Alumni spotlight: James Cannon

As the hit theatre production dramatising the ups and downs of the England football team under Gareth Southgate hits cinema screens across the world this year, Solent University alumnus James Cannon talks to us about his role on the Dear England production and how his time at Solent University prepared him for undertaking this work.

Given the nature of the story, the National Theatre were looking for a photographer who captured emotion, expressions, and movement. With his portfolio since graduating with a degree in photography from Solent University in 2007 being centred on movement, sport, and community, James – a freelance photographer – was the perfect match.

James’s brief was to collaborate with their marketing and design teams and create the visuals to sell the production into the cinema, and the skills he developed whilst studying at Solent University supported him as he undertook this work. Of his time as a photography student, James says, “The course as whole gives you the space and tools to go off and research and interpret creative briefs, with support and feedback from tutors. The skills I learned during my time on the course were the same as those in the commercial world – from the core skills of project management and creative development to the individual skills of using your imagination and creativity to present outcomes, find solutions, guide people through process, and be confident to voice an opinion as a leader in your specialist field. All these skills are important to creating a final output, for both yourself as an artist and a client and all were developed and nurtured during my time studying at Solent University.”

Dear England was recently nominated for nine Olivier Awards and won two.

What has he got lined up next? James has recently returned from Dubai, UAE where he was the photographer on a project to promote an upcoming Formula 1 game by EA Sports. To succeed in industry, James says it is vital to “find your voice, be confident, and create opportunities.”

If you would like to find out more about our photography courses, you can do so by visiting our website.

 

Image credit: James Cannon - www.cannonphotography.co.uk