We are already 2% of the way through 2020. 0.02 of 2020. Go figure. I’ve used that time so far to grab tools, some wood and to hack away at our studio – goodness knows it (and me) needed it. It’s a long time since I’ve drawn up engineering drawings and I am, honestly, loving every second. Oh, and I’ve been creating pictures too. So you didn’t need to worry that I had retired the cameras. They’re just having a …
So you know what it’s like: you’re in the middle of a busy week, the weather is crappy, you’re tired and you have a shoot to do… Not exactly conducive to creativity. And yet, and yet… your job is to weave your magic – from the experience to the images, your clients rely on you, nay your business relies on you to kick into gear and perform to the absolute limit of your ability. Even if you’d rather be sitting …
A real pleasure to have interviewed Richard Bradbury FBIPP FMPA. Richard is one of the world’s great photographers and an all round nice guy and the interview is full of little gems about preparing for sales, customer service and authenticity. In fact, our chat in his west London studio is full of useful stuff for anyone interested in running a photography business. As is our way, I asked Richard to recommend a book or two for our ever-expanding library of interesting …
In this interview, I get to spend a very happy hour in the company of Melanie East, an extraordinary Newborn Photographer and Trainer: Melanie is known around the world for her passion and creativity for newborn photography and is the author of the book The Art Of Newborn Photography. She is equally passionate about running a business which is key to the success of any social photographer! We get to talk about how (and why) she became a newborn photographer; …
Meet one of our clients. Rob Panting, Communications Officer for OxLEP (The Oxfordshire Local Enterprise Partnership) has been a commissioning client of ours for nearly decade – starting at the Hearing Dogs charity in 2011 and then with Affinity Trust, Bucks Care and his current employer, OxLEP. I thought it would be interesting to ask him what he values when selecting (and retaining) suppliers such as photographers. Of course, the answer to that question is a useful insight (and …
In this episode, I am talking about the all-too familiar feelings of running a photography business: faith, fear and fatigue (and possibly one or two other ‘F’ words!) When you start, you set out from some point of having nothing more than an idea – and a whole heap of faith! Insecurity, sure, ignorance, naivity, risk, maybe a little poverty – but, in the end, an utter belief that it’s the right thing to do. You may not be right, …
“You soon start to learn a lot more about business” In this interview, I get to talk to Karen Massey, wedding and portrait photographer. Karen is a successful photographer and business owner, having started out owning a beauticians and then transferring her not inconsiderable business skills to setting up a brilliant photography studio. She talks about how she has always worked from an early age, how she had to ‘soften her accent’ (not something you could be asked by an …
Well, it’s just me in this podcast: me, a microphone, a couple of hours in the car and Friday night rush hour traffic. Clearly I had time to kill so in this podcast I chat away about bits and pieces but mostly about figuring out clients and why you have to stay positive no matter what happens. I also take the opportunity to add a new book to the Photographer’s Library: Hug Your Customers by Jack Mitchell. I admit it’s …
This podcast really is about the importance of relationships – particularly those with your clients – how some of those can play out in your career. I don’t know if this podcast makes too much of an intellectual point other than it being a vehicle for me to be proud of our son, Jake. That’s the nice thing about a podcast: I occasionally get a chance to wax lyrical about the people I love around me, whether family, friends or …
This podcast was triggered by us selling our trusty Land Rover Defender (though we are replacing it with a newer one) and pondering on why we chose such an esoteric car at the heart of our business. Well, of course, it’s all part of the brand we decided to build. And so I thought I’d chat a bit about just that: brand. It’s so easy to think the brand is your logo, or website, or brochure design or, simply, your …