The Lonely Road of Portrait Photography

If you’d told me two years ago that I would develop a deep and obsessive passion for portrait photography, I’d have laughed in your face. But time has an often mischievous agenda of its own, and sometimes, you find yourself walking a path you’d never dreamed of, yet one which you couldn’t couldn’t imagine not travelling.

My name is Warren Shepherd, and I am indeed a portrait photographer (as well as a published Sci-fi author) based in Toronto, Canada. I market myself as a Portrait Photographer with a Personal Touch because one of my key selling features is that I take the time to build a rapport with my clients and get to know them through my thorough onboarding process. When they step in front of the camera, we are already well on the way to capturing their true essence through my work.

But my journey to get here was a very unexpected one. It started with a sharp crack to the head – a slip and fall injury at my rather mundane job of medical courier. (You can read the full story here.) While recuperating, I decided to teach myself about photography from the ground up. I knew almost nothing going in, so the first hurdle was learning the basics – The Holy Trinity of ISO, APERTURE, and SHUTTER SPEED. These concepts had always intimidated me in the past, the effort to learn them like trying to decipher ancient hieroglyphics.

However, once I discovered my “Rosetta Stone“, and the code had been cracked, the information flowed like water to a man dying of thirst. The internet was my university, YouTube in particular. With a multitude of virtual mentors at my fingertips. there was no subject out of reach. And so began my journey.

Through a series of TFP shoots, I built a respectable portfolio. I launched my website and started a blog. In just over a year, I feel I’ve made enormous creative leaps and grown my technical skills immeasurably, developing my brand far beyond my expectations or hopes. Though I never stop learning; that way lies stagnation. There is always a new technique to master or a new perspective on an old technique that shines a fresh light on your work.

But even as I feel I’ve achieved a certain level of competence, there is one thing that causes me endless frustration: finding paying clients. Obviously it’s the lifeblood of any business and means the difference between surviving in the field and fading from it. I always say that being good at something is one thing, being successful at it is a different beast altogether.

I feel I’ve followed all the prescribed protocols; I’m active on social media, not just pitching but actually engaging with potential clients. I have a solid LinkedIn profile, interacting in positive and inviting ways. My email marketing is well-constructed and built on a personal approach so as not to seem “spammy”. I have consulted with established professionals and followed their marketing recommendations. And yet my efforts bear little fruit.

I am constantly hearing that succeeding in this business is a long game, but as I’ve come to this passion relatively late in my life, I don’t have the luxury of time to build my ‘empire’ slowly. While I continue to court traditional markets like corporate headshots and branding, as well as actor headshots and creative work, my ultimate goal is to get into celebrity photography. So yes, I may be literally shooting for the stars, but my feet are firmly on the ground.

So if anyone would like to share their marketing wisdom or offer some reassurance, I would greatly appreciate the advice. Drop your thoughts in the comments or better yet, share a blog with the whole community. Or if you just want to wallow with me, sometimes misery loves company. Photography can often be a lonely path to walk; as a recovering introvert, it’s nice to have a community of like-minded, passionate souls to share that journey with.

Good luck out there, and above all, keep on creating!

Warren

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