Penarth Nub News aims to support our community, promoting shops, businesses, charities, clubs and sports groups.

We will be profiling some of these businesses and organisations in a feature called 'Up Close in Penarth'.

Today, we speak with Keri Lovell, owner of Keri Lovell Photography to find out how he turned the national lockdown into a postive for his business.

Born a true Penarthian just like his mum and nan before him, photographer Keri Lovell grew up in the town until he moved to England aged nine.

Thirty years later he returned to what Keri describes as his roots in Penarth.

Keri started in photography 10 years ago, creating his own projects and shooting a few of his friends' weddings. During lockdown he decided to start his own photography business ,offering documentary-style wedding photography, family photography sessions, and sports work.

"My style is very natural and candid. I get the classic shots that everybody always wants at a wedding, with the family for example, but for me it's more about those moments in between the couple and capturing those," said Keri.

"I'm able to get those real, natural, and unique moments, with this long camera lens where I can stay maybe 30 metres away, but still capture a personal portrait shot.

"It lets people enjoy the moment without feeling the pressure from the camera but then I can capture it at the same time.

"I know from first-hand experience I'm terrible if I see a camera. I'm like a rabbit in headlights. So, for me it's about moving around to stay out the way and still capture the special moments," he said.

Keri likes to work with his clients to create the photography style they want for their wedding, knowing that many people come to him with a vision of their special day.

"That's the challenge of doing wedding photography, but I like it. Some people will want something that's light and airy and others want something more dramatic and filmic," said Keri.

"I like the collaborative approach. I think its poor business sense not to change your style to suit the customer. I'm not precious about my work, and stuck in a certain style. Me refusing to do something you like is poor customer service."

Freedom and creativity are what Keri cites as his favourite aspects of the job, finding that he now sees the world in a different way.

"As a photographer you tend to look at everything as a photograph, whereas before I was just looking straight ahead. Now I notice what's around me. I love getting in the car and finding somewhere new to photograph – when we're not on lockdown obviously.

"Living in South Wales is amazing. Bizarrely I'd never been to the Brecon Beacons until about six months ago and I was just blown away. The day before I was just photographing a busy urban scene, so to have that variety is great.

"I love that you can do whatever you want with photography. It's a blank page and a lens and what can you see," he said.

Keri's latest project is a series of black and white photographs taken at Penarth's seafront, focusing on the shapes at the pier.

"I was driving down and it looked like nice weather, so I got out with my camera. I took one shot and noticed the symmetry and then started to see everything else symmetrically. That's the beauty of it, it what I saw that day," said Keri.

"It's funny because people always point out this one shot that at the time, I thought was bad. I think it's because I was basing that off where I was, in that slightly run-down little nook on the pier.

"But people see it with different eyes, and don't see the surrounding environment and like the picture. That's subjectivity I suppose, and ultimately photography," he said.

Keri said the striking series of photos did not require much editing, but that he can spend weeks and weeks on Photoshop or Lightroom with an image.

"It's quite different compared to the past. People expect perfection now, whereas before it was cool to have a moody shot that was a little bit blurry," he said.

"But Instagram has made everyone expect perfection, and that's because of this new editing software. You can make anything or anyone look amazing. Except me!"

As well as photography, Keri has been a musician for 20 years and finds there is a similar trend: "If you listen back to recordings from the seventies, they're rawer and more emotional but now it's autotuned so we hear perfection.

"There's no dodgy notes in the songs you hear today. The world has changed and I've changed with it," said Keri.

Whilst he offers his skills for events, Keri is hesitant to exhibit or sell his own projects.

"I'm not sure what to do or how much to charge. I think if I build something that I love people will be drawn to it. I have a had a couple of people want to buy those black and white shots," said Keri.

"I'd consider it later on, but I just need to keep building my body of work before I decide what's next.

"At the moment I'm enjoying just getting in my car and taking photos and exploring. If people like it that's a bonus," he said.

Visit Keri's website , Facebook , and Instagram to see more of his work.