2009 started off badly I caught pneumonia and was laid low for a month or so, the recession had bitten well and truly and work just dried up. Then we had some great weather around Easter time, my mood and the mood of the nation seemed to lift. I decided that I could not wait for work to come to me so I set up meetings with local companies, put marketing initiatives in place, plastered my name on free business network sites and worked with the local government business link to increase my profile. Which paid off toward the end of the year.
In May I took on some repeat business and worked again with the Royal Philharmonic Society and photographed and managed their award winners photo shoots. A mixture of studio and live stage shots including Thomas Quasthoff.
In June I traveled to Scotland and photographed a beautiful wedding in Glenfinnan. I also separated out my weddings and portrait side of the business and started the Portraits & Weddings website keeping
Simon Jay Price Photography for arts related business. More repeat business with the BBC and their Out and About series and through that pictures in the Daily Telegraph newspaper.
I also put my network of contacts in the music business to use and set up concert shoots with Ry Cooder (above) and Nick Lowe amongst others. I photographed festival and concert tours including legends Paul Jones (Manfred Mann) and Dean Friedman.
The key was to keep taking photographs even if customers were in short supply. I pushed myself to learn even more about concert photography and expanded the portfolio which bought me to the attention of folk artists and theatre groups. The summer was hot and long and I spent a few days working with the BBC on their Indian Music day, Piano Day and Inspire Day.
What a privelege to be able to hold a photo shoot in the Great Hall of Hampton Court Palace. I worked with Goat and Monkey and with Oxford Brookes University. The start times had to be early or late because of Hampton Cout being open to the public during the day. There is something special about the River Thames at 7.00am.
Portrait sessions and family portraits filled the rest of the year and I made picture framing part of the business.
I added actors headshots and social media photography to the business and raised my profile futher by getting involved with casting agencies.
The year ended with concert work for the New York Dolls and American composer George Crumb.
By getting up and doing I made what looked liked being apoor year into a great one. I was planning ahead for 2010 which has started well.
