A photographer who began 2024 by celebrating his 30th year in the profession has ended it by collecting his first ever national award.
Jason Mitchell, of Haverhill, was named the Business Awards UK photographer of the year 2024, by a panel of judges a week before Christmas.
The 52-year-old, who has two small children – a son and a daughter – has worked in the US, in Europe and across the UK, but the award is a first for him – although he was short-listed in the Event Photographer of the Year Awards 2023.
“This is the first time (I’ve won an award) and what coincided really well with it was that 2024 was my 30th year as a photographer,” said Jason.
“I wasn’t confident of winning. To be honest It was quite a last minute thing.
“I didn’t sit there for days trying to pick out my portfolio of photos. Even when I was short-listed, I didn’t Imagine I would be winning. I was just happy to be short-listed.”
Jason’s career began in 1994 at a small photo agency in London, shooting royal events at home and abroad before he moved on to photographing celebrities, with his images appearing in national newspapers and magazines.
In 2007 he moved to Los Angeles, spending the next few years photographing David Beckham at LA Galaxy, plus A-list celebrities such as Brad Pitt, Tom Cruise and Britney Spears.
Jason returned to the UK in 2013, settling in Suffolk, and had to build up a reputation and a new contacts list in his new guise of being a commercial photographer, working with PR agencies and brands across the country.
He said: “I came back with no real corporate contacts. It’s been 10 years now and since then I’ve made connections with some really big corporate contacts.
“I feel recognised at last. I didn’t wake up and was suddenly the best photographer in the UK, It’s been a slog.
“I’ve lived in America and worked in Europe and worked for the national newspapers and magazines.
“Winning awards and being recognised was always something that’s been in the back of my mind.
“It’s something that I have always wanted.”
Jason’s range of photography services include conferences, awards, schools, business events, golf days, business branding, parties, real estate, press and PR.
He added: “It’s the best corporate photographer in the UK award.
“Nobody can take that away from me.”
