Celebrating 21 Years In Business! Let’s Tell A Story…
21st Anniversary - How It All Started:
It’s the end of June 2003, and I've officially set up my business!
After finishing college, and up to that point, I'd been practicing my skills on friends, and work colleagues, in return for prints of their images.
I still had a "day job", but was undaunted by the possibility of having to fit photography around it.
I was alone, unsupported, but was absolutely determined to succeed!
By then I knew that I wanted to pursue photography as a career/business, and that I wanted to work with people, but I still needed a website, advertising, and to make a final decision on the style of photography I was going to offer.
I started to build the basics:
🌟I chose a business name: "Thru-a-Lens Photography", and registered the domain.
🌟I learned some basic HTML coding in order to build my first, rather static, website.
🌟I placed my first advert in Yellow Pages! (who remembers that tyre-kicker's paradise?)
🌟I decided I wanted to work with people, and had my heart set on women portraiture.
🌟I had also swapped my borrowed film camera for a brick of a digital camera by Olympus.
I was set!
Although my heart was in women portraiture I knew that it would be close minded of me not to experiment a little with other styles of photography, so my first months in business were a mixed bag.
Enterprising, and eager, I contacted a local magazine and offered to photograph for them at events in some big venues, in Northamptonshire - that was my very first work engagement and even though I was not actually getting paid all I really wanted was the learning experience.
Rockingham
🌟On the last Sunday of every month I'd be at the Rockingham Racking Track, photographing the NASCAR racing; which I found incredibly dull, to be honest! But the cars were awesome!
The Pre-Race Entertainment
🌟The bikers doing all sorts of amusing, and pretty dangerous, tricks were the pre-race entertainment.
The Concerts
🌟The main thing for me was the concert, after the races, and I photographed Blue (the screaming teens behind me created a sound wave so strong that it pushed me forward!), almost photographed 50 Cent (he was at the circuit but never did the show!), and Daniel Bedingfield (remember him?).
The Rugby
🌟I photographed the Rugby at The Saints ground - I am not a fan, and got easily distracted… Also missed the only try of the game because I sneaked out for a cheeky cigarette (smelly habit, now given up for 10 years!).
I did this for about 3 months, and figured out that I was NOT a concert/gigs, racing, or other sports', photographer.
None of it inspired me… But it was fun and I met some awesome people and made great connections.
