Things I Wish I knew When I Started my Photography Business

Sometimes I see people I know celebrating their business birthday. Happy birthday, business! Have a cake and maybe some photos too. I have a sneaky confession though - I don’t know when I started my business. I promise I’m not crazy, it’s just that there are several possible dates that could qualify. Do I go with the date I registered my self-employed status with HMRC? My first shoot? Well both are problematic - I can’t remember the former, and I didn’t have another paid shoot for 16 months after the latter (I found out I was pregnant literally two days after my first shoot, and shelved the photography thing for 16 months), so do I go for the 16 months post date?

By these bizarre metrics, I’ve been a photographer for 7 and a half years, or maybe just 7 years, or possibly 5 years and 8 months. Whatever. It’s been a while, and I’ve learnt quite a lot. If you’re new to the biz you should deffo read this, or maybe you’re wondering what photographers do all day, or maybe you’re a photographer too and you want to read it and go ‘OMG me too!’. Whatever you are, have a gander.

N.B I hate the word journey so I absolutely will not use it in this blog post. Except for the previous sentence, and unless describing physical movement between two locations.

Your intricate knowledge of UK service stations will be second to none

Travelling around the country most weekends means lots of stops for coffee. You can be eco and bring a travel cup and that’s great, but not a single trip goes by without me needing to go for a wee. And yes, I do have notes for service stations all over England. Basically, they should all be Gloucester.

You’ll never get the same work day twice

Most of the time, weddings follow a similar pattern. Getting ready, getting married, some photos, nice words spoken, a cake, a dance and lots of fun. But each wedding is unique, and I’m not just saying that to be kind or make anyone feel special. It really is true! And it’s not down to location, though some require more thought than others. It’s that every couple is different from all the others, and that’s what makes the job so bloody brilliant. Getting to know my couples, figuring out how they fit together and capturing that, and soaking up all the positive vibes at their wedding has me walking on air for season after season. If I’m feeling a bit shitty I know that I’ll go to work and enjoy myself, and the variety keeps me feeling creative.

The perfect camera bag doesn’t exist. Stop trying to find it.

To date I’ve had 4 different camera bags, two bumbags and a Tog LDN wallet. None have been perfect, and it drives me slightly round the bend everytime I have to prepare for a wedding. Camera bags are a weird item, truth be told. They’re either designed with a nature photographing hobbyist in mind who’s only ever going to carry one lens and one body, or they have so many pockets you won’t know where to start. Or they’re prohibitively expensive and have to be shipped from New York, which is gonna cost you £65 plus a 10 week wait.

My advice? Get a good insert (I use the Fjallraven one) and stuff it into literally any backpack.

The importance of saying yes - and knowing when to say no.

Three years ago I said yes to absolutely every opportunity I got. Family shoots, parties, engagements, business headshots, styled shoots, and, of course, weddings. In that year I worked so hard, while still having a small kid at home with me in the day time. And you know what? It was absolutely worth it. It propelled me forward and got me a group of friends in the industry while I worked out what my style was, how I liked to work and all that jazz. My motto back then was saying yes and working out the details later, which meant I had to learn a lot, and fast. And now I say no all the time, and I don’t feel bad about it. I say no when I know I’m not a good fit for what someone’s looking for, or if I’m already too busy. It’s brilliant.

It’s about love.

Photo of me at work, taking by Jenny Appleton

Want to make a ton of money? Don’t shoot weddings. Sure, you can have a very nice life taking photos of people on their big day, but it’s not the money spinner you think it might be. Gear, fuel, several hard drives a year, a new flash because you dropped yours in the dark, hotel stays, second shooters, insurance, the lens that stops working mid ceremony - we have to service these costs. The truth is that all of us who’ve stuck at this for more than a couple of years do it because we love it.

Mistakes are like arseholes. We all live with them. (No I’m not referring to anyone in particular)

I can’t stress enough that this is a process. When people are trusting you to deliver the product they’ve paid you for it can feel like a lot of pressure, and from time to time mistakes are made or things happen that are out of our control. That’s ok - it happens. It’s really important though that you know how the mistake happened so you can grow from it and not make it again. When I started getting serious about my business I went on a workshop and heard the lead photographer say everyone should be shooting for highlights in a certain location. I had literally no idea what she was talking about. After about 3 minutes of feeling like an absolute loser I put on my big girl pants and just asked her what she meant. It’s important to speak up and seek answers when you don’t know what you’re doing. But arm yourself with as many tools as you possibly can, so that when you encounter issues - with your camera, with your diary, with something on a wedding day - you have a fighting chance of tiptoeing gracefully through the situation.

You’ll never stop learning.

Christmas 2017, Erddig. Finally shooting in manual.

Even after 5/6/7 years there are still plenty of things I’ve never encountered. You know that Dunning Krueger thing about how your experience increases your perception of your own knowledge decreases? It’s a thing because it’s true! When I first picked up a camera I thought “I’m never going to be able to shoot in manual!” and then I went and learnt (I really recommend the IOP, if you’re looking to learn the basics). And then I spent a couple of years shooting everything in my daily life, and thought I knew a lot. Then I second shot a wedding and realised I knew nothing! But by then I was committed and had to keep at it. Workshops and styled shoots are great for building confidence, but nothing beats experience. These days I know a bit more, but I get so excited thinking of all the things I still haven’t photographed (yes, I have a bucket list).

Look after your hands. And your feet.

This is up there with ‘Wear Sunscreen’. FYI, do that too (and moisturise).

Paper confetti is the best.

I’m not even justifying this one. This is the stuff.