Collaboration

So sitting watching Grand Designs this evening, I was watching how a stone mason builder renovated a 19th century Cornish industrial building into a home. One of the things that struck me, was how much he used favours and bartering to get assistance from other tradesmen to build his dream home.

The reason I bring this up, is I've been thinking about how the wedding industry as a whole, is almost like a village of artisan craftspeople. We've got all sorts of different people, all with their own speciality. One of the big things about being self-employed, is the draw towards doing the sort of work you love. In that regard, there's a lot to be gained from outsourcing things that aren't your speciality. So, for example, I found an expert graphic designer Tom Holmes to create my beautiful logo for me. Rather than spend a fortune on a printer, inks, specialist paper, and a long time calibrating said printer to get expert tonal ranges, I outsource my printing to a professional printing lab. It might cost me money, but effectively it frees up my time, and allows me to get on with doing what I do best. It means that I'm able to spend more time earning, than spending time doing work which doesn't pay. You don't imagine the captain of a ship in the engine room; or multi-millionaire CEOs out washing the windows on their skyscraper offices. Those jobs are delegated and outsourced, it allows the CEO and the captain of the ship to continue to do what they do best.

This gets me on to my point. As a photographer, I don't just buy photography equipment. There's lots of things I have to buy, including stationery and sundries. I use a template to design a gorgeous DVD case for my clients and have it printed, but I know there are other photographers who don't opt for a printed DVD case. Depending on their personal brand style, I know some photographers who opt for natural fibre based DVD sleeves for their clients. No plastic jewel casing, just simple card and paper casing.

A photographer I know has been asking where, for example, she can buy DVD sleeves like this:

Source: shadrachlindo.com via Claudia on Pinterest

It's rather pretty, actually. As photographers, we don't always buy things in "bulk". We may want a small number of units, but we are perhaps more likely to be regular customers and clients. We talk a lot too. Seriously! Photographers are a chatty bunch when we get the chance. We ask each other constantly "where do you get this?" "where do you get that?" "how do you do this?". There's pockets of us, all asking similar questions constantly. Photography magazines and press don't have a section recommending where we can source different types of stationery. We trawl the internet, we search and look. When someone tells us about a new product and a good service, we jump on it. We are an unbelievably contagious group for viral marketing and word-of-mouth campaigns, and, if I may be so bold, we are vastly untapped. There are lots of photographers. I know this, all photographers know this. What we want, is products that help set us apart, that make us look special, that appeal to our clients. And if you're a wedding stationer, then chances are, you know those clients as well as we do. At the moment, the best places to go for DVD and CD boxes is U.S. suppliers. Companies like http://www.loktah.com/ make gorgeous DVD slip cases from natural products. I love what they do, but it perhaps highlights where international companies have found a gap in the U.K. market that U.K. suppliers haven't spotted.

There's other things we like too. Photographers need ways of presenting their physical prints. I give my couples their prints in a gift box, with a ribbon and a personalised gift tag. My 2012 package will also include my couples receiving an introduction folder. Sourcing these folders was surprisingly tricky. I knew exactly what I wanted, I just didn't want to order 1000 folders. As photographers, it's not simply about handing over a DVD; for a lot of us, we have to consider the presentation to our couples.

It struck me that this was perhaps an area that wedding stationers may be able to assist. Could you design a range aimed at wedding photographers to pass on to their couples, or a bespoke product for a wedding photographer to use as part of their signature brand material? I'm not suggesting this is a freebie, a barter or a "favour for a favour", unless there was a service you wanted in return. We could be actual paying customers to you; we could be a regular paying customer. Potentially if we build up a good solid working relationship with you, we could end up recommending you to our couples, or on our blogs or websites.

This could potentially go further than just photographers and stationers doing business to business work for one another. Could wedding planners, with their expertise in organisation, help put together photoshoots, bringing in all their contacts to collaborate on one day? Could people who make favours employ a photographer to photograph their products for their website? Could stationers and photographers work together to create a collaborative, bespoke range for couples of save-the-date and thank you stationery, featuring images from engagement and wedding photographs? Could jewellers and dress makers work together, to make brooches that match dresses or elegant pins to hold together  pashminas? Could someone who makes bespoke favours develop a corporate "gift" for other wedding suppliers to buy as gifts for clients?

