MJC Photography

16/06/2026

What do you think? Let me know in the comments below. (I'm getting onboard with the influencer vernacular!)

After several weeks of pointing my camera lens at a succession of startled human beings and deeply suspicious pets, I felt a familiar, urgent ache. It is a peculiar craving known chiefly to those who indulge in landscape photography: the deep-seated, borderline pathological need to stand utterly motionless for hours on end, staring at a view where, in all honesty, absolutely nothing is happening.
It is a state of existential suspension that fans of Plymouth Argyle Football Club will recognize instantly.

Having confessed this photographic itch to Sarah the night before, we hatched a plan. We required a destination we could both enjoy, crucially, one that did not involve a lung busting trek up a vertical cliffside, culminating in a windswept hypothermia endurance test.
We settled on the thoroughly delightful coastal town of Looe, Cornwall.
Looe is, under normal circumstances, famously picturesque. Lately, however, it has achieved a fresh layer of notoriety as one of the primary Beyond Paradise filming locations. For reasons that defy rational human intellect, the television show’s producers saw fit to declare that this quintessentially Cornish town is actually located in Devon. This is a geographical insult so profound to the local populace that it’s a minor miracle the show’s weekly murder count isn’t significantly higher.
Fortunately, the human locals we encountered were entirely peaceful. The wildlife, however, was another matter.
As we sat down to enjoy that mandatory coastal staple, fish and chips, we found ourselves heavily policed by a squad of local herring gulls. These were not mere birds; they were avian bailiffs. They loitered nearby with an air of intense grievance, clearly harbouring complex legal questions regarding the rightful ownership of our dinner. (Note to travellers: When eating outdoors in Looe, constant vigilance is not a recommendation, it is a survival strategy.)

With the last of the chips successfully defended and devoured, and the immediate threat to my life downgraded, it was time to dust off the tripod and get down to business.
Nature, sensing my patience, kindly obliged. Just as the sun dipped below the horizon, a truly spectacular cloud formation rolled in, painting the Cornish sky in brilliant, dramatic hues. It was the exact shot I had been hoping for.

Shop for prints here https://mjcphotography.pic-time.com/art

06/06/2026

If you have ever attempted to take a photograph of a teenager, you will know it is an exercise fraught with peril. It usually involves a subterranean grunt, a sudden aversion to light, and a hand thrust aggressively toward the lens. Yet, in the strange and highly competitive world of acting, a young performer requires a headshot that suggests they are not only cooperative, but entirely radiant, professional, and ready to anchor a major television drama.

Enter the professional headshot day.

Look closely and you’ll see the goal here isn’t just to snap a picture, but to capture that elusive, glittering spark of personality that makes a casting director pause mid scroll. It’s about looking effortlessly "Spotlight ready" while feeling entirely relaxed.

We are running a special, one day only session at the Plymouth studio on Sunday 19th July, complete with a rather splendid £10 discount. Spaces are, by the very laws of time and physics, strictly limited.

Don't leave their next big opportunity to the mercy of a smartphone selfie. Click the link below to secure their slot before they're all gone:

👉 https://www.mjc-photography.com/store/actor-photoshoot

02/06/2026

As we head into the summer season, we’re pleased to announce extended opening hours at the market. From now through to the end of August, we’ll be open Tuesday to Saturday, 9:00am – 4:30pm, giving you even more time to shop and explore.

Additionally we will also be open for our annual Monday opening days across the summer, keep an eye on our channels for updates.

We’d like to thank all of our customers for your continued support over the past year. We look forward to welcoming you throughout the summer.

