Simon was first inspired aged ten by a simple Kodak 127and the photographic image continues to stimulate him. In 1982, aged twenty-one and shooting stills commercially Simon met lighting cameraman John Gibson. John worked as a camera operator on classic features like 'raiders of the lost ark', 'reds' and 'chariots of fire'. John had natural talent for shooting, lighting and directing photography. At this time john was shooting doc's for major broadcasters and was after a budding camera technician. Naturally simon jumped at the chance and was extensively trained in the skills of shooting 16 and 35mm film. Over the next eight years assisting john and other cameramen like Peter Greenhalgh bsc 'Inspector Morse' and 'Clocking Off' Simon acquired an inside knowledge of drama documentary and commercials, learning what it takes to create long and short form films. Many years on, continuing to draw on this early experience and the disciplines learned, Simon has an intimate knowledge of the industry and knows exactly what it takes to produce a good film or video image. Further, having directed and cut a number of his own films, he is able to shoot with an easy fluency of film grammar, equally happy on observational, de-constructed doc's, as directing photography on more formal pre-constructed short form work. Of course these styles are opposed, but simon is very capable of changing from one acquisition method to the other, either carefully crafting with the director, or shooting purely as a viewer and letting the action unfold.
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