My point is, I think it's important for wedding professionals within the industry to look next door, to our neighbouring wedding professionals. Find out what we can do to help each other. Can we help one another? Can we outsource to one another in the areas where we lack expertise, where we lack knowledge, where we lack a certain amount of coordination, which in turn frees up our time to work on the thing we wanted to do in the first place. We all have a similar client base. We therefore have an understanding, a joint understanding, of the aesthetics, of the styles, of the trends and fashions. Lots of people can produce office-friendly products, but it takes someone who knows the wedding market and reads the magazines, the blogs, and sees whats happening, to produce wedding-friendly products.

I'd love to hear from anyone already in the wedding industry who thinks they could, in some way, work with us wedding photographers. I'd love to know what you think you could do for us, what service you could deliver, what product you think you could offer. Have you got an idea? Something special?Are you a wedding photographer? do you see a gap in the market?

Trust me, if it's good, wedding photographers will find out.

Birds of a feather

There's been an interesting blog story circulating recently, written from the perspective of a wedding photographer. The blog entry discusses the issue of wedding blogs (and yes, I'm aware of how terribly navel gazing this is!). It's actually quite an interesting piece.

Today, I've been reading that, plus other blogs, tweets, and Facebook comments of people responding. It's had quite a mixed reaction, but almost everyone has had a reaction.

http://hindsightbride.com/2011/10/10/open-letter-wedding-bloggers/#axzz1aYNhxLX1

The blog entry addresses some issues which have, to be fair, been addressed by wedding bloggers previously. The main issue, is that wedding blogs, in their quest for quirky, unusual weddings, have effectively become a caricature but also perhaps exclusive from the majority of weddings, brides and grooms. While they go out hunting the peculiar and amazing and off-the-beaten-track, they leave behind them in their wake a tide of brides who either don't have the time, or inclination towards those styles. The focus becomes heavier on the detail, and less about the actual people involved, and if you don't "fit" into that style, then it can feel like a rejection. All of a sudden, you're not going to be part of the new Cool Bride Gang. You're simply too ordinary.

From the photographers perspective, this can be frustrating. The wedding you photograph might not be a bloggers paradise, but as long as it's special to the couple, then that's important. I think we can all agree that blogs aren't as important as the special commitment two people make, in front of all their loved ones. For photographers, blogs are important to us though too - they're fast taking over from wedding magazines as a means of reaching out to potential new couples and a great way of showcasing our work. What's interesting to me, is the reactions. There's been quite a bit of discussion about "who" the target market is, and that it's not actually photographers. There's a truth there, but we want to work with bloggers, wherever possible, sponsor posts, run competitions, you name it, we're in there. We use blogs too, for our inspiration with our work. We recommend your blogs on our Facebooks and websites and our blogs to our couples.

But here's the thing. Who writes blogs? Brides to be, married women, wedding planners, photographers, stationers... we've all got blogs. Most of the blogs though, in fairness, are about looking at "look at this thing I found" "this is a new thing". It's very... magaziney, with lots of people becoming what I'd call experts in the field of weddings, or at least enthusiasts with a lot of useful wedding knowledge and fingers on the pulse. The people who allegedly dictate - the readers, the brides to be - the majority of them don't have blogs. Most brides-to-be have enough other things on their plate, with work, personal life, and wedding planning, to sit down and write an online blog about their experience. There are some, as I've said, but there aren't that many. At a guess, I'd put the number of brides-to-be-bloggers in the tens, rather than the thousands of actual brides-to-be out there. Blogs aren't as ubiquitous as Facebook accounts. So how do they get through to the wedding bloggers what they want? Do they have to sit there, write a response to each post? Should they vote with their mouses and switch off? How do they convey that information? Should they email wedding bloggers and say "look, I'd really like to see more imaginative ways of turning a hotel function suite into a gorgeous dinner reception than look at a cornfield with wrought iron tables and deckchairs and paper lanterns, please"?

