Interview with Charlie Burness

Hi Charlie! Tell us about yourself in two sentences - who are you?

Formerly an executive assistant from London, I’m currently exploring the sights, sounds and - most importantly - the tastes of South East Asia and beyond. Aside from travelling, I’m fond of prosecco, brunch and prosecco brunches, though I'd like to think I’m not as annoying as all of this makes me sound. Apart from when I insist on instagramming every sunset I see.

QWhat's the weirdest situation you've found yourself in while taking a photograph?

AI guess the weirdest situation I find myself in is trying to nail underwater photography whilst scuba diving. It’s pretty difficult to get a good focus, angle and catch the right light when you’re trying to stay at perfect buoyancy whilst paying enough attention to both the environment around you and your dive buddies to ensure your safety tens of metres under the sea. And before all of that it’s very difficult to spot some of the best creatures to shoot underwater, as so many of them are teeny tiny and camouflage themselves incredibly well.

QWhat do you shoot on? What's your favourite set up?

AI take a huge amount of photos on my iPhone. A rubbish one - a 4s. How professional is that? I should probably upgrade. One of my biggest first world problems is running out of space on my phone from the sheer number of photos I snap in a day. When I’m feeling less lazy, I shoot on a Canon SX510 HS, which is the perfect size for me whilst I’m backpacking. One day I hope to get all the proper gear with fancy lenses, but until then I’m happy to work with what I have and build on my knowledge and improving my eye for a good shot.

QWhat's your number one tip for an aspiring photographer?

ALearn how to use the equipment you have. There’s no point having all the gear without understanding what it is capable of and how to use it, be it a point and shoot or a fancy DSLR. There are plenty of YouTube tutorials and books that cover the basics of what you need to know, and accessible to everyone. Learn about editing. Take an interest in the technical side of things and practice. Take your time to get the shot you want.