Jason-Bell

This question has me laughing out loud!!! And blushing.

I can honestly say that's never happened. Not that I haven't ever found a subject attractive, but more because I'm in the moment and working and concentrating on the shot rather than anything else ;-)

Well obviously I empathise with the staff photographers. No one wants to be fired.

But it's really way the whole industry is going. Even when i started out at the Sunday Times in London the staffers were being let go.

Creatively there is something to be said for picking the right photographer for a job from any source, rather than just because they are on staff.

I hope that the staffers at SI feel motivated to go out and work freelance for others rather than just bad about being let go.

Only once I'm happy to say as I try not to be - a big part of my job is staying calm and not getting flustered by the people I meet.

But early in my career I was commissioned to photograph Bjork. I was and still am a big fan and that first record was out which everybody was listening to all the time (including me) and I got on a plane to go to Iceland to shoot her and she was on the same plane, which I was not expecting, and I just thought Oh my God WOW that's her - am i going to be cool???

Luckily i was there a couple of days and had time to calm day. She is a lovely person and we ending up having dinner and chatting about her family life and having a baby and all sorts of things. And it was yet another reminder to me that all these people are just people. Nothing to fear here.... move along LOL

When you are starting out I think it's important to have projects. A lot of students come and see me with portfolios that are all over the place. A bit of this and bit of that. I don't think that gets you work. If there are only 3 fashion shots in your book and then 3 still lives and then other stuff I wouldn't give you a fashion job. So have your book say one thing clearly (and have another book to say another thing by all means) and then concentrate on projects. David Bailey said if you got and take pictures of mushrooms for a month you will get some great pictures of mushrooms. It made me laugh but it's true.

The iPhone will never replace the photographer because a photographer is not made by the equipment they use. A photographer is made by the IDEA they have. This is incredibly important to me. A good photographer can make a picture with a pinhole camera, an old box brownie or the most amazing latest camera on the market.