The thing that was interesting about that particular blog article, was that as it's written by a photographer, perhaps we're the ones who are actually more in touch with couples on a day-to-day level. We speak to them, they hire us, we are their photographers, we build up a special bond with them, and when you read photographers saying that couples lament that their wedding isn't "blog-worthy enough", maybe we're the ones out there hearing it. They might not be tweeting or writing their own blogs about it, but it doesn't mean they aren't feeling and reacting and saying these things. People say things out loud that they might not feel they can commit to writing. And how do bloggers respond to those brides and grooms if they say "could you write more about X, please?". What are your responses? Sorry, no, it's not my style? Do you turn them away? do you point them in the direction of the "blog description" and suggest they find something more appropriate to their style? Do you take what they say on board? Would you? I understand that each blog has it's own style, and style and taste are a very individual thing. You're bloggers, after all. You're not being run by a publishing company with directors and shareholders. You don't have a sales team pushing to get X thousand sales each month. You weather the dips, and ride the peaks of your readership statistics. It comes completely from within, I understand that. You're creatives, effectively; social media written creatives, self-employed, and you need to stay true to who you are. There are countless bridal magazines out there, with very polished, traditional and contemporary styles of wedding photography, venues, cars, details. You're doing something different because there isn't a "Quirky Bride Magazine" published and sold every quarter from WHSmith, but there is enough for you to have a regular readership every day/week/month. But if you're a blogger claiming that the true compass is the reader, I'm curious to how you're engaging with them, how you're monitoring that, and how much they can and do and are able to choose the direction.

I have to admit, I have read blogs who have addressed this previously. It's not new. This isn't some under-current that's just popped up. Of course it's about the bride and groom's big day. It's not a competition for who can have the most peacock-swan-feathered, birdcage, teacups and posies, chantilly lace tableclothed, blackboard, fake mustached, gingham, candelabra, save-the-date-gold-leaf-toilet-paper, cupcaked wedding in the land. I know bloggers know that, and I know there are those that have addressed this issue, and they're lovely about it, and supportive of brides regardless of their personal wedding. But that blog entry on Hindsight Bride did point out a few things that are true. It's stirred debate; it's resulted in some quite polarised reactions, and I think it's one of the few times that's actually happened, to that scale, from my perspective. That's why I'm writing about it.

But personally, I'd be really curious to see a blog post about how to customise a hotel function suite and make it amazing. I'd love to see what a blogger could do with that subject matter. I feel, if I had to, I could turn even a small garden into an incredibly exclusive quirky reception venue pretty easily. I feel rather confident in that, and I've never been married or been involved in planning a wedding. That I could do.

The real challenge would lie in making something that's used every day as a wedding venue unique to the couple. Honestly, if there's a wedding blogger reading this who fancies it I'd love to see what you can produce. Now that, I think, would be a truly unique creative challenge.

The Braehead Photography Story

I thought today I'd write a blog post about something quite topical, and that can affect both professional photographers and non-professional photographers alike: anti terrorism laws.

On Saturday, I became aware of a small story on Facebook, about a man who had been stopped by Braehead Shopping Centre security staff, and Strathclyde police, over him photographing his daughter in the shopping centre. He started a group, called Boycott Braehead, that has attracted a lot of social media and press attention in the last few days.

The initial reaction from people on the group was absolute horror and disgust. User comments asked why he was being stopped in a public place, why he wasn't allowed, and why anti-terror laws were being used in this way.

The situation is that this isn't as uncommon as you might think. Professional photographers have, in recent years, faced increasing situations of being stopped by security and police in different parts across the country, with regards to photographing in a public area, including public landmarks and buildings.

One of the most amusing aspects of this, is that almost every public building, and landmark, can currently be found on Google Maps Streetview anyway.

There's been so much growing tension between pro photographers and the police, that a group, I'm a Photographer, Not a Terrorist has been established online, which helps photographers to understand their rights.

A quick search on The Independent and Guardian websites will throw up countless stories of police harrassing photographers. Here's a film on the Guardian website of a man being stopped under the anti-terror legislation for filming. http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/video/2009/dec/11/photographs-police-anti-terrorism-laws
Oh, and here's another example... this time involving an amateur photographer
http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/video/2010/feb/21/police-arrest-photographer

I don't know about you, but watching those videos, if that was me, in that situation? I'd be feeling a bit nervous. Imagine then how it must have felt to Chris White when he was being questioned while with his little girl. Imagine how it must have felt for him, as a parent, to witness his young daughter getting increasingly distressed, and the police telling him off for trying to comfort her. Also imagine how it must have felt with other shoppers passing by, wondering why he was being questioned.

