Quentin Newark. In conversation with Alan and asking about his gained experience, he replied “I’ve been around the block a few times” then paused for a few seconds, coughed twice, replied, “I’m still active.”

Towards the end of the 1950s his apprenticeship started with the reputable Photographers Miles & Kay of 100 Southampton Row, working there for 4 years as a general assistant.

Then moving to Sidney Newbury Photographers, Stockwell Terrace, Industrial, Commercial and Fine Art. His duties included assisting and darkroom printing.

He then joined the newly formed Jeremy Banks Asc including Anthony Rawlinson, Lewis Morley and Norman Parkinson as a printer.

From 1963 Alan was with Woburn Studios Ltd, 29/31 Brewery Road, for over 17 years as a senior printer / darkroom supervisor. While there, developing an extension to basic printing with renovation & reproduction of old and damaged photographs (pre digital of course).

With the widespread redundancies in 1980, Alan decided to go it alone and set up AJR Photographic Services and subsequently became widely known as and would answer to ‘AJR’.

To meet the oncoming digital revolution and to promote his identity, AJR became Alan J Robertson Photography.