Simon Cook has joined the Guild as a professional photographer specialising in commercial advertising and PR with over 25 years’ experience.
Based in West Cornwall, his clients include local and national press, galleries and agencies, providing services both from his studio in West Cornwall and on location throughout the county. More recently he has provided photography in the agricultural sector and is keen to expand this aspect of his work.
“I was born in Cornwall in 1960 and grew up near Penzance with a keen interest in farming from early childhood,” says Simon. “After leaving school, I studied City & Guilds in agriculture at Camborne College and then an NCA at Bicton. After that, I worked as a tractor driver, chiefly on arable farms, which by chance led to a rather different tractor driving job cutting the grass in London parks.”
His discovery of photography, which led to his current career, was inspired by the gardeners, many of whom were keen amateur photographers. Changing his vocational path by training as a photographer’s assistant for two years, Simon worked freelance in London as a commercial photographer for several years before returning to Cornwall in the 1990s.
His images have appeared in numerous periodicals, publicity material and ebsites for the horticulture, food and tourism industries, scientific instrument makers, international furniture designers, artists and jewelers. It also featured in John Nettles TV series West Country.
“Recent clients include the Post Office, with regular commissions throughout Cornwall, and the familiar tourist destination, Land’s End, supplying photography promoting the attractions and hotel at the furthest point south and west in Great Britain; their current campaign involves Shaun the Sheep!,” notes Simon.
Recent PR work clients include both Tesco and Sainsbury’s and others outside agriculture – but he would like to expand his agri PR client base having supplied Boumatic, the international milking systems manufacturer, with advertising and editorial photography over the past year from farms in Cheshire and Cornwall for the company’s UK campaigns. Simon’s work can be seen on his www.cornish-images.com website.
In his spare time, Simon enjoys cycling, walking and landscape photography – and following Arsenal football club.
- All Members and Friends of the Guild can be contacted using the Farming Media Centre on this website. Just search by surname or to find a photographer, journalist, PR specialist, etc, select one or more of the criteria.