So what is the law exactly?
First of all, there was "section 44". However, this was suspended by the European Courts of Human Rights. This was a section of the anti-terror law, which was being abused, misused, and mostly misunderstood and misquoted. However, since then a new amendment, 47a has been introduced.

What should be noted though is a few facts:
1. the law states that police must be aware and understand the code of practice in relation to using section 47a.
2. The code of practice states:
"members of the public and media do not need a permit to film or photograph in public places;
(b)it is not an offence for a member of the public or journalist to take photographs/film of a public building;
(c) the police have no power to stop the filming or photographing of incidents or police personnel"

Furthermore the code of practice states: it is important that police officers do not automatically consider photography/filming as suspicious behaviour."
and
"officers do not have a legal power to delete images or destroy film."

In addition:
"Officers must also be able to explain their actions to the member of the public searched. The misuse of these powers can lead to disciplinary action." 

So why should you be concerned? Well, because as this incident in Braehead shows, it's not just professional photographers with huge DSLRs and lenses who are falling under suspicion by the police and security staff.

I understand the need to remain vigilant for potential terror threats. However, last winter, I was approached while photographing buildings in London, by a uniformed community officer. So what happened? He was lovely, that's what happened. He approached me with a smile, he was chatty, polite, and I was more than happy to stop and talk to him. I explained I was working with permission from the building owners, and he was content with that. I explained what I was doing. We chatted about stuff, and then I went back to work. All he did was ask, and sound genuinely pleasant and naturally curious. End of story. He used his common sense, he approached me in a friendly manner, and nothing bad happened. By being friendly and approachable, he used positive communication and interpersonal skills to find out everything he wanted to know about what I was doing and why. He didn't take notes, he just asked, listened, and then we carried on with our work. That's how it ought to be, and that shouldn't be such an isolated incident of security friendliness. 

I also understand and appreciate that Braehead is not a public place. It's owned by a private company, in the same way airports, railway stations, and many other areas are private property. A couple of years ago, as a student, I was taking photographs in Central Station because I liked the interior architecture. I was asked to stop, and I complied as the security guard was reasonable and just explained it was private property. No mention of anti-terror laws, no instance on deleting images, no police were called in, and no problems arose from it.

If photography is a problem, then I think there ought to be a no photography sign, in the same way there's a no smoking, or no dogs sign on the doors. You already find them in airports. If it's a genuine policy, then ensure that people are aware. What Braehead Shopping Centre forget, is that while professionals might be aware of the rules and law because we deal with it so often, it's not the sort of thing that the average member of the public thinks about when they're out for a trip with their kids.

Furthermore, the statement from Braehead Shopping Centre left this remark:

"However, it is not our intention to - and we do not - stop innocent family members taking pictures. Discretion is used at all times."

In this instance, the question is: What does Braehead Shopping Centre believe Mr White was guilty of?

Until recently, a lot of these stories involving over-zealous police and security guards have been mostly in the South of England, and in London in particular, where the Metropolitan Police perhaps have a slightly different reputation than Scottish police forces. This was the scene last year in Trafalgar Square, of photographers protesting against the police use of anti-terror laws. Obviously, I'm sure most of us would prefer that things didn't reach this state in Scotland.

The key here, would be to ensure that police and security are trained to have positive interpersonal and communication skills when dealing with the public as well as understanding exactly what the law entails and respecting and understanding the rights that individuals have under the law. Examples such as these ought to instantly flag up a need for assessment of the police to ensure that they have those skills and understandings, and whether there is a need for further job-related development, or, if it is a case of abuse of power, then it ought to be dealt with as a disciplinary action.


My advice to everyone, is be aware of your rights. If you have a complaint, follow it up with the management of the property, the police station (if they were involved) but I'd also recommend flagging it up with your local MP or (in Scotland) MSP. How can the police uphold the law if they have officers who don't understand it?

