Jon Wagstaff, photographer in Essex

About

Jon Wagstaff Photography is run by Jon Wagstaff, a full-time professional freelance photographer based in Dunmow, Essex. Jon specialises in sports, weddings, portraiture and event photography, with over twenty years as the Official Club Photographer for Southend Rugby Football Club. He is a member of The Societies of Photographers, holds a Fully Enhanced DBS Certificate and a UK CAA drone pilot's licence. His images have appeared in The Daily Telegraph Online, BBC Essex, The Rugby Paper and the RFU Handbook, and on greeting cards sold by Clinton Cards and Marks & Spencer. Jon photographs clients across Essex, Suffolk, Greater London and the Home Counties, but is also willing to travel.

Jon Wagstaff with camera equipment

The Photographer

Photography has always been one of my hobbies growing up, as well as being a keen active sportsman. I am self taught, but have attended various training courses, run by Andy Griffin, a well known Wedding & Portrait Photographer based in North Essex, as well as Paul Fowler, owner of Paul's Studio in Southend-on-Sea.

This is where I got to learn different techniques, using strobe lighting from shooting in a studio environment, to shooting out on location. My love of sport has led me to be heavily involved with local Sports Clubs in the Essex area, taking thousands of images, capturing the right moment to reflect the occasion and creating memories for both clubs and players. I have worked alongside Steve Lindsell, a well known Sports Photographer for the Daily Tabloids.

Through these clubs I have been fortunate enough for some of my images to have been used on greeting cards, which have appeared nationally in Clinton Cards and Marks & Spencer, as well as in many publications including The Daily Telegraph Online, the Echo Newspaper in Essex and BBC Essex Online.

I am always interested in any sporting events that may benefit from my photography to create those memories.

I have over 20 years' experience as a professional photographer and use the latest Nikon mirrorless camera equipment to capture the action or the moment.

Services

Aside from Sports Photography, I also focus on:

  • Portraiture
  • Pet Photography
  • Corporate Head Shots
  • Weddings & Events
  • Videography
  • Real Estate Photography

I also have a Drone Pilot's License which creates stunning landscape images, great for construction projects and aerial views.

Equipment

Mirrorless Cameras

The Nikon Z9 is a full frame, 45.7 megapixel mirrorless camera. This camera has astounding speed, able to shoot up to 120 fps with unparalleled precision and phenomenal detail, whether shooting stills or video. The Z9 flagship mirrorless camera helps me achieve flawless images without fail. Whether it's news, sports, fashion, reportage or events.

The Nikon Z8 is a mid-sized high-end full-frame mirrorless camera built around the same sensor and processor as the range-topping Z9 sports camera. The Z8 offers the majority of the same features but in a smaller body.

Nikon's mirrorless system is built around the world's widest lens mount, which lets you capture more light. With more light comes more detail, more depth, more colour, incredible photos and mesmerising movies.

Lenses

My collection consists only of Nikon prime lenses, ranging from a NIKKOR 14-24mm up to a NIKKOR 400mm. I also have a few Zoom Lenses, to help me work in confined spaces should the situation arise. This enables me to capture all the action from Sports & Action, People & Places, Nature & Wildlife, Street Photography, Corporate Events, Landscapes & Travel.

I have also invested in the latest Profoto B1X On-Location Kit. This consists of two cordless battery powered flash heads offering both TTL metering and HSS. This is a reliable workhorse I can bring to any on-location assignment.

It is important to me to work with two cameras. Sport can be fast moving, and you need to be able to capture the right moment, whether the action is far away or close by. Having various focal length lenses means I am well catered for, versatile enough to adapt to the changing conditions of the game or event, making sure I get that vital image.

All my images are shot in RAW, which is a file that captures all image data recorded by the camera sensor. This allows for much more editing than JPEG files, giving the client a higher level of quality and detail in the final processed image.

Videography

With regards to videography I use the Nikon ZR, a compact, 24.5MP partially stacked full-frame cinema camera (540g) utilising RED technology and Nikon's Z mount. Built for creators and filmmakers on the move, the ZR is the lightest all-in-one cinema camera around.

To help me with my work I have invested in three DJI Osmo Action 3/4/5 cameras. These help capture the raw exhilaration of any moment with striking image quality and unmatched flexibility, even when the lights dim. I also have a DJI Mavic Mini 4 Pro for all my aerial photography.

Featured In

Get in touch today

Contact Jon Wagstaff Photography to discuss your requirements

Contact