Simon Andrew MacArthur
It took me about five minutes after I got my first camera at age fifteen to realize that I had found my calling. Growing up deep in the English countryside, I also realized that I needed to roam in order to find the kind of subjects I wanted. It soon became obvious to me that a camera was much more than a light-gathering tool; used properly it becomes a passport into other people’s existences and can provide the user with an inexhaustible influx of knowledge and experiences.
With over thirty years of experience as a photographer, lighting technician, and creative professional across Europe and the United States, I bring a unique blend of technical precision, artistic sensibility, and calm reliability to the work environment.
Skilled in maintenance and problem‑solving, with an artistic eye for detail and presentation that ensures welcoming, well‑kept environments for all patrons.
Now seeking a role where discretion, professionalism, and a strong work ethic are valued.
I have been using cameras of one description or another all my adult life – lighting and shooting everything from cars to webcasts, reality TV and national ad commercials on location in throughout much of the world.
I’ve always had strong visual skills and naturally gravitated to photography as a teenager, eventually leading to time as a freelance photo assistant to many of the world’s best known magazine photographers in London and New York: Mark Seliger, Annie Leibovitz, Tim White, Neil Kirk, Sheila Metzner, Phillip Dixon and so many others.
I spent several years with the late Guy Morrison, one of the acknowledged masters of in-studio car photography, and learned how to model complex curved surfaces by painting with light..
As I went on to become a professional photographer in my own right my clients included Conde Nast, Court TV, Coach, Anne Klein, Hearst Magazines, Soap Opera Digest, Yes Magazine (UK), and The Daily Mail (UK).
A selection of clients I have supported as an AV lighting designer and consultant include: Morgan Stanley (lighting for events and worldwide streaming video), PBS gala events, American Express, Disney publicity events, Popular Mechanics Annual Awards shows (Hearst Magazines), The United Nations galas, Cosmopolitan TV webcasts, Martha Stewart and MOMA gala events.
I consider myself a tireless perfectionist; second best is simply not good enough. Attention to detail can make or break a great photograph so I applied my attention to detail early on. I strove to reach the pinnacle of whatever endeavor I was involved in so it should be of little surprise that I lived and worked in New York for many years. It’s relentless pace suited my ambition.
I am also an advanced scuba diver, rescue and dry-suit certified with underwater still and video experience.
And now writing. I’ve spent the past three years writing a memoir. After two rounds with my amazing editor I’m looking for a publisher. I can write informatively and clearly on a great many subjects. I’ve always been a passionate reader and distilled what I’ve learned into my own writing.
