Portraits with character!

Our apprentice learns the art of character portraiture, shooting professional soldiers

THE APPRENTICE

NAME: Tonya Hawkins

CAMERA: Nikon D810

Tonya is from Westbury, Wiltshire, and since picking up a camera for the first time less than a year ago, has been aspiring to become a portrait photographer, taking a place on a Government Kickstart Scheme to learn the ropes. She's had plenty of practice in a studio setting but was keen to broaden her photographic repertoire, so was delighted to get professional one-on-one tuition from Johnny, if a little nervous that the shoot was to be on an Army base.

It was a bitterly cold December day when Johnny and Tonya met at the headquarters of the 10 Queen’s Own Gurkha Logistic Regiment in Aldershot, north Hampshire. Johnny had served as an officer in the regiment before embarking on his career as a pro travel, commercial and portrait photographer, and his connections with the regiment granted him unrivalled access for their one-on-one character portrait workshop.

“Still, I’m not sure who we’re going to have to model for us,” confided the pro as they waited to be greeted by the regiment’s adjutant (the military officer in charge).

They needn’t have worried, as they were introduced to no fewer than eight Gurkhas, wearing everything from ceremonial parade ground uniforms and combat fatigues through physical training gear to traditional Gurkha dress from respective regions of Nepal – the country from where these formidable soldiers are recruited.