Christopher Rowden Hill facts for kids
Chris Hill is a famous photographer from Belfast, Northern Ireland. He was born on December 25, 1946.
Chris Hill's Early Life
Chris was the second child of Verner and Margaret Hill. He has two brothers, Eric and Charles, and one sister, Elizabeth.
Even though he was learning about his family's clothing business, Chris found a love for photography at age 14. He would take pictures of bands at school dances. Then, he would sell the photos to his friends the next day!
Once, he even photographed the famous band The Beatles. He sold these pictures to students at local schools. This helped him earn "a small fortune."
Chris went to school at Royal Belfast Academical Institution Prep school Inchmarlo. He then attended RBAI itself. After school, he joined the Instonians club. He played rugby for their team until he was in his mid-thirties.
Chris Hill's Photography Career
In 1978, Chris left his family's business. He started his own company called Christopher Hill Photographic. At first, he focused on sports and theatre photography. Later, he expanded to many types of commercial photography. This included advertising, fashion, still life, and architectural photos.
Chris won several awards that helped his career grow. He won Sports Photograph of the Year in both 1977 and 1978. These awards came from the Sports Council of Northern Ireland.
However, Chris is most famous for his landscape photography. He often takes pictures for important groups like the National Trust. He also works for the Northern Ireland Tourist Board.
Over the years, Chris has taken many beautiful photos of Ireland. He used these pictures to start Scenic Ireland. This is one of Ireland's top photo libraries.
Scenic Ireland is the largest independent photo library in the country. It now holds over 13,000 images. These photos show stunning Irish landscapes and city views.
In December 2008, Chris worked with designer Colin McCadden. They launched the first book in his "Scenic Ireland" series. This first book features photos from the province of Ulster.
