About me - Chris Pope Photography

Hi, I'm Chris Pope

“Photography is not about cameras, gadgets and gizmos. Photography is about photographers. A camera didn’t make a great picture any more than a typewriter wrote a great novel.”
– Peter Adams

My professional photography journey began in the proving grounds of factories and manufacturing facilities across the UK to meet the client requirements of my successful PR/Communications agency. Working hard to get the on-message shots that worked for my clients and their customers quickly taught me you can only get the right shot if you genuinely understand what message it needs to convey. It’s something I put into practice each time I approach a commercial photoshoot to this day.

Music was my first love

Several years later my photography expanded into one of my main areas of creative interest – live music, a world I was very familiar with as a singer/songwriter but from the other side of a camera. I soon discovered however that this gave me a strong, intuitive connection with other artists and performers, from local heroes to international superstars. Consequently, my photographs quickly became recognised and valued for their ability to capture ‘just the right’ moment and make a memory of an event or performance. So much so I had the privilege of being approached to be a resident photographer for our local NME award winning music venue, Tunbridge Wells Forum, as well as an official photographer for the Local & Live, the longest running original, live music event in the South-East.

Highlights along the way

I have consequently had the privilege of shooting from the pit for 15+ years, from small independent venues up to the likes of Shepherds Bush Empire in London as well as a number of regional and national festivals. In addition to appearing in several exhibitions, my photographs have featured in a variety of print and online music publications, most notably an exclusive portfolio on The Who for MOJO magazine. I have also collaborated with a variety of artists re photography and artwork for singles, Eps and albums as well as promo pics and materials.

The show must go on

Along with live music photography, live theatre work is my favourite and most fulfilling area of professional work. It has been my absolute privilege to work closely with our local and highly respected theatre, especially their wonderful youth theatre group for over a decade now. It is a both a huge honour as well as responsibility to be tasked with capturing those unique performance moments that I know form lifelong memories not just for the actors involved, but also for their understandably very proud families. And let’s not forget the joy of shooting panto – who couldn’t love the opportunity to photograph those glorious costumes, wonderful sets and laugh out loud moments that good panto provides?

Why Choose Me?

a great eye for photography

“To me, photography is an art of observation. It’s about finding something interesting in an ordinary place… I’ve found that it has little to do with the things you see and everything to do with the way you see them.”

Elliott Erwitt

work that delivers results

“A good photograph is one that communicates a fact, touches the heart and leaves the viewer a changed person for having seen it. It is, in a word, effective.”

Irving Penn

friendly professional approach

“It is more important to click with people than to click the shutter.”

Alfred Eisenstaedt

I am based just outside Groombridge on the Kent/East Sussex border and within easy reach of London and Brighton

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