Welcome Maryanne, will you start by telling us where you work and live.
Thank you for having me! I live and work in North Yorkshire (just outside York). I am a natural light photographer and I occassionally rent studio space (when the weather is particularly bad...)
What inspires you as a photographer?
Other photographers, magazines, fashion, basically anything around me.
How long have been a photographer?I have been a photographer for just over 2 years. I started out mainly photographing friends and family, doing the occassional weddding an generally not taking it all too seriously. After a while my wedding clients and friends started having children and asked me to photograph their kids and this is when I absolutely fell in love with children’s portraiture. Since then, I have been photographing fewer weddings and more children – and now I book a few select weddings a year and mainly fill my calendar with families.
When you’re not photographing, where can we find you?At home in front of the fire, out on my bike with Andrew or in the local pub (which is only two doors away...)
Any books that inspired you {or helped you} in your business?I read Alicia Canes ebook on pricing for photographers, it made me look at how I was charging clients ina new light.
Best marketing idea?Using facebook by posting a photo of the mum (that she can use for her profile) and one of the child straight after the session.
Worst marketing idea?Giving away too much when I first started out - people would be happy to have the sessions but not as keen to pay for the photos...
Do you feel having a studio would help your business grow?Yes – I think as a portrait photographer it’s really important to be able to show ideas and wall collections to your customers so they can imagine what the concept would look like in their homes. Being able to host clients in this way I think would enhance the experience we are able to provide them.
What do you think makes a photographer successful?Its important to know the business side of things, including marketing, really well. Obviously being able to take a stunning photo helps, but it isnt much use if no one knows who you are? Oh and have a really clear pricing structure.
What’s your weakness in this business?I constantly have ideas and try to put everything in place at once. Oh and I find it hard to say no to a sob story - which meant that when I was starting out I was almost paying people to take their picture!
Are you a Nikon or Canon girl?
Canon
and Lens?
50 1.4
If you weren’t a photographer, what would you be?An author, I love writing and have had a couple of cookbooks published.
Can you give the readers your best piece of advice for starting or running a photography business.
Personally I get an idea and then try and make it work, I learn as much as I can, research everything and try and make lots of photography friends to give me advice!
Tell us your proudest moment of your career?
When I sold my first collection... It wasn’t the money (though clearly that is always nice) it was more that they liked my images. I'm always eager to please.
Here is where you can find Maryanne…
twitter.com/cherrymayPhoto
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Maryanne-Madden-Photography/113949821951173
http://www.maryannemadden.com/
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