HOW I STARTED MY HEADSHOT PHOTOGRAPHY BUSINESS - PART 1

by Tom Trevatt

"Starting a headshot photography business from scratch was a bit of a mad move, especially during the last two years, but it’s been paying off and I’ve loved (nearly) every second of it. Here’s the first part of the story. Check back for part two."

https://www.tomtrevatt.com/blog/how-i-started-my-headshot-photography-business-part-1

STARTING FROM SCRATCH

My headshot photography business officially started trading in May 2021. This post is the story of the last year of my business but also, of the year leading up to that moment and a few of the months since - but “two years and a few months of doing photography” isn’t a particularly catchy title.

Actually, this story starts over twenty years ago. I did a photography art foundation course in 2000-1 at Exeter College where my love of film cameras really took hold. I learnt to process and print my own black and white film photography, and even applied to go to university to study photography. However, my life took a slight turn when I decided I preferred art and philosophy so I studied a degree in Art at Brighton. At that point I kind of stopped shooting and took a long twenty year hiatus from being behind the camera. Flash forward to 2020 when I’ve just finished my PhD and staring down the prospect of no work during a global pandemic and I have a sleepless night coming up with a plan to get back into photography. So, the plan was to take headshot photos of the DJs in the DJ agency that I am part of. But of course all these DJs are also out of work due to the lockdowns so I definitely couldn’t start a business off the back of that client base. It was then that I discovered Peter Hurley’s Headshot Crew - a US based, but worldwide, community of headshot photographers who specialise in shooting in Peter Hurley’s signature style. I joined and very quickly realised I had a lot to learn about studio lighting. I’m not going to show you my earliest headshot attempts - let’s just say it wouldn’t be too awful if my hard drive with them on failed. It was at this point that I decided to become a headshot photographer.

PRACTICING THE HEADSHOT

It was only after spending many hours practicing, researching, watching videos and practicing some more, that I really started to get the hang of things. It was at this point I came across the work of London headshot photographer Ivan Weiss. Ivan really helped me in the early stages of setting up my business and reassuring me that it was perfectly possible to build a career out of taking photos of people’s faces. So, come May 2021, I decided to go live! I opened my metaphorical doors and let the business flood in…which, might have been somewhat optimistic. The first clients I had were in my little makeshift home studio, slightly awkward asking someone to stand in your living room while taking photos of them, but I think all good businesses start at home - needs must. The first six months were wonderful, it was an exciting time, learning the ropes of running a business and trying to figure out marketing strategies. Building a portfolio of images I was proud of was the first step, and even though I look back on those first shoots and cringe, it really was an enjoyable time - head down, figuring out how to build something from nothing.

It was during this time that I shot some of my enduring favourite photos. This one of Shereener Brown (above), an actor and barrister from London was a turning point for me - this was the first time I really felt like I could have something here and started to like my own work. This simple actor’s headshot of an old friend Toby Osmond (below), who had appeared in Game of Thrones, was also a great moment for me in my trajectory. These two shots are still in my portfolio.

I think we have these photographs that act as high points in our learning that we then strive to live up to. For me, it has often been these stand out images that just shake me when I see them on the screen - I know that these will be my favourite work for a long time. They happen only ever so often - if you’re lucky once a month, but more often than not, probably only a handful of times per year. All learning is, is increasing the frequency of these types of shots.

GETTING A PHOTOGRAPHY STUDIO

Just after Christmas 2021 I found out that two other photographers were looking for a third to join them in their studio in The Biscuit Factory in Bermondsey, London. The rent wasn’t too high when shared between all three of us, and if we managed to split our time effectively, we could have enough time in the studio each month to do our shoots. This was a huge turning point for me, getting into a purpose built photographic studio space and out of my flat! The studio was large enough that I could move around easily and really progress my work. I loved it. Especially when my first client in the new studio travelled from Manchester to shoot with me and we had an absolute blast working together. Here’s a shot of her, Resi Harris (below), an actor working mostly in the commercial world. This really cemented for me the need to have the studio.

It was at this point I started playing around with vintage lenses adapted onto my Sony a7iii. I had bought a Canon A1 camera in a shop in Brighton and really loved shooting with it. I realised that I could just buy a simple adapter and put it’s lens on my digital camera. This really opened a few doors for me. In future blog posts I’ll write more about this process and how I almost exclusively use vintage lenses these days. I ended up buying quite a few of these CanonFD lenses from the 1970s, and love the feel they give to my work.

Around March this year I met Corinna Linsaz (below), a fellow photographer who had been introduced to me by a mutual friend. She had wanted to learn a little more about studio lighting and I suggested she come in for a photoshoot. This was such a wonderful experience. We got on amazingly and snapped some absolutely beautiful photos - again, one of those turning point images came out of this session. Corinna and I still go to galleries together and drink tea and chat - I love the power of photography to build community.

During my time in the studio in early to mid 2022 I realised that if I wanted to grow my business I had to take the risk of branching out and getting a studio for myself. So, I started the process of looking - I had ambitions higher than my budget, but eventually found the perfect place, still in The Biscuit Factory, but in a different block. This studio has amazing windows that overlook the city - and importantly, the sunset. So, now, in the afternoon, we get glorious warm light streaming in through the window. I had predominantly shot in studio lighting before, so having a large window at myself disposal was new to me. And I loved it! I’ll definitely be writing about natural light photography in future blogs, so watch out for that.

Check back for part two soon!

Tom Trevatt

https://www.tomtrevatt.com/blog/how-i-started-my-headshot-photography-business-part-1