ONCE a photographer, always a
photographer – it’s certainly a
maxim you can use to describe
Martin Bloomfield. He has spent
his entire career doing what most
keen photographers do for fun.
Martin began his photographic
career in 1978 at Allphotos in
Worthing’s Tarring Road.
From there he moved to Robin
Cook Film Laboratories where he
worked with, and learned from,
renowned local photographers such
as Steve Davis, Jack Burke, and
Steve Forrest of Elmcroft Studios.
In 1987, Martin moved to the
public sector when he began
working with Sussex Police.
He started in the photography
department before moving to
the job that would make him
a contender for the Chamber
award (if one existed) for ‘Most
Interesting Job Before Striking
Out On Your Own’ – police forensic
photographer. By the time Martin
left in 2012, he was head of imaging
and crime lab services.
In 2013, after working with
the Home Office as a consultant,
Martin set up Bloomfield Digital
with son Ollie.
Bloomfield Digital specialises
in creating imagery and video,
and helping businesses with their
social media needs as well as
building websites.
In 2014 Martin became certified
by Google as one of its ‘Trusted
Photographers’. This means he can
help businesses build their online
presence using Google Business
View – a 360° virtual tour – that
Martin describes as, ‘taking Google
Street View into your business
premises’.
One of the first steps Martin took
in setting up Bloomfield Digital
was to join Worthing and Adur
Chamber of Commerce.
Since joining, Martin has become
an active consumer of Chamber
initiatives such as networking
events and training workshops.
“I have found being a member
of the Chamber so useful,” said
Martin. “Coming from the public
sector I had no idea of the issues
start-up businesses face.
“The Chamber’s networking and
training events helped me a lot;
through these I have made many
new contacts, learned many new
skills, and built my reputation.”
Martin is an active Chamber
member in other ways
having become a member of
the Chamber’s Marketing
Communications Group.
One result of this is his
photography regularly features on
the Chamber’s Facebook page.
Later this year Martin also plans
to run a Chamber workshop on
how to use Google My Business,
something Martin describes as ‘a
small but powerful tool that every
business should use’.