Here James tells us how he got started in photography and why he still strives for the perfect shot.

What is a day in the life of an award-winning photographer?

A day in the life of a newspaper photographer is always different. In the space of one month I covered a general election, Maasai farmers in Tanzania, Donald Trump visiting the UK and a murder investigation in Yorkshire. My bread-and-butter is covering portraits, news and features in Scotland, which has taken me to every corner of the country.

What is your most iconic picture?

I haven’t shot it yet. I’m proud of the body of work as a whole, but don’t have anything that stands out enough on its own. There is a phrase that press photographers use – “you’re only as good as your last picture”. I’m not sure I totally agree with this, but the spirit of striving to be better and give everything on each shoot is something that resonates with me.

How did you get started in the world of photography?

I wanted to be a reporter at first and was in the offices of the student newspaper at Manchester University almost every day writing stories of various kinds. As a teenager I’d had an interest in photography and began to shoot pictures to accompany the articles I wrote and those of others. Work experience had taught me that quite often the reporters were required to stay in the office and this didn’t interest me, so I signed up for a course in Photojournalism in Sheffield. After this I worked at the Manchester Evening News and a picture agency in Yorkshire called Guzelian, before winning The Times’ young photographer competition in 2008. Progressing at each stage involved a lot of luck. There are a few individuals who helped me enormously and took risks by giving me work.

What are your top tips for budding young snappers?

Study the work of photographers you admire. Get to know your equipment so that using it becomes second-nature. Try to cultivate your own style and interests.

What are your five essentials when on a shoot?

Other than camera equipment – smart-phone, full tank of fuel, good coffee, laptop, change of clothes.