Chris Hanley Cherish the Dress Workshop

A couple of weeks ago, the amazing Jaz Ampaw-Farr who runs a Facebook group for photographers, had a competition. The competition was open to all members of the group, and the prize was a place on a workshop run by the amazing Chris Hanley who as well as being one of the top wedding photographers in the country, also brought to these shores a product known as Cherish the Dress. And guess what? I, along with ten other people, won a place on this course! Hurrah! It was a week later, in a lovely village on the outskirts of Manchester. I was pleased that my good friend, and fellow photographer Hannah Webster of Lifeline Photography in Nottingham had also won a place on this amazing course, as I hadn't seen her since 2007 which is frankly, a stupidly long time ago.

So off I went, south of the border for the second time in less than a month, to Chris' Cherish the Dress Workshop.

A few years ago, the trend for "trash the dress" came to the UK from America. The idea was it would feature the bride after her wedding, and it had a much more high fashion, editorial feel. Some photographers were doing amazing things with Trash the Dress - I remember seeing one photo of a bride appearing to be on fire, on a beach. (I should point out that she wasn't actually on fire - Photoshop has its uses and no actual brides were burned in the making of that shoot). The problem however, as Chris discovered, was that British women don't do trashing. You've spent a lot of money on a gorgeous dress, do you really want to destroy it? Many women recoiled in horror at the idea. So instead, Chris decided that this all had to go in a slightly different direction, and introduced Cherish the Dress.

The idea of Cherish the Dress, is that it's indoors (so no horrible, windy, rainy elements to contend with), and it's all about being gorgeous, elegant, and beautiful. It's about getting that editorial, high-fashion feel for the dress in a shoot that you might not have time to do on your actual wedding day. Wedding days can be fairly stressful, and are always busy and action packed, so this idea allows the bride to take some time out afterwards and indulge in a fantastic photoshoot.

Chris spent the morning talking us through the business aspect of Cherish the Dress, and how it came about. He talked about it's growing popularity and also what makes a good Cherish the Dress shoot work - not just in terms of the technical aspects but also importantly, how well he treats his brides during their Cherish shoots. He also talked to us about two other products of Cherish, a Vintage Cherish (which is set in a vintage era location), and Fantasy Cherish, where the imagination and amazing stories come to life.

In addition to Chris and his amazing wife, we also got advice from Claire from English Weddings Blog. Claire talked to us about how we as photographers can make the most of social networking, blogging, but also of course, talked about submitting photographs to wedding blogs. She also mentioned my friend Alison Tinlin, from Plans and Presents, and recommended photographers approach her with potential shoots. I wondered at the time if Alison's ears were twitching at the time.

In the afternoon, we went out with one of Chris' previous brides, Jayne, who kindly agreed to model for us while ten photographers swarmed round her photographing away. We headed to a disused mill, and Chris kindly set up the shots for us, explaining what angles would work, what settings would achieve what looks.

Some of the techniques were unbelievably simple, but like all good techniques, sometimes it's the simplest ones which end up being the most effective and most dramatic. And like all good techniques, it can be a case of "why didn't I think of that before?" (followed by a bit of a forehead slap). Plus the added advantage of simple techniques, was it doesn't end up being a time-consuming shoot involving more time spent playing with camera and lighting settings, than actual shooting.

So. Would I recommend a Chris Hanley workshop to other photographers wanting to further their skills? Absolutely. In his role on the day as a photography mentor and tutor, he's very down to earth, he knows what works, and he knows how to make it work and he shares that with others during the day. He's very good at explaining too, which is a rare talent that not all photographers possess and without that ability not all photographers are actually suited for running a course. It's not always enough to be a good photographer Chris however, is one of those exceptions who can teach, who can explain, and who can take stunning photographs.

Finally, I'd just like to say thanks to Chris and his wife for their hospitality and advice; to Jayne our amazing model for the day for being so patient and kindly letting us photograph her; and Claire from English-weddings.com for her words of wisdom. I'd also like to say a big thanks to Jaz, for selflessly putting the Shutterrock photographers group together, and making it the sort of place where big fish and little fish can swim around happily. It's the sort of photographer safe environment where amazing people like Chris can and do share their knowledge, and people like me can benefit and learn. Thanks folks!  

Stand and deliver

I've been thinking a lot recently about what it is I'm trying to deliver for my couples, and how I can improve their experience of hiring me as their wedding photographer.

