Up
- 2018 – Photographer of the Year – Winner
- 2019 – Photographer of the Year- Runner Up