27/05/2026

According to the dictionary, chaos is defined as a state of total confusion, utter disorder, or a complete lack of organization. It is a word used by scientists to describe the universe, and by parents to describe a toddler's bedroom.
However, I am convinced the lexicographers at Oxford had a different muse entirely when they penned that definition: a photoshoot at Trident Studio, Plymouth, featuring two specific English Springer Spaniels named Inka and Lottie.
To say these two have energy is to say the sun is a bit warm. They possessed the kind of vibrating, molecular restlessness usually reserved for a five year old child who has been systematically stuffed full of fizzy pop and Smarties. It was a whirlwind of a dog photography session and frankly, I loved every chaotic second of it.
The moment both Springers crossed the threshold, they did not politely look for the camera. Instead, they immediately undertook a highly urgent, deeply spiritual mission to sniff every single square inch of available floor space.
The Scene: Heads down, bums triumphantly up, and tails wagging with such furious velocity they threatened to alter the local weather patterns.
It was a furry tornado whipping into every corner of the room. Once the perimeter was thoroughly inspected and deemed safe from imaginary intruders, it was time to get down to business. Or at least, our version of it.
Coaxing Inka and Lottie into position was less like traditional pet photography and something more akin to refereeing a high stakes tag team wrestling match. They took turns on the studio floor, trading places with the chaotic energy of Olympic sprinters.
Thankfully, the match was masterfully refereed by their owners, who utilized a combination of patience, treats, and what I assume was mild sorcery.
In the end, it was the fleeting, beautiful little moments of calm that we captured. Amidst the whirlwind, the camera caught those soulful, bright eyes and magnificent ears in perfect stillness. And let me be completely honest, I was absolutely delighted with the results.
If you have a furry whirlwind of your own and want to capture their unique personality (chaos and all!), get in touch with MJC-Photography. We specialize in turning high energy into timeless portraits.

24/05/2026

We really are extraordinarily blessed down here in sunny Plymouth. The city practically begs to be photographed, offering up an embarrassment of riches when it comes to stunning backdrops. So, when Basketball England booked me as their commercial photographer to document their annual awards, I was absolutely delighted.
The venue for the evening was none other than The Custom House on the Barbican. For those who haven’t had the pleasure of standing in its shadow, The Custom House is an imposing, Grade II* listed, granite fronted masterpiece. It was erected in the early 19th century as a unapologetic statement of Plymouth’s burgeoning wealth as the region’s premier merchant port. It is a spectacular building, though on this particular evening, its most crucial architectural feature was simpler: it was quite possibly the only venue in Devon with a ceiling high enough to comfortably accommodate a room full of basketball players.

The night itself was a glorious celebration of everything that makes sport wonderful. Our host, Nick, had travelled the entire length of the country to personally oversee the festivities and ensure that the local heroes who do so much for their community received their well deserved dues.
Setting up for event photography of this scale requires a bit of tactical planning. I staked out my territory in a corner of the long room, unfurled the backdrop, and made sure to deploy my absolute tallest light stand. When your subjects routinely tower over the average door frame, standard equipment simply won’t do.
The Goal: Blend the candid energy of a live sports awards ceremony with the polished, high end look of a professional studio photoshoot.
From the formal trophy presentations to those fleeting, candid little moments of laughter and pride between teammates, it was a joy to capture. All in all, it was a night the Plymouth basketball community can be thoroughly proud of and I was just delighted to play my part in making it look picture perfect.

24/05/2026

Fabulous reel from NōRD of the brilliant garden festival happening in Tavistock Pannier Market today and tomorrow 💚

23/05/2026

We will be open in the market tomorrow and Monday alongside the fabulous Garden Festival 🪴💚🪴

19/05/2026

🪴We are open all week including Sunday and Monday for the fabulous Garden Festival which is well worth a visit!

Tavistock Country Garden Show is back!

Join us this Spring Bank Holiday Weekend (Sunday 24th & Monday 25th May) for one of Tavistock’s most loved annual events.

🪴What’s new for 2026 🪴
We’re welcoming back many of your favourite garden traders, alongside exciting new exhibitors and brand new indoor show gardens right inside the Pannier Market.

What to expect:

🌱A vibrant indoor & outdoor plant-focused market
🌱Stunning show gardens inside the Pannier Market
🌱Guildhall Car Park transformed into a food, drink & entertainment hub

🍔Street food & horsebox bars
🦅Westcountry Falconry Live bird of prey displays
🐐Billy’s Farm pop-up with live animals (perfect for families!)
🎶Music, atmosphere, and plenty to explore

Plus, don’t miss our additional market inside Butchers' Hall, packed with unique traders and nature-inspired finds.

Whether you’re a keen gardener, plant lover, or just after a brilliant day out, there’s something for everyone!

