WHO IS
Alan Harbord
Mission statement
To use my years of training and experience that is my craft, to produce relevant images that are on brand and stand out, therefore enhancing an organisation's image.
My end goal for clients
For my clients to enjoy the benefits of an enhanced set of relevant images, causing them to return again and again.
Values
It’s all about people! People buy people and one of my favourite quotes from all time is:
“People will forget the things that you say, but they will NEVER, forget how you make them feel”. So very true!
Why I do what I do
The photography industry is not regulated. Which means anyone can be a photographer, no matter what training or skills or experience they have. And no matter what they know about customer service and the concept of going the extra mile.
This means that there is a wide range in levels of professionality and skill level. Resultantly there have been a lot of surprises that unfortunate clients have endured.
I want my clients to experience the best! When a client books me I feel happy knowing they are in exceptional hands.
Media mentions and press coverage
Alan’s pictures have featured in:
The Telegraph magazine
Utopia magazine
Home and garden magazine
Face On magazine
Good Light magazine
So Tunbridge Wells magazine
Royal Tunbridge Wells magazine
Kent life magazine
Your Kent Wedding
Your Sussex wedding
The Tunbridge Wells Courier
The Times of Tunbridge Wells
Go! Tunbridge Wells
And had the front cover of:
Your Kent Wedding (4 times)
Royal Tunbridge Wells (2 times)
History
Alan loved taking pictures from the age of 14 and very soon preferred people photography over other genres. From that age he was the one at family and social occasions with the gear, looking for moments and expressions to capture.
“I remember learning back then, that timing was critical if you are to get the expression right”.
Alan studied electronics engineering at Brighton and went on to work in the industrial automation industry. During these years the creativity never left him, and he never stopped photographing people and nearly started his own photography business aged 22. But the photography business came later.
In 2007 while enjoying a night of modern jive dancing, the organiser asked him to shoot their upcoming Christmas party. They loved the photos so much they asked him again .. and again .. and Alan went on to shoot a total of 194 jobs with that organisation, across all 22 of their dance venues, for opening nights, special occasions and events.
Around the same time Alan was asked to shoot a fashion range, then some products, then London nightclubs, portraits as well as and many other types of shoot.
Always keen to learn and enhance his craft, in 2009 Alan joined the BIPP (British Institute of Professional Photographers) and began working towards his first industry qualification – Licentiateship. In 2014, after being mentored by Kevin Wilson (one of the most decorated photographers of our time), Alan gained the next qualification – Associateship.
Over the next 5 years, Alan went on to submit a curated selection of his images to professional competition and by 2019 had gained 95 national awards of photographic excellence, with 3 of the most prestigious industry bodies in the UK.
Today Alan is a highly experienced commercial and wedding photographer, and has shot in locations all over the UK and Europe.
Testimonials and case studies
So many have been kind enough to write very positive reviews for me, some made public (Google, etc) and others just sent to me. Here is one particular tale of a wedding that didn't turn out quite as expected.
A wedding at Bradbourne House in Kent, where things didn't go as expected.
Half way through the wedding day, just after the couple and all 120 guests sat down for the meal, the bride was taken ill, and had to leave the room, and later was taken to hospital. Their wedding day was over.
Fortunately she made a full recovery after a few days, but they only had half a wedding day and resultantly, half the pictures.
This concerned me. And so I concurred up, a plan. I contacted the venue and persuaded them to lend it to us, I then offered the couple a complimentary shoot. All they needed to do, was hair and make up, and to put that beautiful wedding dress back on.
Their reaction to this was priceless, and this is how the bride, responded:
“Alan, your email and offer, has made us cry. What a beautifully kind and sweet offer. I barely don't know what to say. We are honestly stunned by this. Of course we would LOVE LOVE LOVE, to accept your generous offer. Thank you from the very bottom of our hearts.”
I often say that I go the extra mile, whether it be wedding or corporate clients or training, but to be honest I always love the opportunity to do so.
Qualifications and certifications
Degree (BEng) in Electronics engineering, University of Brighton.
