Meet Amy Shore. Duffle coat lover and the photographer behind our gorgeous duffle coat images
If you’re an avid reader of our duffle coats blog, you’ll know that in August we headed to Cromer for a photoshoot.
And since then? We’ve been proudly showcasing the lush images that resulted from that shoot. But what we haven’t told you, is who took the photographs.
That’s mainly because we could never catch up with our jet-setting photographer! If she’s not in Iceland, she’s on her way Monte Carlo, or just hanging out of a plane taking incredible shots.
The photographer’s name? Amy Shore. And recently, on one of the rare moments that she’s in her native Leicester, we managed to pick her brains about photography, duffle coats and the best use for a duffle coat pocket.
Amy, how did you get started as a photographer?
Amy: Photography was only ever a hobby for me. I never actually believed I could do it full time – there’s thousands, millions of people that want to be photographers and don’t make it full time. I got my first hobby SLR as a gift from my parents for my 16th birthday (£150 from eBay!) and my interest accelerated from there. By the time I was 21, I just photographed for fun but then got a couple of incredibly lucky breaks, and things snowballed from there!
Why journalistic photography?
Amy: I love the realism. The stories. The people. There is nothing more pleasurable to me than people telling me that they really feel like they were there, after looking at my shots from an event.
What IS journalistic photography?
Amy: For me, it’s making sure I tell the story of the event in the most honest way possible. The documentation of something that people view the photographs and feel as if they were standing there at the moment.
Amy on a recent trip to Iceland
How many cameras do you own?
Amy: I technically own three. I still have my first SLR (a Nikon D50) which I’ve consequently gifted back to my mother, and then my two other cameras, a Nikon D600 and a Nikon D750.
What’s your favourite?
Amy: That’s tough… I couldn’t decide between the D600 and the D750 as I use them both at pretty much every gig I do and they’re both fantastic cameras!
Which one(s) did you use for the duffle coat shoot?
Amy: I used both the D600 and D750. I have a gorgeous leather harness from Hold Fast that allows me to wear both with different lenses to be able to keep a shoot flowing without having to stop to change lenses all the time.
What’s the most memorable photo shoot you’ve ever done?
Amy: Oh boy, that’s a hard one. Probably the shoot I did for an aerobatic pilot. Being looped and rolled whilst trying to shoot was certainly memorable!
“With duffles, you can get away with wearing really bright colours and it just works.”
What’s the hardest thing about planning a photo shoot?
Amy: Thankfully, I don’t need to plan many. I’m incredibly busy with shoots and editing so when the time comes that I need to plan a shoot, I hire an absolutely fabulous lass called Stephanie O’Callaghan. She is also a second shooter for me at weddings, too, as she’s a brilliant photographer. She organised the duffle coat shoot for me and I think she’d say the hardest thing about planning the shoot is trying to make everyone happy!
Do you get nervous?
Amy: Yes. I get nervous at anything I’ve not done before. I used to be so nervous at weddings! But I don’t get nervous in the slightest now. The scary shoots are now the big, international ones for huge clients I’ve not worked with before!!
How many shots do you take per shoot?
Amy: It varies. A cool workshop shoot or engagement shoot, I’ll take around 500 shots. A wedding, I’ll take up to 5,000. Although, I’ve learnt how to tone it down a bit now!
And how long does it take to edit them?
Amy: I calculated it averages out to be 28 seconds per photograph. Good job because I sometimes give a wedding couple over 1,000 images!
Where did you get your duffle coat?
Amy: It was a wonderful gift from Original Montgomery as a thank you for the photographs from the shoot! I absolutely adore it.
What do you like about your duffle coat?
Amy: It stands out! It also looks really great in photographs
Amy’s red duffle coat against graffiti
Did you have a duffle as a kid?
Amy: I had a pink coat with wooden toggles which I think is the closest I got!
Are you a buffalo horn ‘n’ leather toggle girl, or wooden ‘n’ rope toggles all the way? Why?
Amy: I’m a wooden ‘n’ rope girl all the way! I think the wooden toggles really stand out and complement the iconic design of the coat.
Any tips for styling a duffle coat?
Amy: Layers and wool. High neck wool looks awesome, also donned with a thick scarf. The best person to ask would be Louise Lace who styled the photoshoot we did for Montgomery!
When do you think duffle coat season starts and ends?
Amy: For the UK, I’d say early December to March, depending on if we’re having a warm winter or cold one! They’re incredibly heavy and warm, perfect for a winter stroll. But I’ve worn mine on chilly shoots in autumn and spring, too.
Amy in action wearing her red duffle coat
Any unusual uses for a duffle coat you can think of?
Amy: The huge pockets also mean I can carry spare lenses in each one!
What shoots do you have planned for 2016?
Amy: Where do I start… I’ve already been to the Alps, Cornwall and Wales with car shoots and weddings. Next week, I’m off to London for a jewellery shoot, Coventry for an E-Type shoot, a day shoot for Nobel cars, and then Monte Carlo at the end of the week for another car shoot. I got an email yesterday asking about a shoot in LA too. If I told you about my year to come, I’d need to write a small book!
Do you have any unusual quirks or superstitions that you’re happy to own up to?!
Amy: According to my other half, I have to research everything (mainly things he tells me and I don’t believe him and want to check!!). But I’m not superstitious at all. I believe that being controlled by a superstition is already restraining yourself before you’ve even started!
Is there anything else that you’d like to mention (or plug!)?
Amy: Probably that I sell prints on Etsy and you can follow me on Instagram!
You can also see more of Amy’s work on her website.
Amy wears a red, Soho elegance slim fit duffle.