Artist Interview: Sobia Qayyum - Vivid Shots Photography

Some of my early work starting out as a Photographer

This week I had the pleasure of interviewing A great photographer and a very good personal friend of mine. So a very big Thank You to Sobia for taking a bit of time out to give us this interview. You can visit her personal website Portfolio on http://www.vividshots.co.uk/ to view her full extended line of work.­

• For those who do not know about you, please introduce yourself?

Hello. My name is Sobia Qayyum and I am a photographer based in Bradford, but work up and down the country. I graduated from Leeds Metropolitan University studying Graphics Design. I mainly focused on Photography. Studying composition, and the messages you can portray through photography, as well as the accompaniment of text. Photography itself is quite a broad subject but I favoured fashion photography. I am always trying to create my own identity.


I had early work experience in design whilst I was studying with 2 different design firms. Both were demanding in their own way and were quite different from what I had expected, as they were not very design literate firms. Designing leaflets, menus and posters were all I was made to do for local business.  Most times it seemed like my design skills weren’t used, but rather my knowledge of using the programs was of greater value. It was disappointing and frustrating if I’m completely honest, but then again they weren’t major branding contractors.  One thing that I can definitely say is that I learnt how to “deal” with customers, and not everyone is going to appreciate the thought processes behind the design. But I have to thank them because now I know what’s needed to run my own business.



• How did you start of in the Photography industry and what type of work were you involved with to build up your skills and portfolio?

My very first piece of photography was of trees in the park near my house in autumn, with a Sony Cybershot camera. We had to write an article about a place we liked to visit and mine was the park. This then developed to other objects and then finally on to people and fashion.

At this moment in time I have 2 sides to my business, one is weddings and the other is commercial/ studio based photography. But to begin with I had to make do with what I had, with lacking in funds to invest, so I wasn’t using the best camera, lenses or the best lighting, which ultimately resulted me in doing a few “freebies” projects to get my foot in the door and build up my portfolio, because university work wasn’t sufficient.

Wedding Photography side of business

• Where do you see yourself in the future with your plans and ambitions you wish to pursue?

In the long term I see myself having a fully equipped spacious studio, and a team with me. Not too many people, just a handful of graphic designers, makeup artists and maybe another photographer. As well as photography, I invested in doing a makeup course so that I could do shoots whenever I wanted without having to arrange for a makeup artist to come help me. If it was unpaid work they got a free portfolio from me, as much as it killed me to do that but you have to make sacrifices, so I invested in that side of me to put an end to free portfolios. So I’d ultimately like to have a combination of mediums around me so I can offer people the whole branding package rather than just the one sector. I’d like to stop doing weddings and just focus on studio based or fashion based photography and branding rather than anything else.

 

• As a freelance Photographer, do you work alone or have a collaborative network with other artists?

The other artists that I mainly work with are make-up artists. One in particular, Dolz Make-up and Hair, based in Manchester, I have a good foundation with the CEO. We’ve often collaborated on ideas and themes. This may sound negative but I don’t really tend to work with other photographers. I like to see their work, appreciate it for what it is, but I don’t really collaborate on projects with them, that’s where I draw the line.  However, I don’t mind working with different graphic designers, especially when they have a different skills set from mine, I focused on editorial photography and typography. So anyone who’s done digital manipulation, illustration, I’m more than happy to work with.

 

•  What would you say are you’re biggest challenges as a freelance photographer?

From my 3 years of doing freelancing, I’d say the biggest challenge has to be the Wedding Photography side of my business. I’m aware fully that it’s one of the biggest days of a person’s life and there is a lot pressure on me to get it right the first time. But it seems like when they sign a contract with you it’s like they’re expecting you to plan the movement and layout of their wedding. Trying to obtain the attention of 200 people at a wedding without shouting at them is quite difficult. And having a soft voice, shouting doesn’t even help. So it really does fall on deaf ears sometimes. But above everything else the thing that really tests my patience is when clients give you the final list of their album edits 6-8 months after the wedding date and expect them back in a week. Good job I’m a patient person, who doesn’t like conflict.

More than anything I love working in the studio, my relaxed nature just allows people to breathe, whether they’re models, makeup artist, stylists etc. Having a relaxing atmosphere is the best atmosphere to be able to create and experiment but above all enjoy what you’re doing. In short, if you don’t enjoy it, you shouldn’t be doing it.

 

Commercial on location photoshoots

• Would you have any advice for new starting up freelance photographers?

My advice for people starting off is develop your own style, that way it allows you to stand out of the crowd instead of doing what everyone else does. If you have a strength show that it is your strength, don’t try and “blag” your way through jobs, paying customers won’t go easy on you. It’ll take a bit of time to get noticed but when you do people will begin to appreciate what you do.

It’s an expensive game to get into so make sure you have some money behind you.  Cheap camera and accompanying equipment won’t cut it.  If you’re calling yourself a professional, then get professional equipment, especially if you wanted to be respected by other photographers. 

After you start building up some work, the most important step then is to build a strong online Portfolio where you can showcase your work to potential clients and to everyone else.  No point having amazng work when noone can see it.  A good clean and easy to navigate website is essential.  All get onto social media sites like Facebook and Twitter and gather crowds to your fan page an website, networking is essential in getting noticed.