articles/Profiles/cjol-page2
Published 01/12/2013
Discovering your own style is something that many photographers struggle with and sometimes it takes several attempts before finding out which route you want to follow. 'When I first started shooting weddings I was mentored by Gordon McGowan. I learnt so much from him that I apply to my work now, how to pose people and how to direct for example, but I very quickly realised that I wanted my style to be my own.'
'Recently I've had some fantastic couples who were a bit wacky and I think I can relate to that a little more, they really suit my style. I love it when couples have a few quirky things at their weddings and they're so happy that they're just laughing their way through the whole day.'
Of course the proof of the pudding is in the eating so to speak, and Catherine has consistently had excellent feedback from all her clients. 'It wasn't a natural process to find my style,' says Catherine, 'but it's been an interesting journey and I think it's still evolving. I feel very comfortable with what I'm doing now and I think that's because I'm looking at what comes naturally to me as well as what others do, and it feels great to be able to offer my clients a mixture of everything.'
Attracting those clients that will suit you and your style is often an altogether more difficult proposition. Marketing is one of the most challenging aspects of running a business for many photographers and there are a thousand different ways to approach it. Catherine maintains that getting out there and speaking to people is the way that she sees results. 'It's absolutely key to have really good liaisons with traders such as wedding venues. I get out to wedding fairs and I make contacts, I talk to all the other exhibitors and I'm always working on increasing my professional network. I've noticed recently that more photographers locally are becoming interested in being interacted with too, which wouldn't have happened a few years ago. I love doing that because photography can be so isolating, it's lovely to get out with other local photographers.'
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