They say a son is destined to follow in his father’s footsteps or in this case his father’s finger clicks might be more apt.
Gregg’s father was a very keen amateur photographer and gifted him his first camera at the tender age of ten, it was destined that he would go beyond amateur to create Chilled Photography. “I loved it and fell in love with capturing that moment in time that could spark so many emotions, memories, and also a way to show people how I saw the world”.
Gregg and his family relocated to Kent in 2019, the reason for the shift from Surrey to Kentish slopes was family related. Since then, he has developed a real love for Hawkinge, describing it as “ideal as it has everything we wanted and needed, and we haven’t looked back”. Noting how there is a strong sense of community, a low crime rate and a friendly nature in people which means it’s impossible to pop to the shops “without saying or replying hello at least 3 or 4 times to complete strangers”.
CommunityAd had the pleasure of posing a few questions in the direction of Gregg of Chilled Photography about why he loves photography and discovering Hawkinge from all angles.
What do you find aesthetically so charming about Hawkinge and its surrounding areas?
Hawkinge to me is an amazing location with lots of countryside walks, stunning views over the English Channel and the coast and Kent’s countryside. There is so much visual history in and around Hawkinge, dating back to the Norman times Castle Hill right up to the WW2 pillboxes scattered all over the place, you also have the Kent Battle of Britain Museum, there is always something to look at and explore.
There’s something about it that stirs and inspires creativity, don’t you think?
Hawkinge to me offers everything a photographer could need, it’s beautiful, the views are breath-taking: looking to the south you have Folkestone, the coast, and on most days you can see France; look in the other directions you have fields, farm land, woods, amazing sunsets; and also being above Folkestone and most other towns and villages surrounding it, the light pollution isn’t too bad so on clear nights you can really see the night sky.
So as a photographer it covers pretty much all aspects of the photography that I love, landscapes and nightscapes, plus it’s dark enough for astrophotography and light painting which I love and kind of specialise in. Plus, as I said in the last question there is lots of history and always something new to look at and get inspired by.
What piece of advice would give to budding photographers who have only recently picked up a camera?
If you’re just starting out in the world of photography it doesn’t matter if you have a point and shoot that cost less than £100 or you have an expensive DSRL that’s cost thousands, it’s your creativity that produces the best photos in my opinion, even mobile phones these days they have some amazing cameras on them. I could show 2 photos shot at the same time from the same location, one on DSLR, one on mobile, you won’t be able to tell the difference between them.
One thing I love about photography is that it’s a subject where you never stop learning. Even after photographing for over 30 years, I still learn something new every week about it.
My advice to anyone starting out is…
If you’re on social media join the local photography groups on there, there is a wealth of knowledge on there so ask questions, watch YouTube, most of us photographers are only too happy to help out, I know that a number of us offer workshops, classes and one on ones in photography, in all styles from beginners to people who want to learn a new style, or just want a refresher, and if you’re not sure always ask, there will be someone who can help you.
Most of all just get out there and have fun with it.