🕙 10am – 4pm
🎟️ FREE ENTRY

Make a day of it, bring your friends, and celebrate the start of the season with us in the heart of Tavistock.

11/05/2026

Yesterday, a rather peculiar thing happened in Plymouth: the sun came out. In this corner of the world, such a meteorological anomaly usually triggers a mass migration of the local populace toward the nearest beer garden, where they sit in a state of pink shouldered delirium, clutching pints of cider and wondering what that big yellow ball in the sky is.
I, however, had managed to convince the immensely patient Tania and her remarkably talented daughter, Lucy, to forego the siren call of a liquid lunch. Instead, we spent the afternoon tucked away in my studio, a place that remained stubbornly, almost heroically, immune to the outside warmth.
Now, Lucy is a regular star of the Drama Workshops and a veteran of the theatrical stage. I’ve had the pleasure of capturing her actor’s headshots before (which, I suspect, are currently making her Spotlight profile look far more professional than anything I ever did at that age). But this particular session was a different beast entirely: we were here to capture the fluid, gravity defying world of dance.
I should confess right now that this shoot was a triumph of collaboration, mostly because I am a man of a certain vintage in possession of two left feet and a complete lack of any rhythmic sensibility. My personal vocabulary of ballet is, to put it mildly, non-existent.
The afternoon largely consisted of me issuing a series of painfully inept, wildly metaphorical instructions, which Lucy then had to translate into something graceful. She handled my bumbling directions with the kind of weary, noble tolerance usually reserved for a Spanish waiter trying to explain a menu to a British tourist who refuses to speak anything but very loud, slow English.
Despite my linguistic failings, the results were, if I may say so, rather splendid. Through a combination of clever lighting, some frantic camera adjustments, and Lucy’s sheer athletic prowess, we managed to capture a gallery of images that I am immensely proud of. It turns out that when you pair a talented dancer with a photographer who is mostly just relieved no one tripped over a power cable, magic happens.
I’m already looking forward to the next time a group of talented performers graces my studio. Though, next time, I might try to learn what a plié is beforehand.
Ready to capture your own moment of grace (or just a really good headshot)?
Whether you’re a dancer, a budding thespian, or just someone who needs a photo that doesn't look like a CCTV still, I’d love to help. Head over to my website to schedule your session, or drop me a line at [email protected] to chat about your next project!

28/12/2025

The period between Christmas and New Year is a chronological anomaly that really ought to be scrutinized by the finest minds in astrophysics. It is a strange, gelatinous void where the laws of physics seem to have taken a collective leave of absence. Time loses all structural integrity; the sun rises and sets, certainly, but for all the sense it makes, every day might as well be a Wednesday in 1974.

In my household, the only reliable way to gauge the passing of the hours is by the steady depletion of the Chocolate tin. You know the stage: that melancholy moment when the shiny, desirable prisms of cocoa and hazelnut have vanished, leaving behind only those sadistic little cubes of coconut ice that no one, not even under the duress of a global famine, would ever voluntarily choose to consume.

It was while I was rummaging through a mountain of discarded, crinkly wrappers, a desperate, archaeological dig for a solitary forgotten truffle, that I realized someone had beaten me to it. Faced with the crushing blow of a chocolate-less existence, I decided to turn my thoughts to the future.

Now, I am not talking about the usual New Year’s resolution to ease the existential burden currently being felt by my long-suffering trouser buttons. No, I am referring to my "Shot List."

Each December, with a level of optimism that can only be described as delusional, I compile a list of photographic locations I intend to capture over the coming year, complete with preferred months and specific lighting conditions. Looking back at my 2025 efforts, I find I’ve managed to achieve roughly a quarter of my goals. It is a truly pathetic showing, and one that my Line Manager, more commonly known as "The Wife" will almost certainly bring up during our impending End of Year Appraisal.

Desperate to avoid being placed on a Personal Development Plan, or. God forbid, a diet, I found myself rushing out on Boxing Day to claw back some shred of dignity. I have been promising a definitive photograph of Tavistock at Christmas for two years now. My hope is that by delivering this last minute "winner," my dearly beloved might overlook my general sloth and allow me to keep my current trouser stretching status quo for another season.