Super Six At just six years old, Oliver is by far Ricoh Imaging’s youngest ambassador. He, and his dad, tell Victoria Dovey where this story began Many photographers happened upon their hobby when a parent introduced them to the craft. But in today’s digital age, those young photographers have no boundaries to their success. And six-yearold Oliver Jones is paving the way for a generation of young photographers, snapping at their elders’ heels. What are you favourite things to photograph? Oliver: I really like to photograph sunrises and sunsets. I like it because I get to get up early or get home late with my dad. I like the colours in the sky as well. The pictures look really nice when me and my dad look at them on the computer. I have just taken some photos of sunflowers and I really liked going there. My dad knows the farmer and he lets us go into his sunflower field. We are very lucky. Why do you like taking pictures? How does it make you feel? Oliver: I get to go to some really nice places with my dad. Sometimes we get up very early and I think that is very exciting. Sometimes we drive very far and have a sleep in the car. Then we have to walk far, but my dad helps me carry my tripod. He says when he’s old I’ll have to do it for him, but I think he’s old already! It’s really nice to wait for the sun to come up. I like to see how the colours in the sky change and then to see them on the computer when we get home. I like to show my friends my photos. My friend Christopher has been coming out with me and my dad over the holidays. What would you like to be when you grow up? Oliver: I would like to be a photographer when I grow up or a
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policeman. My dad says I can be a photographer in the police so maybe that would be a good job. When did you realise Oliver had caught the photography bug? Oliver’s dad, Mark: Oliver first asked for a camera when he was three. I bought him a drop-proof camera and he used to copy me – it was one of his favourite toys. When Oliver was five he asked if he could come on a landscape shoot with me. It was a lavender field shoot in June, and we had to get up at 2am. I can remember how excited Oliver was the night before. He went to bed very early, saying: “The sooner I go to sleep, the sooner we’ll be getting up.” When I woke him, I was half expecting him to roll over and say he was too tired, but he jumped out of bed. He was excited all the way there and didn’t stop talking and asking questions. Oliver used his mum’s point and shoot and I just let him do what he wanted. It was only when we got home that I had a look at his photos and thought ‘wow!’ His composition was really good. He then asked for a “proper” camera, so I bought him a second-hand entry level DSLR and some graduated ND filters. He carried on coming to shoots with me with his infectious enthusiasm and his work was noticed quite quickly. He appeared in the national press, on the news being interviewed by Fred Dinenage and also globally on the internet. What made you choose the K-50 for Oliver? Oliver was very excited to be approached by Ricoh Imaging UK, and he chose the red K-50. He’s been all over the UK with it and even had a trip to Lapland. [PM]