Dean Hammonds

Photography assistant, Dean Hammonds, is 22. Passionate and committed, he is using his spare time to build a portfolio of images, contacts, and a wide range of experience, with a view to becoming a leading, independent photographer.

Dean typifies the thinking that doing something you love doesn’t feel like work. Currently a photographic assistant at Lithium Studios in Ossett, but possessing a strong entrepreneurial streak, he spends much of his spare time furthering his creative passion with a community artistic network based in Wakefield.

Within the artistic network he is a rapper and graffiti artist, and liaises with live bands, groups and events.  It all provides a rich seam of contacts and subjects to advance his longer-term ambition - to provide specialist photography for bands, as well as advertising and fashion photography.  

“It is important to make time to build relationships in your own time,” he advises.  ”Networking is essential.  It introduces people who could be key to the future of your work.”

For individuals or business start-ups seeking a foothold, maximising business opportunities can be critical to success or failure.  Whilst studying HND in Photography at Wakefield College, Dean and fellow student Alan Perkins seized their chance when they were invited to capture the community spirit at Wakefield mela through visual images.  The best of their photographs were exhibited in a public exhibition before one of Dean’s images was chosen to be featured as part of the Wakefield Calendar:

“It was a great platform to launch a career, to show everyone what we could do, and for us to get involved and learn about what goes into planning an exhibition,” Dean explains.

The inspiring influence of Dean’s tutor at college has combined with a creative streak to enable him, though young, to develop focus and self confidence in his chosen career.  Working to realise his goal of self employment within a niche area, Dean’s advise for others in similar situations, who may be considering making the entrepreneurial leap, is straightforward:

“It’s essential to do something you enjoy, or you just won’t succeed.”