Behind Every Photograph Is A Story.
More Interested In People Than Cameras.
I came to photography later than most.
My route here wasn’t through art school or a lifelong obsession with cameras. Before photography I spent years working with people. I managed hotels, restaurants and pubs, owned a pub where I worked as the chef, and later ran my own café before eventually selling the business.
How I Got Here
Photography came along through another passion of mine, fitness. While living in Spain, I started photographing bodybuilders in gyms and quickly realised that what I enjoyed most wasn’t the camera itself. It was the interaction. Meeting people, hearing their stories, understanding what made them tick and creating something visually interesting together.
That hasn’t changed.
No Two Stories Are The Same
Today, whether I’m photographing a business owner, creative, consultant, therapist or actor, my approach is always people first. The photographs matter, of course, but the connection comes first. I believe the more I understand someone, the better the images become.
We live in a world where a lot of photography feels increasingly formulaic. The same poses, the same lighting, the same trends repeated over and over again. I’ve never been particularly interested in following a template. What excites me is finding something unique about the person in front of the camera and creating images that feel genuine to them.
*I really only wanted to be Zorro
Images With Something To Say
When someone looks at one of my photographs, I want them to feel like they know the person in the image. I want them to recognise a personality, a mood, a story or a moment. Something real.
That’s one of the reasons I’m increasingly drawn to brand photography. It gives me the opportunity to go deeper, to spend more time understanding a person and their business, and to tell a more complete story. Not just a headshot, but a collection of images that show who someone is, what they do and why they do it.
Good People, Good Conversations
I moved to Brighton on a bit of a whim, having only visited a handful of times beforehand, but it turned out to be one of the better decisions I’ve made. It’s a city full of character, creativity and interesting people, which probably explains why I feel so at home here.
The values that guide both my work and my life are fairly simple: honesty, empathy, discipline, hard work and always doing the best job I can.
Most of all, I want photography sessions to feel relaxed. I want people to enjoy the experience, feel comfortable being themselves and leave with photographs that genuinely represent who they are.
If clients leave thinking they spent a few hours with someone who listened, put them at ease and gave them a good laugh along the way, then I’ve probably done my job.
Want to work together?
If you’d like to talk about working together, I’d love to hear from you.
© 2026Mark Turrell Photography
Brighton Photographer
Mark Turrell is a Photographer based in Brighton and Hove.
Contact
+44 (0)7798 772 886
mark@mjtphotograph.com
Find
Studio 10, Floor 6, Vantage Point, New England Road, Brighton. BN1 4GW
Portland Place, Kemp Town, Brighton.