Dale Wright Portrait Maker celebrates 50 years in business
By Aaron Cordy
FIFTY YEARS in business is a lifetime of work or a drop in the ocean, depending on your perspective. For Dale Wright, who began working in a camera shop in 1969, capturing beautiful family moments for five decades happened in a flash.
Celebrating 50 years of Dale Wright Portrait Maker, Dale has reflected on a photography career that is far from over.
“A good mate of mine said to me the other day, Dale, you’re like a dog with a bone. Once you get hold of something, you just don’t let it go, and I think that’s part of my life,” said Dale.
“I started working for another studio camera store way back in ‘69, when he closed up in 1975, I thought, I’ll just work from home. But after a while, I realised there’s more to this. So, I opened up a camera store and studio on High Street.”
“Then I thought, no, there’s more to photography than just a 10 by eight photo. I inquired more, searched more. From there on, I was always learning more and wanting to grow more.”
That desire to keep learning and growing saw Dale learn from some of the masters of the world on photography and keep adapting to an ever-changing landscape. Dale began in the days of black and white, saw the colour photograph revolution and the digital age, with the simple philosophy of maintaining the highest standard he could achieve.
He has photographed over 3,000 weddings, countless thousands of school children, political leaders on both sides of the ledger, and had the honour of photographing Sir Ernest Edward “Weary” Dunlop for his biography cover.
“I always laugh at this when I sit in bookshops and so forth, because on the back is my name, photo by Dale Wright. I look at the book’s thanks, my name is in there, and that man is the most famous man when it comes to compassion and love,” said Dale.
“But you know what the most important person is? A five-year-old kid. I would rather be with a five-year-old kid and just talk to them and photograph the innocence there. They are more important to me.”
There have been many changes in the photography landscape. The business has changed along with the technology, but what hasn’t changed is the exceptional standard Dale brings to his craft, helping bring treasured memories and wonderful moments to life, along with sad occasions.
“I want my legacy to be that I have kept the standard of quality, and I’ve maintained that high standard and reputation for 50 years. I will continue to do so. And I’ve been a dog with a bone all my life.”
