As the reigning AIPP Pro Photographer of the Year, wedding shooter James Simmons knows a thing or two about making pictures. He talks to Marc Gafen about the road to success and his unique approach to photography.
Many highly successful photographers typically come from other industries, having allowed their love and passion for photography to develop over a number of years – almost like cellaring a fine wine until it reaches its peak. The career of wedding photographer James Simmons is like that. The seeds of Simmons' photography career were sown from an early age, and family influence is where it all began. His mother was a photography teacher in the small West Australian town of Southern Cross, some 370 kilometres east of Perth. Founded by gold prospectors in the late 1880s, this small rural town is where Simmons discovered his own form of gold – an enduring photographic passion. His mother helped convert the old jail, which was located on the school grounds, into a darkroom. "I have some pretty cool memories of seeing prints being developed, making pinhole cameras from Milo tins and doing double-exposures at the local graveyard," Simmons recalls. While all these memories and experiences no doubt had a significant impact, he didn't initially consider a career in the world of photography.
After finishing school in 1998 Simmons studied viticulture in Margaret River, on the coast south of Perth, and worked in the wine industry for just over five years. His love of surfing meant that he was always in the water, usually with a waterproof disposable camera. "I wasn't very good at (photography) and, to be honest, I was more interested in being photographed in the surf," he admits. Aware of his shortcomings, Simmons was nevertheless influenced by friends who were interested in film and video, and capturing the action in the surf. But two and half years spent travelling the world, having all sorts of crazy adventures, as well as undergoing a bit of soul-searching, helped solidify his interest in the visual medium. It was a particular conversation with a friend who filmed water sports for SkyTV out of London that helped him realise the potential in such a career. 
Being adventurous and encouraging people to be adventurous on their day helps Simmons find interesting situations. Canon 1Dx, 35mm lens, 1/2500s @ f/1.6, ISO 100. Photo: James Simmons.
Back in Australia in 2006 Simmons was seriously starting to consider the options around working in multimedia, video or photography. But it was a stroke of bad luck that finally helped him make a decision. "The nail in the coffin was when I severely broke my right arm while surfing in Margaret River," he says. "I couldn't do much for six months, so I enrolled at Edith Cowan University in a Bachelor of Creative Industries undertaking a double major in Photomedia and Film and Video." Halfway through his degree he started working at a portrait and wedding studio in Perth, cutting his teeth and learning about the commercial realities of photography.
The experience was invaluable as it allowed Simmons to commit to his photography equipped with an understanding of the realities of working in the field, and the business challenges he could expect to face. "It was awesome to have a communication and arts education while having hands-on commercial experience," Simmons says. "And even though the two were often worlds apart with conflicting beliefs and ideas, the influences from both have shaped my outlook on photography today." After five years, where he effectively completed his apprenticeship, he ventured out on his own. 
"I like seeing how people interpret simple directions, like 'Stand over there and get close!'" says Simmons. Pentax 645z, 35mm FA lens, 1/800s @ f/4, ISO 400. Photo: James Simmons.
A SOLID START
Simmons has only been running his business for a relatively short period of time, but in just two and a half years he's had tremendous success. In 2014 alone he was named AIPP Australian Wedding Photographer of the Year, AIPP WA Wedding Photographer of the Year and AIPP Australian Professional Photographer of the Year. In 2012, he was named AIPP WA Wedding Photographer of the Year and in 2011 he was AIPP WA Professional Photographer of the Year.
Before focusing his attention on weddings, Simmons says that he was shooting "anything and everything" to get experience. And the formal learning environment provided by university was a critical factor in him not only honing his skills, but also getting a fabulous introduction to a vast array of genres and shooting environments. The variety of assignments provided ample opportunity to learn and make mistakes without the pressure of clients. "In the studio, we predominantly shot portraits with a single light, but with all sorts of subjects from families, couples, singles, nudes, to pets, babies, pregnancy, kids and headshots. You name it, we did it," he says. 
Under the bridge. "If brides don't mind a bit of rock climbing I'm extra excited to shoot for them," says James Simmons. Canon EOS 1Dx, 35mm lens, 1/200s @ f/4, ISO 800. "I never thought I would get into weddings as the pressure on the day seemed overwhelming." Photo: James Simmons.
The initial challenge of single-light portraits soon started to fade and Simmons turned his attention to wedding photography as new challenge. "I never thought I would get into weddings, as the pressure on the day seemed overwhelming," he says, "but the ability to work photojournalism, creative portraits and fashion into the day was a massive drawcard, and quite exciting." The other major factor steering him towards wedding photography was his love of telling stories, and capturing a wedding day provided the perfect platform. Today, approximately 90% of his commission work is weddings, while the majority of his portrait work comes from wedding clients. A handful of commercial clients make up the balance.
Simmons says that winning the 2014 AIPP Photographer of the Year Award was easily the biggest highlight of his career to date. And while he's constantly finessing and developing his style and approach to wedding photography, his next goal is more business focus and refining what he does. The ultimate aim, he says, is to discover if there really is such a thing as a work-life balance!
FRESH INSPIRATION
Some might argue that constantly shooting weddings might dull one's creative senses, but Simmons finds that by calling on his skills and experience in shooting a variety of genres, the opposite is true. As well as this, he spends considerable time, energy and effort working on personal projects. "It allows me to play with ideas, concepts and techniques that I might not use during a wedding," Simmons says. "I can slow down, engage with different subjects and not feel the pressure and restriction of needing to make people look good. And what's more, ideas I have played with in my personal work will often inspire my wedding work."
