Gavin Parsons is a former conservation conflict photographer now working in the Film and TV industry as a Unit Stills and BTS photographer. 

I am a Cornwall-based Unit Stills and BTS photographer for the film and TV industry. I am available for location shoots throughout the south-west UK, and also nationally around the UK and internationally.

Drawing on my time stuck in rainforest mud, darting around in small inflatable boats and diving below the waves, I am a highly adaptable photographer as at home in a studio as on location. I'm not scared of early starts and late finishes. I won't turn up my nose to cold water, rough seas, wind, rain and cold or hot conditions. If you need the shot, I'll get it without a fuss.

Should I be one for bragging, I could tell you about my highly and specially commended accolades in the Wildlife Photographer of the Year, I could mention the other awards I've won, or the publications that have used my work around the world. Or indeed my decades of experience as a professional underwater photographer, or being a chosen assignment photographer by several eminent organisations. Instead, I'll offer some advice for photography in an image-hungry world.

These days, you often hear talk of the ‘hero’ image. You may think it just means a picture of Tom Cruise, but it goes deeper than just being a big picture of a big movie star. A hero shot has to embody the story without the need for words. Finding that image and taking it is a skill I’ve learned over numerous assignments for the likes of Greenpeace, International Animal Rescue, Born Free Foundation and the Port of London Authority. The hero image gives a story gravitas and grabs the attention of the reader in a time when attention-spans are as rare as a sad ending to a John Hughes movie or a muggle in a Harry Potter film.

In a world filled with swiping fingers, your imagery needs to be a brake. Give people a reason to linger longer than a cream slice at afternoon tea in an old people’s home. The human mind desires a reason to stop, you have to give it one.

And there is a recipe for the photographic secret sauce to keep your audience as sticky as the fingers of a five year old sat next to a chocolate fountain. I could try and write it here, but it's far easier to show you in my portfolio, so go take a look.

So if you want your audience as engaged as a three year old at Pepper Pig World, get in touch at photo@gavinparsons.co.uk