Paul Nichols - A Portrait of an Artist in Cornwall

I was commissioned by Cornwall Life magazine to create a series of portraits of people connected to the surfing industry in Cornwall. As a portrait photographer in Cornwall, I always enjoy photographing artists, there’s something special about meeting and capturing fellow creative souls.

I arrived at Pauls studio near St Agness on quite a grey day and I remember thinking it was going to be a challenge as his studio was tiny and the light was low due to the weather outside.  

I instantly warmed to Paul while chatting over a cup of tea in his kitchen. His lovely wife, Jenny, joined us, and we spent a relaxed half hour talking about art, surfing, and family. I had recently become a dad and proudly showed them pictures of baby Ella. Once the tea was finished, it was time to focus on the task at hand, taking a portrait of an artist in his studio.

Paul led me to a small room at the back of his lovely home. It was tiny and cluttered, which initially filled me with dread,as I had hoped for a larger space to work in. But as a portrait photographer,you have to adapt to the surroundings you’re given.

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I decided I needed to introduce light, so I set up a flashlight on a stand and placed it in the corner of the room. Paul had plenty of paintings of surfers ripping it up, most of them depicting his sons, who are well known in the local surfing community.

We looked at several of his paintings, but one really stood out to me. It showed his son in full flow, turning at the top of a wave. I loved the blue tones and the powerful movement he created.

Paul wore his artist’s smock and a floppy hat, the one he usually wears when painting outdoors. I decided I wanted to focus the light on both him and the painting, so I used a honeycomb filter, which directs the light and creates a more focused beam. Because the space was so tight, I really only had one shooting position, so the lighting was key.

I captured some strong portraits of Paul looking straight into the camera, which is how I usually prefer to work, as I feel it helps the sitter engage with the viewer. I asked Paul to lean back slightly and turn towards the light. I think I took about five or six frames before finishing the shoot.

While I packed away my camera and lights, Jenny made us another brew, and we continued chatting. It wasn’t until I got home and reviewed the images that it became clear asking Paul to turn towards the light had been the right decision. The light falling from the left echoed the natural light coming in from the doorway behind him, helping the portrait feel balanced and cohesive.

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