Ian Randall is a British photographer, specialising in sports and events work. More recently, he has been working in the fashion industry and undertaking more social photography work. I caught up with Ian to talk about his career.

What is your background in photography? What made you decide to become a photographer?

I always had a very keen interest in photography, but I didn’t have the time as I was doing shift work as a fire officer and had two young children. My career was cut short after being diagnosed with Ewing’s Sarcoma (a rare type of bone cancer) and as part of my recovery; I decided that I would learn the art of photography. I went on a couple of basic courses that gave me ideas on different types of photography. I tried most things before deciding to focus on genres that interested me (such as sports, landscapes and portraits).

I saw that the QPR (Queens Park Rangers) women’s football team were asking for a photographer so I went down and volunteered my services, and that got me a start as a football and sports photographer. After recovering from cancer, I also decided to ring the charity Sarcoma UK to give them my help as a photographer. I’ve grown my career from there.

What kit do you shoot with? How important is your choice of kit for the work you do?

I shot with a Canon 5D MkIII and a 7D MkII, with a range of both prime and zoom lenses. My main prime is a 300mm f/2.8, which is amazing for sports! I use Canon flashguns for events work. For the sports side of things the best thing I ever did was buy a fixed 300mm – the quality of the lens is amazing and almost 3D at times. The lenses are quite heavy but I carry everything around in a big rucksack and it’s fine! I also wouldn’t go anywhere without my 70-200mm – worth every penny and an amazing piece of kit!

How would you define your photographic style?

I definitely prefer natural shots! At weddings (which I’ve shot a lot of now) I do a fun shot that might be posed and is something to do with the couple’s hobbies or interests. I did a wedding where the groom was a keen fisherman and he’d bought his fishing rod to the wedding! So I did a shot down at the waterfront where he was pretending to fish whilst his wife was holding an umbrella over him and looking slightly annoyed. They loved it! But by the same token I’d also shoot a lot of reportage style at a wedding and that’s definitely my preference.

What’s been your favourite job so far?

It has to be shooting for Sarcoma UK for the London Marathon. I’ve done it for a few years and whilst it’s a very hard shoot, it’s a very emotional and rewarding day. The hard work is definitely worth it when you capture the runners and supporters and it’s a real buzz. It makes you glad that you can help out. I also shot an image of the Tower of London’s WW1 poppy memorial, which featured on BBC News and all their social media. I was really proud of that.

What sort of work are you looking to do more of in the future?

I would love to shoot more wildlife in its natural habitat and, as a lifelong supporter, it would be a dream come true to be the match photographer for the men’s QPR football team. I’d also love to shoot more landscapes and anything outdoors – you’re not in charge of anyone and can just take your time shooting. I plan to carry on shooting sports and in particular football.

Do you have any tips for those starting out in the business?

Just go out and practice as much as you can! Make sure you factor in the editing time for your images when you put together a quote. No one outside photography understands how long this can take, but it’s something you need to consider. Make sure you watermark your images on the web. And finally, don’t be afraid to ask another photographer questions! We all have to learn and once you’ve developed your style you can go on to help others.

Many thanks to Ian for chatting with us. You can view his work on his website or follow him on Facebook and Twitter.