Simon Donnelly Started off his career in photography in 1986 as a photographic assistant with advertising and design agency D.B.N in Birmingham England.. D.B.N was an award winning advertising agency
with large drive-in photographic studio's on the site of an old toy factory in Harborne, Birmingham. It was, in it's day one of the best outside of London with a wide range of clients and facilities.
Six photographers worked long hours shooting a wide variety of work from cars to room sets, It was the perfect grounding for any assistant to gain the knowledge required to be a good photographer.
The agency had two photographic studios including well equipped darkrooms and a team of the Midlands finest Graphic Designers, Typographers & Re-touch artists. Simon started shooting tests mainly
people orientated photographs. This was a unique situation and he would bounce ideas around with the other photographers, and his father who was also a photographer and graphic designer. The company
took Simon on after a few years training and he started shooting a wide variety of advertising photography including room sets, car photography and location work with the odd fashion and glamour
shoot. With the work in hand he started to develop his printing techniques and gained valuable experience whilst working alongside Terrence Donovon in the darkroom. Once confident enough to repeat
the results achieved in the darkrooms to a consistent level, he applied them to the photographic work he was shooting. He became the youngest affiliate member of the British Institute of Professional
Photographers and in the process, changed their attitude's and policies on age and Photographer Licentiateship. Working as a speaker on the Kodak Pro road show he demonstrated his different style of
printing and lighting. He also joined the Association of Fashion and Editorial Photographers in London where his work was featured in their "Introducing" exhibition. This is where Simon met his first
agent Marie, there head hunting photographers for her clients in Paris and Germany.