Local photographer Martyn Norsworthy is marking 20 years in business, a career that has taken him from a small barn conversion near Frogmore to his current studio at the Old Workhouse.

Along the way, he has weathered recessions, the pandemic and changing trends, adapting while staying focused on creating ‘timeless’ images.

“I opened the doors on April 1, 2006, and from then on I’ve worked ever since, apart from the pandemic,” he said. “Adaptability is everything.”

Martyn’s first studio was based in Sherford, near Frogmore. Some doubted whether a rural location would work.

“People said, ‘Oh, you’re in the middle of nowhere. Nobody will come to you,’” he said. “And I’m pleased to say people did come to me.”

In 2009, he moved into 92 Fore Street, opposite the Gazette.

“It had a good window display, good lighting and people remember it,” he said.

He later returned to Sherford temporarily, focusing on weddings and working from home. Then Covid-19 brought his business to a halt.

Martyn closed for 18 months to redecorate, but was later told the building would become flats. After working from home again, he moved into his current studio in 2023.

“The landlord is a friend of mine,” he said. “He heard I was looking and said he’d refurbished it and that it would suit a portrait studio. It’s perfect. It’s the nicest space I’ve had.”

Over the past two decades, Martyn says the business has weathered repeated economic pressures.

“The wedding business kept it going when studios have opened and closed,” he said. “But now I’ve stopped doing weddings.”

Instead, dog photography has become his main focus.

“Last year they were 80 per cent of the business,” he said.

Next month, he has been invited to speak at the Guild of Photographers convention about running a specialist dog photography studio.

His move into canine photography began 13 years ago, after photographing his brother’s black working cocker spaniel.

“I photographed her on a black background, lit well,” he said. “That picture won a Gold Award in the Royal Society. It was my first dog picture and people still love it.”

During the pandemic, photographing pets also allowed him to work within restrictions.

“I could have a dog in the studio and one owner,” he said. “It helped get the business back up again.”

Cats also feature, although Martyn says owners are often more cautious.

“Trust me, it’s not as boisterous as a one-year-old Labrador,” he said. “Cats are easy.”

Among his many stories is photographing the then Prince Charles on the quayside in Salcombe.

“I joked, ‘Back a bit, Sir, but please don’t, because you’ll get wet,’” he said. “There’s always a silly moment. It relaxes people.”

That same approach shapes his everyday work.

“I start off having a chat to relax people,” he said. “I think everybody should experience being photographed professionally.”

Martyn’s advice for better photos is simple.

“Just take lots of photos. Don’t overthink it,” he said.

He avoids chasing trends.

“Everything should be timeless,” he said. “All of this is designed to go up on your wall and live forever.”

He has won several awards, including a gold and people’s choice at the Paris PX3, and continues to submit work from real client sessions.

“If you can’t see it or feel it, don’t take it,” he said. “It’s not just experience. It’s feeling a picture.”