Biography: Chris Tofalos

In 1980, Chris Tofalos stood in a Bolton park, watching his two sons play football for their school and snapping away with an old Russian Zenit E SLR. He wasn't happy with the results and decided to investigate this 'photography thing' a little further.

After one of those life-changing sequences of chance events, three years later he was a full time professional photographer, covering the Bolton & Bury area for the Manchester Evening News and gradually adding a string of companies to his list of clients, many of whom remain clients to this day.

By 1986 Chris had moved into town centre offices and taken on his first employees: CTP Photo was born. By a coincidence, the premises, which included a useful studio area, were the same as used by one of England's oldest photographic societies, Bolton Camera Club from 1913 to 1983.

1988 proved to be an eventful year when Chris won the sports category in the prestigious 'Ilford Black & White Awards', beating entries from the UK's finest press photographers. Three months later he added the Sports Council's North West Sports Photographer of the Year award.

The competition wins started to get Chris noticed at higher levels and within a short time the picture desk at The Guardian in London was commissioning CTP Photo to cover many of the key sporting events in the North of England. In fact, photographs have been published in almost every national newspaper in England, including The Times, The Telegraph and The Independent.

Over the years, CTP Photo has acted as official photographer to a number of organisations including: Manchester United Basketball Club, Bolton Wanderers Football Club, Manchester Giants Basketball Club and the English Basketball Association. Recent client YMCA Training were so pleased with the work carried out for them, which included an awards ceremony at Westminster, that they have also asked CTP Photo to be their official photographers.

Computers have played an important part in the running of CTP Photo from 1986. Digital imaging and film scanning equipment was added from the mid-90s onwards and, in 2001, the transition was completed with the addition of digital cameras. Results from the latest digital SLRs are so impressive that CTP Photo actually no longer accepts commissions involving film.

Today CTP Photo is a much leaner and fitter company, with virtually all commissions carried out personally by Chris Tofalos. The all-digital approach means clients receive a faster and more efficient service and much better value for money.