Artist's Feature: Kitty Phillips Photography

This month's artist is someone whose work I absolutely love. Kitty Phillips specialises in children's and wedding photography. You can see more of her work at www.kittyphillips.co.uk and she is also on twitter as @kitty_phillips.

Kitty has been taking photos since she was first handed a polaroid camera at the age of seven. She was fascinated by the idea of framing a shot, clicking a button and getting an image a few seconds later. She's been taking photos ever since. She assisted various photographers for a number of years before setting out independently four years ago.

What sort of things inspire you? 

It's the little things in life that inspire me; a sunny day, blossom on the trees, a friendly smile, people.

I also love to travel - seeing new things, experiencing different sights, sounds and cultures mean that my camera is rarely out of my hand.

How do you manage to get the 'perfect shot'?

The perfect shot? For me the perfect shot is one with emotion, one that captures a moment in time, a person's personality, a look, a smile, a memory. I try not to worry too much about the technical side of photography and focus on the emotion. I also prefer to use natural light as much as possible, as this allows me to be a lot more flexible - it helps to put my clients at ease and be more spontaneous.

How would you describe your style?

Natural, spontaneous and unobtrusive

What equipment do you use?

I use a canon 5d mark II, it's a fantastic camera and with a couple of great zoom lenses it covers almost everything including low light.

Are there any artists / photographers whose work you admire? 

Too many to mention! I love Steve McCurray's work, his iconic image of the the Afgan girl shot is just one of his amazing portraits. Sebastiao Salgado is a fantastic photojournalist whose work is always thought provoking, especially when you start to consider the circumstances under which they were taken. 

What tips would you give to other photographers wanting to break into the industry? 

Love what you do, it's not easy being freelance but if you love what you do it will be worthwhile. 

Networking is essential - keep a bunch of business cards on you as you never know who you'll meet or where the next job will come from.

What is your favourite photo and why have you chosen this?  

It's hard to have a favourite photo, I've been lucky enough to travel to some amazing places and met so many fabulous people along the way.

This photo was taken a few years ago whilst travelling, I spent a few days horse trekking in the Andes, whilst the rest of the group were having their afternoon siesta I took a wander with my camera. A few attempts at conversation in Spanish with the local cowboys resulted in the following photo. I love the natural feel of this image, his laugh was contagious. 

Go round to Kitty's website to see more of her work and to contact her: www.kittyphillips.co.uk