Enterprise Nation

Christopher Cornwell and Sarah Thomas are two top photographers with a roster of top clients. We ask how they got started and what advice they’d offer to others. Alongside a collage of images, it’s a written and visual treat.

Christopher Cornwell

I was fortunate to be given a film camera for Christmas when I was 16 and can still remember the excitement of viewing my first contact sheet. I knew I wanted to become a photographer from that point.

I work from a small coach house at the bottom of the garden where I have my office and can shoot to the limitations of the space - I hire another studio a short walk away when needed.

My marketing strategy has been to concentrate on quality and on building relationships. When I began in 1991 my sister managed to arrange 2 appointments from 10 cold calls to agencies, my entire business has grown from those two appointments and I have never actively marketed myself since.

In 1996 I was commissioned by Hilton Hotels to produce a library of images for a coffee table book - a brief that took me to over 30 countries over the period of a year - it remains hard to beat!

2009 has been an interesting year, and I am grateful to the long standing clients who have continued to need my services as new business has been slow. I am  also branching out with another photographer, we have taken the lease on a premises 'White Room Images' where we will offer editorial style portraits to the domestic market, although our main focus will still be on our commercial work.

In terms of advice to other people thinking of turning a passion for photography into a business, I’d say … the photographic industry is ultimately a service industry, it’s very varied and encompasses a wide variety of commercial applications so my advice would be to know the market you want to work with and work on that all important 'cultural' fit.

• Christopher Cornwell 

Sarah J. Thomas

I set up Sarah J. Thomas Photography in the first few months of 2008 when my second child was still a baby. I was offered redundancy whilst on Maternity leave and decided to take the plunge. It was now or never.

I have always been creative and received my fist camera at 8 years old, which I carried with me everywhere I went (much to the dismay of my family and friends). Although I now shoot purely in the digital format, I learnt my craft using film and traditional darkroom skills.

I work primarily on location or in clients’ homes. I have found that children (and families) act more naturally in their home environments. I allow the children to just play and be themselves as much as possible. A typical session can last 1 to 2 hours, allowing for breaks for snacks or just a time out.

I gain most of my new business by word of mouth which is fantastic! I wanted a method of being able to maximise this so designed some 'recommend a friend' sets of Moo cards. The sets are designed with images of the clients’ sessions, similar to a mini business card with my contact details on the reverse. Small enough to keep in a purse or wallet, they can easily be given to friends and family. The Moo products are perfect for this as they are inexpensive and can be individually designed to suit the project.

My secret to success in taking shots of children? Patience. You have to be able to interact naturally with children and understand them and how they think; I truly feel that being a mother myself really helps. A small child will only give you their attention for a short period of time so you have to move pretty fast. I usually just lie on my stomach (often in the mud) with my camera, watch and wait for that natural moment.

• Sarah J Thomas