Hi from Bristol UK

Hi all,

I have found a professional photography forum at last, something positive to help the photographic industry. I am a photographer in Bristol UK, I started up the company originally because of my passion of photography and so my wife could earn money while bringing up our 2 young children at home.

We built a studio last year, converted a garage that was just storing junk, see the blog of how it was done here. Step by Step Garage Studio Since then the business has really taken off, we are fully booked 4 months in advance all the time, for all kinds of photographic services.

I love what I do and I hope it shoes in my images, its really good to know that the photographic business is alive a well here in UK, despite what you hear about the industry.

If you have time check out the web site PureFineArt.co.uk

Cheers

Gary

Gary,

I love your website and your enterprise. You have a wide swathe of talent to invest in each client. It's unusual for this breadth of capability, especially since you started this work as a way of assisting your wife's interests!

Are you a graphics design and web builder in your background?

Asher

Double click ;-)

Hi Gary,

Firstly, welcome to the OPF. You'll like it here .
I wanted to tell you this by PM but it seems that you've disabled the PM options.
On your "prices"page of your web site, there is a typo at the end of first paragraph that says

Click if you need a calculator click on the icon above.

Click to expand...

BTW, great portfolio's. You must be generating a lot of business. I also think that you are very bold with your pricing scheme, I really like it. How will that work out on the long term, do you think?

Cheers,

cheers

Thanks for the typo I need all the help I can get as I'm dyslexic.

Prices are a funny thing, I decided that I would rather have 20% of something than 50% of nothing. Most of the revenue comes from corporate commission work and post production work.

It helps to offer loads of services as it balances out, when the modelings down, the family images are up, when the family photos are down the artwork digitization is up, when thats down, there are always websites to develop and so on. I also do craft fairs and shop fronts to the sell the fine art images. It really pays not to only offer a limited specialism.

My trade is Electronics and Software Engineer also been working for 17 years as an aircraft designer / program manager having a 9-5 job allows me the time to spend with my family without the worry of where the next job is coming from. The way its going though it wont be too many years before I am going to have to make a tough decision, if I should flip to photography full time.

The engineering role is very clinical and process driven, so the photography (22 years) allows me to express my creative and artistic side, it a good balance.

Gary

Hi Gary

Wow - your website is fantastic.

I am particularly interested in your story as you started for the same reasons I want to start -although I have a long way to go to be where you are now.

You have sent much inspiration my way and I am very thankful.

I look forward to reading more of your posts in the future.

Mel