What does it mean to be a nature photographer? Chasing incredible wonders of nature and capturing them in picture-perfect shots? Hear from Tim Nevell, PPG business solutions manager for region Europe North, Automotive Refinish Coatings. His photo-ready story comes just in time for the World Photography Day!
When he’s not leading MOONWALK™ strategy and implementation in the UK & Ireland, Tim spends his free time looking at the world through his camera lens. Though, he first started taking photography seriously in 2009.
The digital era was kicking off and this made learning a lot easier… and cheaper!
He had no idea how obsessed he’d become with capturing that “moment of magic”. Tim’s love of photography really allows the creative mind to flow and this sense of freedom has led Tim to describe capturing the landscape as an “emotional connection”.
It is the adventure ahead, the curiosity of what lies around the corner, down the road or over the next mountain that is addictive and brings a sense of peace and perspective to my life.
Award-Winning Photographer Tim
After 12 years of continued learning and evolving, Tim recently entered his first ever photography competition, the 2020/2021 BNW Minimalist Photography Prize, organized each year by B&W Minimalism Magazine, and won first place!
I was genuinely shocked to win this award. It was an amazing feeling, and also great for print sales!
The winning shot was taken with his drone on a winter trip to Iceland in 2019 he took with his wife. They were staying in an area that was part of the Krafla Volcano system.
Seeing the lava fields covered in snow, with just the main road view into the distance from an aerial perspective, gave me the inspiration for the photo.
Giving the Best Business Solutions to Our Customers
Tim’s weekends are dedicated to his wife, and their holiday time to travel and landscape photography – something that has proved challenging in the last 18 months. But the working week is dedicated to “delivering solutions for our customers.”
Tim started with us in December 2000 as a technical training representative for the UK & Ireland Automotive Refinish Coatings team in Stowmarket. Five years later, he moved into a profit process consultant role, before joining one of our customers as technical director and growing the business from four to eight bodyshops.
He then rejoined PPG as national key account manager before moving into marketing as digital business solutions manager. This May, Tim became our regional business solutions manager for Europe North region. In his new role, he is focused on maximizing the benefits that MOONWALK™, paint management, bodyshop management and the new KPI tools for bodyshops (analytics, benchmark reporting and automatic inventory taking) bring to our customers in this fast changing new era of digital refinish.
In fact, Tim has been leading the MOONWALK™ strategy and implementation in the UK & Ireland since its launch in 2019.
Tim (third from left) during MoonWalk training at the Stowmarket plant
How Photography Has Enriched Tim’s Life
Tim says that photography has a massive impact on his fitness – because of all the hiking involved – but also on his mental health.
It helps to clear my mind and focus (quite literally) on what is in front of me. It allows the creative part of my mind to run free, which assists with improving my goals, both personally and professionally.
Tim’s photography has taken him all over the world, including to 11 national parks and eight state parks in the Pacific Northwest and Southwest of the USA, throughout Europe (Greece, Italy, France, Germany, Turkey, Switzerland, Spain, Portugal, Ireland and the UK), and even Southeast Asia (Thailand and Malaysia) and the Middle East.
I have many dream locations, but the Salar de Uyuni in Bolivia and Namibia are the highest on my most recently updated bucket list.
The Rules of Photography According to Tim
Tim urges us to remember, “there are no rules in photography!”.
Picking up photography from books, magazines and tutorials on YouTube or the Internet will teach you sets of rules. I made this mistake early on and inherited bad habits for a number of years.
Instead, Tim’s favorite quotes are: “The best camera is the one you have with you” – Chase Jarvis and “A great photo is knowing where to stand” – Ansel Adams.
These quotes have helped me not get too hung up on equipment or rules. But the one rule I adopt in landscape photography is: Make sure your horizon is straight!