 I think it would be reasonable to say I come from a family where people are important. My grandparents, and great grandparents were very much people-orientated. They helped others, regardless of their own situation. While there wasn't much money on my mother's side of the family while she was growing up, the kitchen was the hub and from the stories I've heard there were always plenty of visitors. Their wealth could be measured by the closeness of friendships they formed and the bonds of strong relationships within the family.

My own parents are people-orientated too. My dad was always more people than money orientated through his work, and actually, he's had a very successful career as a result. He can still remember the names of people he studied with at college, or worked with throughout his career and he's always got a story to tell. It's been interesting growing up with those influences in my life, because it's been made so clear to me how important it is to build good relationships, and that a few good relationships outweigh hundreds of ones where you're just an acquaintance.

I also think about my experiences as a consumer. I think about how I feel when I go into shops what the relationship is like there. About nine years ago, I changed hair salon. I had been going to one hair salon for years, and one day my regular stylist had left, so I had a different stylist. I really didn't like his attitude. He gave me a very distainful look when I arrived; he made comments about my hair which came across as insulting more because of the tone he used; and afterwards I hated his "funky" haircut, which was not what I had asked for. (I should point out, whenever people use the word "funky" to describe my hair, it means its a really bad haircut). So what did we have? Negative facial and body language, curt words combined with a less than friendly tone, and someone who simply didn't listen. I didn't go back. I changed salon immediately, and since then, I go somewhere I genuinely have a good customer experience.  Now, if we were to work that out in monetary terms, if over the space of 9 years (since I changed salons), I actually went every 8 weeks as "recommended", and spent an average of £30, then that works out at £180 a year, or £1620 over the 9 years. That's a lot of money, and all lost by the first salon in the space of a 45 minute negative experience, and gained by my current salon because they know how to make me happy.

My mum bought a new car last weekend, trading in a faithful 16 year old estate for something newer. Actually, the dealership was over an hour's drive north, but some friends had recently been there and bought a car, and came back with such positive stories, that it actually inspired my parents to go there looking for a new car, even though there was a showroom closer to home. Now, it wasn't just a case of handing over the keys, smiling a lot, being a bit friendly. The salesman gave my mum a bouquet of flowers, and a fantastic break-down kit for the car, as well as the shampoo and cleaning set. he was fun, he was pleasant, and where my parents needed a few things done specifically, he was more than happy to help without so much as a deep sigh. It wasn't so much about getting "something", and throwing in lots of extras, but it was all about how special the experience made her feel.

So bringing it back to business. I'm constantly trying to work out, how I can make my couples feel like that.

Even when I started out on my portfolio, I used to send out one print (albeit of my choice) to my couples, as a small wedding gift. I did this because I understand that not all couples actually get round to printing their photos, and I wanted them to have one photo that they could have as a wedding photograph, and have it framed.

I did a survey last year, finding out more about how married couples viewed their wedding photography experiences. I posed the question, that if couples received a disc with the images from their wedding on it, had they printed the pictures afterwards? 9% had printed most or all of the images, 36% of respondees had printed less than half the images from their wedding,  and 9% hadn't printed any of the images at all. I should add for clarity, that 46% of respondees hadn't received a disk at all. This may be because digital photography and burning images to discs is a fairly recent phenomenon. I'd go as far as to suggest digital wedding photography is probably still in it's infancy in terms of what we are probably going to discover over the next few decades.

Getting back to where this began, which is the thinking process. Thinking about how and what makes a good customer experience. And that's why I've been thinking about my 2012 wedding photography package. My aim is to give my couples a really special package, not just full of lovely photos, but also full of good feeling and make it about them. It's that combination of making people feel good, and enjoying their wedding photography and being happy, and focusing (if you'll forgive the pun) on them as people, not just on "wedding photographs". It's what you deliver and how you deliver it that counts. Nothing quite takes the shine off a new purchase like an unpleasant customer experience.

So 2012, I'll be carrying on a few things that my 2011 couples have been happy with.  I've had really positive responses to my DVDs and their presentation boxes, and if you're doing something right, people let you know. However, I'm also planning on bringing in an introductory pack, which will cover all the main things my couples need to consider, for example advice on engagement shoot preparation, photographer's schedules (what, where, when for the wedding day), but also a few extra things, just to make it that little more easier and clearer.