Qualified with the BIPP )British Institute of professional photography in 2009 and awarded a Licentiateship.
Awarded an Associateship with the BIPP in 2014
Professional competition awards - Years 2014-2019.
During these years Alan has been awarded an incredible 95 national awards of photographic excellence by the Guild of Professional photographers and the Societies of Photographers.
These are individual images Alan has submitted to professional competition and has gained either Bronze, silver or gold.
Community / charity involvement
Alan has shot on many occasions for the charity, Taylormade Dreams and is currently in talks with Nourish, the Tunbridge Wells food bank, to help with imagery for their new website.
When I’m not working
I am immensely practical and always have been. When I bought our old cottage I renovated, rewired and re plumbed it, as well as fitting the boiler, kitchen, and bathroom, learning new skills along the way.
And my practicality as reached to many other areas too. When I first learnt to drive I maintained, fixed and modified my cars, changing interiors, suspension, engine brakes and electronics.
Sounds like a lot, but it’s just what I’m like and how my mind works.
And having a large garden has caused me to discover gardening, which for me ranges from seeding and planting to hedging, digging and tree work. So this is why I often refer to the garden as nature’s gym!
Other loves include dancing, and I’ve enjoyed courses on tango, ballroom, foxtrot and quickstep, and have been teaching modern jive for over 20 years.
Music is such a big subject to me and I am always listening to music, so I’ll just say I love so many genres, but I am very particular about what I listen to within each genre. I go for melodies that that carry meaning and passion, the more profound the better. And it seems that you can find that meaning in every genre.
And to go with music I have a huge passion for high quality sound, and from the age of just 9 I cultivated a lifelong interest in speaker design and build which has taken me on many an adventure.
Great food that is made skilfully from natural and gorgeous ingredients, means the world to me, and I really love to cook fab food too.
I am one of the few guys who is a fan of Jane Austen and I wish she’d lived for longer to enjoy the fruits of her labour, as well as to write more novels!
I prefer the BBC Pride and Prejudice and was shocked they cast Keira Knightly for the film!
Persuasion is adorable and I prefer the 2007 film with Sally Hawkins and Rupert Penry-Jones, to the 2022 remake. All that running along the Royal Crescent in Bath and then, their exchange - wow!
On the subject of literature, I am mesmerised by the Philip Pullman trilogies "His Dark Materials" and "The Book of Dust". I can not comprehend how Lyra left Pan ... sends shivers down my spine just thinking about it.
And I love film and drama .. who doesn’t! Here my tastes are as wide ranging as they are for music, and whilst adoring Austin, Bridgerton, etc, my top 10 films of all time would certainly include, Terminator 2, The Dambusters, The Bourne Identity, Gosford Park, Casino Royal (Craig), amongst others.
And finally the best thing in my life is my wife Helen. We got married in a time where film photography was the norm so things were very different then.
Friends have often said, what is your secret, and how come you two are so happy? I say love unconditionally, never take them for granted and always respect the other. And also be certain that you have the right match in the first place!
We recently had a big anniversary and had to celebrate in some way. So we took a month off and set out in Bluebell (Helen’s MX5), for a road trip through Europe seeing friends and staying at lovely hotels on the way. The thing is, I now want to do another grand tour!
Training
I started training photographers and photography start ups in 2014, and it all started when the mother of a bride who’s wedding I’d photographed, called me to ask if I can offer training, for her other daughter who wants to start up in photography.
I gave her a number of training sessions, and she went on to become my number one second photographer and assistant for shoots.
I went on to build a training website, and trained numerous other photographers as well as photography enthusiasts, taking their craft from where they are, to a whole new level.
Photography training website: www.photographycourseskent.co.uk
Vision for the future of the industry
My hope is that the standard of photography in the UK will rise, and that buyers will respond by becoming more selective when they hire a photographer.
I would like to see photographers respond by seeking training and qualifications, as an ongoing investment. For this they will need to choose one or more of the professional industry bodies, who are ready to help shape their craft from whatever level they are at, right up to as far as they would like to go.
