A Clydebank-born music fan who worked his way up from selling merchandise to be a production manager for people like Robbie Williams has swapped that life to look at it through a lens.
Mark Cameron toured the world with the Angels singer as well as putting on shows for artists such as Simple Minds, Fatboy Slim, Manic Street Preachers, Biffy Clyro and Bjork during a career spanning two decades.
He started in the industry in 2004 selling merchandise while working in hospitality in London before becoming a stage manager and then finally production manager.
He worked closely with Williams from 2013 to 2019 but after the Covid-19 lockdown shut down the live music industry in 2020, he changed paths and decided to pursue his real passion of photography.
“I’d always been around music,” said Mark. “It’s always been a part of my life, playing guitar. I fell into stage management after covering a gig for a friend – I just kept on that path, time flew by and I’d been in the music industry for 20 years.
“I’d always wanted to be a visual artist but lacked the talent for sketching and painting. When I found photography, it was an outlet that worked for me. I was taking photos I liked and other people seemed to like them, too.”
Mark realised he could study photography formally at Glasgow Kelvin College and grabbed that opportunity with both hands, developing his skills, confidence and ability.
He was able to use his contacts to contact Williams management and asked to phograph the star during his show in Glasgow in 2022. He was granted special access and was the only photographer to get that, meaning he could secure some extra special shots.
The singer recognised him as well when he was on stage taking shots and he ended up with a brilliant image of Williams looking directly as his camera.
He added: “I knew the team so those connections really helped me. Robbie ended up recognising me while he was on the stage as I took a picture – it made for a brilliant image of him looking directly into my camera. It felt like he was saying ‘this is your shot – take the picture’ to me.
“I always had the passion for photography and a bit of talent, I just needed to harness and focus it. The technical skills I picked up at Glasgow Kelvin College really helped with that. It gave me the confidence to make this more than just my passion, but my craft.”
Mark is aware his contacts has helped him but he believes that the power of networking, seizing opportunities and the importance of saying yes to chances are vital to growing your experience and career.
“The world runs on networks, contacts, and opportunities, and it doesn’t matter what business you’re in,” said Mark. “If you don’t say ‘yes’ to things or try to network to make contacts, nothing’s ever going to happen to you.”
“I didn’t have an academic path after school, I graduated and went into work. I didn’t know what I wanted to do, just that I wanted to see the world and travel. I seized the opportunity to do that when I worked in the music industry, and had the time to figure out what I really wanted to do years later.
“I think young people who aren’t sure what they want to do should take time to find their path – it’s okay not to know what you want to do right away.”
Mark is speaking as part of the National Opportunity Day campaign run by Glasgow Kelvin College, which encourages people to seize the range of options available to them through a college education.
National Opportunity Day (Wednesday, August 7) takes place during the Glasgow Kelvin College Open Day, between 1-4pm Springburn Campus, providing a moment to make a change and embark on a journey of endless possibilities. To find out more visit HERE.
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