Asked to provide an overview of his favourite subject matter or location, Simmons says that as long as there is awesome light to work with, he's satisfied. "My favourite thing to do," he says, "is explore, and find something new or meet people and learn interesting stories." One of his next projects will involve surfing as he's just acquired a 15mm fisheye lens and an underwater housing. In terms of getting a project off the ground, Simmons believes that the best approach is to find an idea, commit to it, shoot it, assess how it went, get some feedback, and then go back and shoot some more. He has an approach based on practical shooting and trial and error in the field. He considers most of the projects he's working on as ongoing, with no specific end or goal in mind other than to keep practising his art, sharpen his skills, and remain inspired and in love with photography. In terms of inspiration, Simmons loves the work of photographers like Gregory Crewdson, Sebastião Salgado, Bill Brandt, Alfred Stieglitz, and Robert Frank. 
Wedding, Devon, UK. Canon EOS 1Dx, TS-E45 lens, 1/500s @ f/4, ISO 400. Photo: James Simmons.
A DIFFERENT STYLE
In the short time that Simmons has been growing and building his business, wedding clients have flocked to him. His fine-art approach to wedding photography, along with a photojournalistic slant, is not simply about being a fly on the wall, but taking an active and collaborative approach with his clients to be in a position to produce a beautiful, artistic story of their day. Simmons likes to think that the style of his images is a reflection of who he is – adventurous, joyful and romantic. And romantic in an 'art' sense, not a 'Valentine's Day' way, he hastens to add! But besides bright and energetic moods, he also has dark and sombre moods and that variety is apparent throughout his work. Simmons says that his wedding work tends to be a little more joyful and light, whereas his personal work is often sombre and dark.
But producing fantastic work is only one element in a winning formula. Simmons has found that having a great rapport with people and taking a genuine interest in them and their lives helps him to be more engaged with his subjects. And this results in better work, since having a deeper understanding of who you're working with allows for more informed choices. "Clear and honest communication is paramount. Being able to be myself is also very important, as I can do that all day long," he says. Simmons admits to a long and enduring admiration of photojournalism. "I loved the way you can structure a story with a series of images, introduce characters and depict a mood or emotion, however what fascinates me the most is the 'lead' shot or the iconic image that captures the essence of the story in a single frame," he says. "The idea of capturing iconic images really excites me." 
Bridal preparation at a Burswood hotel room moments before heading to the ceremony. Canon EOS 1Dx, 35mm lens, 1/800s
@ f/2, ISO 800. Photo: James Simmons.
WORDS OF WISDOM
If you want to improve your photography, Simmons believes that you first have to master the fundamentals. He says you need to study the rules of composition and design – not just the rule of thirds – and remember that lighting makes all the difference."What you can do with just a single light source is crazy," Simmons says. "And don't over complicate things."
One of the biggest mistakes he sees many newer photographers entering the market make is that they try to make a business out of photography right away. "Photography is an art form," he says. "Learn it, play with it, experiment with it, and grow with it. You can be a photographer and exhibit your works as an artist or become an internet sensation without having to be a commercial/domestic professional photographer," he suggests. "Sure if the passion takes you there, go for it, but work with others first, and build a network in the photographic community. Set things up right to begin with. But most importantly, understand that nothing happens overnight, or without hard work and sacrifice."
"I love giving couples some quiet time during the photo shoot to relax and reflect on the day," says Simmons. Canon EOS 1Dx, 35mm lens, 1/4000s @ f/1.4, ISO 640. Photo: James Simmons.
And for those keen to become professional wedding photographers, Simmons warns against both becoming a slave to the wedding blogs and obsessing over the work of other wedding shooters. "Obviously you need to be aware," he says, "but comparison is the devil. Worry about what you do and look after your clients, as referrals are the strongest form of advertising."
"Ultimately, what I'm trying to achieve is to produce images that I can proudly show people. What I have started to realise is that as long as I work hard and put in as much effort and thought as I can, it seems to work out pretty well and my clients like it."
"Finding nice light and a good location give me the best opportunity to shoot a cool landscape shot for the couple," says Simmons. Canon EOS 1Dx, 35mm lens, 1/500s @ f/2, ISO 400. Photo: James Simmons.
TOOLS OF THE TRADE
A Canon user, Simmons relies on an EOS 1D-X and a 5D Mk III coupled with a 35mm f/1.4L and an 85mm f/1.2L. During the day, when he's after a specific shot, he'll also use a 50mm f/1.2L, 135mm f/2 and a 16-35mm f/2.8L. His favourite lens is the 35mm, and he says that he'll typically use this for 75% of the day when he's covering a wedding. For a bit of fun he'll pull out his Canon TS-E 45mm f/2.8 tilt-shift lens. For supplemental lighting, his kit includes two Canon 600 EX-RT Speedlites, along with a dedicated transmitter. Besides his Canon gear, his kit also includes a Pentax 645z with 35mm FA lens and Pentax 6x7 with 105mm f/2.4 lens. But if there's one piece of kit he says he simply can't live without, it's his HoldFast camera strap. "I forgot it once, and made my second shooter go back to my house and get it," Simmons says. When he's travelling, he relies on his trusty Leica M3 camera.
In-between set ups can often offer up the best (and most relaxed) photographic moments of a wedding day. Canon EOS 1Dx, 35mm lens, 1/250s @ f/2.8 ISO 640. Photo: James Simmons.