Pro Interview : Sarah Vivienne Photography

Very good friend of the Photography Parlour is the wonderful Sarah Vivienne of Sarah Vivienne Photography Ltd. Sarah is a full time wedding photographer based in Northampton. Here she shares her experiences from the last three years of business.

Tell us about who you are and where you’re from?
I’m Sarah. Originally from Leighton Buzzard and now living in Northampton. Wife to Steve, a typical Capricorn and Queen of list making.

I’ve been running my business for almost two years and mainly shoot weddings.

My work has a candid feel but I’m far from being a reportage photographer. I want my clients to look beautiful and I also want to save everything about the day. For me that means a mix of directed and undirected photography. I control most shots to a greater or lesser extent. But then I like to break formality by creating believable moments and great expressions.

Why did you first get into photography?

Like many others, photography was a career change for me. And I’ve had a steep learning curve as I only picked up my first SLR three years ago.

I’ve always had a creative streak but followed a typical academic path and then did a business studies degree, followed by 10 years of climbing the corporate ladder. When my most recent role was made redundant I decided I wanted to learn how to use an SLR. I’ve always seen the world in pictures and I remember my Mum saying how I wasting film taking so many pictures on holiday but now I wanted to learn about the technical side.

So I took myself off to The Photography School http://www.thephotographyschool.co.uk/ to learn the basics. At the time I thought I’d never figure out an SLR but I’ve always been stubborn so wasn’t going to give in! The rest, as they say, is history.

Do you have any formal training, and do you think this is important?

It depends what you think of as formal training. Photography isn’t something I’ve ever studied and I’m mostly self-taught. Having said that I’ve done workshops with Damien Lovegrove and Julie Oswin and I can’t tell you how much of an influence they’ve been. But mainly I learn by reading, analysing other people’s work and practicing.

I spend a lot of time looking at the fashion shoots in high end magazines like Vogue and Harpers Bazaar. I’ll analyse the composition, pose and lighting to understand why pictures work or don’t work.

The most important thing is to ’see’. The rest you can learn.

What have you found the hardest thing about being a photographer?

In my first year I marketed hard and got lots of fairly last minute bookings. Inevitably this meant doing lots of consultations and not converting some of those meetings into clients. It’s natural to want to book every enquiry when you start out. And it’s hard not to take a ‘no’ personally. I’ve found that a ‘no’ will be down to one of two things – I’m too expensive or they don’t like me.

I’ve always resisted the urge to discount in order to get work. My prices are where they are for a reason and I’m trying to build a premium brand. Discounting would undermine that and in the long-term establish referrals based on price. But in the early days when I just needed to make money it was hard to remember that if a client is buying on price, they’re not my client.

One of the things I remember from my workshop with Damien Lovegrove was the importance of rapport. With my highly directed style of photography if I can’t get my clients to feel comfortable, I’m not going to get the best out of them and therefore not deliver the quality of work that they’d expect from me. Again, it’s hard, but it really is best to walk away from the weddings that you don’t think you can do justice to.

Have you ever made any mistakes or funny stories that you’d be willing to share?

It’s only a mistake if you don’t learn from it. All I can say is that I’ve learnt lots!

How is it best to approach professional photographers to assist them or do second shooting?

Approach photographers whose work you admire. And I’d suggest not in the area that you will operate. Very few photographers will want to train their future competition. I’d recommend a personalised email, not a blanket one to every photographer you can find. If you’ve got a portfolio then include a link to it. Think about what you can do for them, not what they can do for you. But be honest and realistic about your skills. Also remember that taking someone new and inexperienced out on a wedding is a big risk for a photographer – it’s best to start assisting and then grow into second shooting.

What tips or advice (apart from second shooting) could you give to someone wanting to become a professional photographer?

Join the Master Photographers Association and get a mentor. The MPA has an associate scheme that’s open to photographers who intend to go full-time. They’re really dedicated to learning and development, and I’ve had a lot of value from my MPA mentor.

Which books or magazines would you recommend reading?

I love the articles in Photo Pro Magazine – they’re a good length to give some really useful insights. And it’s a good way to keep up-to-date on industry news and trends.

I’m a bit of a bookworm but the best business book I’ve read so far is ‘Book yourself solid’ by Michael Port.

Read the magazines your target Brides read. This is what they’re influenced by. Editorial and commercial fashion photography in high end magazines, like Vogue and Harpers Bazaar, is where many of my ideas come from. I’ll see something that will spark an idea and then I’ll translate it into a shot that will work for a Bride.

What has been your proudest moment in your photographic journey so far?

It was the 27th June 2009. This was the wedding of Philip and Maria who were getting married at the church where I shot my very first wedding and this was the first time I’d been back. The two weddings were less than a year apart and in that short time I’d had some amazing opportunities and worked with some wonderful clients. I was quite emotional on the day about how far I’d come and how much I’d learnt. And comparing the two sets of photos afterwards, you wouldn’t think they’d been shot by the same photographer. As creative people we’re always our own worst critics and I look at every shot I’ve taken and think I should have done it better. Then you move onto the next wedding taking that learning with you. If you’re anything like me you’ll never be satisfied with your work. So don’t forget to take time every now and then to look back and see how much your work has moved on.

What’s next for Sarah Vivienne Photography?

One of my personal goals for 2010 is to work towards my Associate panel with the MPA. So now I’ve said it I’d best get cracking! And my clients can expect to see several new services this year as I’ve been working on building portfolios in areas other than weddings.

Thanks very much to the lovely Sarah for chatting with us today! You can see more of Sarah’s lovely work on her website www.sarahvivienne.co.uk