Success story

Peter Fenech visits commercial photographer Gavin Forster to learn how adaptability is key to thriving in the marketplace

- Peter Fenech

Gavin Forster

Although he is often described as a 'commercial photographer', Gavin works across a wide range of genres, from events to portraiture and corporate imaging.

Based in the northeast of England, Gavin's clients are located across the UK and internationally, and he has undertaken commissions for Just Eat, BuzzFeed, British Cycling, Prostate Cancer UK and Komodo, among others. See more of Gavin's work at: gforsterphoto.co.uk @gavinforstercommercial

It's a drizzly Monday morning on the banks of the River Tyne. It's one of those days where everything seems to have adopted a greyish tint conditions that would encourage most landscape photographers to pack up their gear and head home. I've arrived outside the Mushroom Works, a converted industrial building that's now home to a range of artists' studios, to join photographer Gavin Forster on a narrative portraiture shoot.

"Lovely weather!" he jokes as we bundle inside, Gavin and his assistant Karl laden with lighting and camera equipment. We're here to photograph artist Vicky Wade of Tori Lo Designs in her studio space, with the aim of capturing a series of editorial-style portraits telling the story of her personality and creativity.

The plan was originally to make some images in the studio and then head to the coast, to capture some shots of Vicky on a paddleboard in the ocean. However, the weather conditions have started to make that part of the shoot look uncertain.

This sets the tone for our conversation this morning and, in the end, will perfectly demonstrate some of the aspects of professional photography I'm here to discuss with Gavin.