Another lesson I have learnt is that starting a business does not bypass the classic catch-22 situation where you need a job to find a job. In my case, it is you need a portfolio to get a portfolio. Only after getting a portfolio can you even think about advertising yourself to become a second /main shooter. Obviously if people cannot see that you can shoot events and weddings then you will not be booked!

I decided to go on a journey and email a bunch of wedding venues that I could imagine my clients getting married in. Keeping my wedding shop contact in mind who kindly offered to lend me a wedding dress, I reached out on a few Facebook groups to find some potential models/photographers and collaborate and share the cost of a venue for a portfolio shoot. My autistic brain was working over time and I reached out via email as I could not imagine calling over the phone. One of my coping strategies when reaching out to strangers to offer/ask for something has always been to shield myself via email, Facebook chats or some form of the written word.

I had some responses from a couple of venues that gave an hourly price and I ascertained that if it was shared between people this would be very reasonable. In return for modelling I would get great images for my portfolio and the model would get great images for their portfolio. I formed a WhatsApp group from some contacts who reached out via a Facebook post I put up on a group offering to do portfolio shoots. A perfect way of avoiding the old catch-22 mentioned above. However, reality always surprises you! 

In reality, I’m a photographer starting out and do not have a cast iron list of contacts. The WhatsApp group I formed collapsed like a box of cornflakes falling off the side of a kitchen counter. Each flake i.e. contact scattered away and was never to be heard or seen again. Despondently, I deleted the recalcitrant WhatsApp group and had a cup of tea. With a level head, I did some research online into how to get a portfolio together and I found out about 36exp who do a portfolio builder workshop in a gorgeous venue, St Georges Church in Bloomsbury. Yes you have to pay but after making some rough calculations it seemed to be a far better prospect than trying to arrange a bunch of strangers to do a photoshoot. I would not have to worry about paying £200 for a venue that I’d end up sitting in the middle of and staring at my phone in, alone. Having a portfolio without people would look very strange on a website of someone who is supposed to be an events/wedding photographer.

Anyways, I digress. It is amusing to imagine what could have been a disastrous day because for a similar price to a big room the 36exp course would offer a) access to a stunning venue built in 1730 with the most brilliant chandelier and spiral staircases, b) the time of two different pairs of models and c) help and tips from Andrew Mason, a well received photographer on the London scene. 

I therefore decided to book a place on this course, and dived straight in.

It was very comforting to know I was going about the right way in which to shoot the models. As someone who has suffered from some serious self-doubt it was great to know that I was on the right track. In fact I got to experience the wonders of the 50mm prime lens, or the ‘nifty fifty’ as it is known in the world of photography. Once I got home from the course, I went straight onto eBay and ordered a decent 50 mm prime lens which is like handling a jewel! It gives an incredible bokeh effect which can be used to highlight portraits against a blurred background and allows you to shoot inside without the use of flash. There were many bits of advice that I took from the course and I became more emboldened to do some street photography as well.