Shepton Mallet Nub News aims to be supportive to every element of the community from business and shops to people and charities and clubs and sports organisations.

Everyone is finding it tough at the moment and is desperate to get back to normal.

We are profiling some of these local businesses and groups regularly over coming weeks in a feature called UP CLOSE IN SHEPTON MALLET in the hope that we can be a supportive springboard for their full return to business as usual.

Today we talk to Kelly Davies of Kelly J Photography, Shepton Mallet, who shares some of her favourite images and the secrets of her eye-catching work.

During an in-depth Q and A session she also talks of her love of living in Shepton Mallet.

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Tell us a little bit about how you started out and what first triggered your interest in photography?

Since I was a little kid, I'd always been the one snapping all the family photos and arranging pictures into photo albums. I remember always wanting to be a photographer.

Then at 14, I had to drop out of school due to being bullied and struggling with my mental health, so I had to think about my future and how I would move forward with no real qualifications. I decided to pick up photography properly and spent years practising and developing a portfolio until I started my business at 19.

Photography is one of those particular sectors where technology has made massive advances, can you remember your first camera, what type it was and what sort of photos you took then?

My first "proper" camera was a Chinonflex TTL SLR film camera that I bought secondhand for £10. I took mostly candid pictures of family and just things around the house. I think my images have always had a documentary feeling to them.

Almost everyone regards themselves as a 'photographer' nowadays because of the improving quality of photos from mobile phones, can you tell us about your preferred camera equipment and why you think it makes a big difference?

I currently use Canon DSLRs (5D IVs and 6D mk IIs) for my weddings and portraits. They perform well in low light which is incredibly important in wedding photography as you will often be shooting ceremonies inside and not able to use flash.

There's a lot of things mobile phone cameras can do these days but they still don't match up to what professional photography equipment can do. Not to mention that the camera equipment is only a small fraction of what it takes to be a photographer.

You could have all the expensive equipment in the world, but if the person behind it doesn't know how to use it to its full potential, then it's useless.

There is massive competition in your business, what do you think sets you apart from other photographers? What are the key qualities a successful photographer requires?

I believe my approach to photographing people tends to set me apart from other photographers, in the way that my photographs come out very natural rather than posed and traditional. I also just think who you are as a person and how people feel around you makes a huge difference.

I'm a big people person and instead of just being a fly on the wall, I'll mingle with guests because I find that cuts down the barrier that having a camera pointed at people would normally create.

You have travelled across the UK, which area of the country do you think represents a "photographer's dream" and why?

I don't think there's just one place I can point my finger to, as I've been fortunate enough to work in some truly beautiful places. I think if I was to choose what my own version of a "photographer's dream" would be, I'd say it's more down to the venue itself.

Both Valle Crucis Abbey in Wales and Glastonbury Abbey here in Somerset have both been my top venues but I'm also a sucker for a castle!

Difficult question but could you pick out your favourite EVER photo and why?

That's really hard because I've taken so, so many but I always keep coming back to the one at the top of this article (second in the photo carousel) and it seems to be one of my most popular. It was one of those shots that we didn't have long to get and I just about managed to get the bride and groom out for some portraits before the sun came down.

You work in different areas but where do you prefer to see your work displayed, magazines, websites or as hard copy prints in an album?

It's lovely seeing my work displayed anywhere but there's nothing like having my work printed and put in my clients homes.

The reason photography spoke to me so much from an early age, was because I loved seeing family memories preserved in print. Having other families preserve memories in print that you've captured is very special.

Lots of photographers still believe that a great black and white photo still surpasses a colour photo, can you share a black and white photo that you are really proud of?

I really have to stop myself from editing all of my images in black and white because I love it, it really draws the attention of an image to the emotion. I'd say the one higher up in this article (third in the photo carousel) is my favourite because it's such a sweet moment.

There are many brilliant photographers out there, who do you admire and respect? Have you ever modelled your work on anyone in particular?

I don't have one favourite photographer, I follow a lot of them. I have a separate portfolio for horror work, so you can imagine the photographers that I follow are a mix bag of artists.

I think it's important to be influenced by lots of different sources and genres rather than modelling your work on one other person.

The wedding photography industry goes through a lot of trends very quickly that I try not to buy into or imitate because I want my work to be my own, not just a product of what's trending at the time. What works for my favourite photographers, does not necessarily work for me.

Out of all the different types of wedding you do, which gives you the most satisfaction and why?

I'm most known for doing 'alternative' weddings. Weddings that don't fit into the bridal book norm, where couples put their own personality into them, that's definitely my arena. I'm not the most conventional person myself, so I feel I'm best suited for non-conventional weddings.

How did you come to live and work in Shepton Mallet and what do you like about Shepton and the area generally?

I grew up in North Wales (not the nicest part) and really needed a change. One of my parents who had already lived in Somerset for a few years invited me to come down and even though it was supposed to be a temporary change of scenery, I ended up falling in love with the area.

There's a sense of community in Shepton that I've never had anywhere else, people are so friendly and I think it's lovely being able to walk down the street and have a conversation with a complete stranger. That's something I'd never experienced before moving here and it's not something I'd ever want to give up.

Shepton offers such a fantastic 'landscape' for a photographer with the park, the wildlife and the unique architecture – do you have any favourite areas which attract you as a photographer?

Collett Park is one of my favourite places to take portraits, we're so lucky to have such a beautiful place in town. There are lots of little spots everywhere around town that I love as a photographer, even every street has something unique that makes a good backdrop.

Go to Kelly's website:

Check out Kelly's website and work here