Photographers Boutique: Interview with Belinda McCarthy of Belinda McCarthy Photography

1. Will you start by telling us where you work and live and the type of photography you do?

I live in rural Somerset, near Glastonbury, and specialise in wedding and portrait photography, although I do take on commercial work which interests me. I limit my portrait work to the surrounding areas – Bristol, Bath, Dorset, Devon and Wiltshire – but I work all over the country for weddings.

2. What inspires you as a photographer?

I look for the sense of the story and the dramatic and try and recreate this in my work wherever possible. I see beauty and excitement in the smallest of things and it’s these small treasures in life that inspire me. With people, it’s capturing those private moments, the inner self, that I strive to do.

3. How long have you been a photographer?

I’ve actually been a photographer for over twenty years, as I started within my father’s commercial business when I was a teenager. However, I went away and tried a number of different jobs before ending up back in photography, running my own business. I guess it’s a role which I was always destined for!

4. When you’re not photographing, where can we find you?

I’m a bit of a homebody and I love just hanging out with my rescue greyhounds. Having said that, I love travel too, particularly to areas of cultural and historical interest.

5. Any books that inspired you {or helped you} in your business?

I really like Ed Verosky’s e-books on portraiture and lighting – they’re really informative and a great how-to on achieving different looks without going into technobabble!

6. Best marketing idea?

Social media is a great way to connect with customers and gain business. Just remember to be yourself and be ‘social’ – broadcasting sales messages is the easiest way to put people off! Also, website SEO is really important – but it’s easy to get ripped off by companies charging a fortune if you don’t know what you’re doing.

7. Worst marketing idea?

Don’t compete on price. Value what you do and ensure you charge a fair rate for the work you put into it. It’s tempting to drop prices when you see people undercutting you, but it’s counter-productive in the long run.

8. Do you have a studio and if not do you feel having a studio would help your business grow?

I have a studio attached to my home, although I use it primarily for product photography. As I’m so rural, it’s not really a prime position to attract people. I do prefer to work on location for portraiture, as I find people relax more in their own surroundings and you can set up far more interesting and authentic shots.

9. What do you think makes a photographer successful?

I think it’s something like 25% talent, 75% effort and 25% luck! Having a distinctive style is vital, as there competition is so fierce that you have to have something about your work which stands out. By putting everything of yourself into your work, you can’t fail but capture something of yourself. That’s what people look for, the artistry in what you do.

10. What’s your weakness in this business?

Selling is something that I’m never hugely comfortable with – cold calling gives me the heebee jeebies! However, you can’t just sit around waiting for work to come to you, you have to be proactive.

11. Are you a Nikon or Canon?

Canon, and always have been. I currently work with a 5D and a 7D; both have their strengths and together they make a great working combination.

12. and Lens?

There are always more on the wishlist! Current favourites are 70-200L, 50mm prime and 24-70 f2.8L.

13. If you weren’t a photographer, what would you be?

I’d like to be an author, but I don’t think I’ve got the dedication for it! I also applied to be a guide dog trainer, but didn’t quite make the final cut – that would be a great and really worthwhile job.

14. Can you give the readers your best piece of advice for starting or running a photography business.

Keep learning, keep training, look at as much work from other people as possible and develop your own niche. Don’t be tempted to take on work which you know doesn’t fall into your skill set. Do what you do well and excel at it – and offer your customers superb service, as word of mouth testimonials are some of the best advertising you’ll ever get.