But the question is, what would be the "ideal" package for a couple getting married? if you could add anything to the mix, what would it be? If there were no limitations on getting the experience right, what would make it perfect? What would be the dream scenario? feel free to leave a comment, or to email me directly with any ideas or thoughts.

Reflections

I thought today, I'd write a bit more of a personal blog entry. This is more about life as a photographer, businesswoman.

I formally started my business just over a year ago. Prior to that, I was out getting experience as an assistant, building up my portfolio as well as studying.

Being in Year One has been a huge learning curve. I had a lot of support from Business Gateway, and attended a lot of their seminars and workshops which are designed to help new businesses with aspects such as marketing, book keeping, and search engine optimisation. The thing about being a photographer, is how much time I'm actually "photographing". I do a lot of photography, but with that comes the editing, preparing images for client viewing, archiving, storage, and so on. I also have to think about contracts, legal aspects, book keeping, receipts and invoices, sending out letters, and maintaining my website.

It's all been a learning curve, particularly when a lot of things all happen at once. I consider myself to be fairly organised and good at administrative tasks, which helps. However, there are times when I identify a change required to make things more efficient, and that can be fairly time consuming. All new businesses and projects take a little bit of time - I think you need to go through it once to see what the process is actually about. Even with all the advice I've received, the curve comes from working out how that all impacts upon my business and my clients.

It's also been a good year for identifying things where additional training has been useful. It's been a year of learning how to research effectively too - finding out what products suit my business.

I'm fairly happy with the way things have been over the last twelve months. I've learned a lot about myself, as a person, as a business woman and as a photographer. I've pushed myself, and risen to the challenges set.

I've also been fortunate enough to build up a wonderful client base, who frankly, without them, I'd just be a girl with a business model. The thing that's been reassuring, is how some of my couples have gone from being "client", a person with a need where I fulfill that need (as their wedding photographer), to being people I've become friends with. For me, that's been one of the landmarks to let me know I'm doing the right thing. I think I've been able to attract the right couples by being myself. And actually, since that's how friendships form naturally, I've come away feeling a lot closer to my couples as a result. The thing that has been interesting though, is seeing the amount of similarities between my couples, in terms of traits or personality. It's interesting because it makes me wonder if that's a reflection of me - if I too have those similarities, and I suspect I do.

 This comes a lot into my branding - my branding is all about being me. Sometimes I think we all have an ideal as to how we want our branding to be perceived, but maybe it's not true to who we are as people.  Sometimes there's no better way of identifying your own brand than having your clients and friends as a mirror to your personality.

I also don't get too upset at "not" getting every booking. Not all people are well-suited together. I know those brides and grooms will find someone better for them, more suited to them. My personality and their personality may not be compatible, and that's not something anyone wants to discover on their wedding day.

On a slightly soppy note, I do love seeing my couples getting married. I love being there. It's an amazing thing to see two people make a life-long commitment, in front of a room of people at a formal ceremony. The idea that one of those two people decided one day that being in that relationship was what they wanted. They decided one day, that this was the person they couldn't live without, that they wanted to spend the rest of their life with. This was their life partner. And so they asked the other person to marry them, and the other person felt exactly the same way - this was who they wanted to be with, this was the right person for them, they felt so happy, so loved, so in love, and so secure that they wanted to continue with that for the rest of their life. Being asked to photograph and document that for them to have for the next fifty years of their joint lives together, that's special. We always think about royal weddings as being historic moments, but actually, every wedding is an historic moment in the timeline of a family. And photographs are the keepsakes, the treasures, for generations of family to look back and see. By the time I get to the wedding, I've gotten to know the couple enough, and I genuinely want them to be happy. It's also lovely to meet their friends and family. Every one of my couples has got an amazing friend and family base around them, people who approach me at the wedding and tell me how special the couple are. Things that actually, I can't capture on a camera. The compliments your guests say when you're not even in earshot, to the photographer... that's pretty fantastic to witness too. It's wonderful to go to a wedding and see couples who love each other, but who are so loved from their guests. When you've got that sort of love and support around you, you really can conquer the world.