by Adrian Collins
“My goal when I take a photograph is to give the viewer the experience of being there.” – Adrian Collins
I’m a professional live music and nightlife photographer.
My business, Adrian Collins Photography®, started off as a casual hobby and quickly transformed into a business.
Many people where involved in teaching me how to start a business and the skills needed to be a professional photographer. I’d say the biggest asset was the Centre for Arts and Technology, which is a private fine arts school taught by leading professionals in the art industry.
We were taught everything from basic settings to creating a business plan.
As a professional photographer starting out, I couldn’t afford to hire mules (people who carry your equipment), an assistant or a marketing team.
Most self-employed professional photographers who freelance are responsible for every aspect of their business.
The biggest challenge of being a freelance artist is the fact that so many people expect you to work for free.
People don’t understand the amount of work that goes into taking and editing a photograph.
The upside of having your own business though is that you can decide how you want things to run; You can decide your hours and payment. Almost everything is in your control.
One thing I get told by the people I photograph is that I really get in there with my photographs.
My goal when I take a photograph is to give the viewer the experience of being there.
My overall goals are to be photographing mainstream artists, Vancouver (or Vegas) night clubs, and to make a comfortable living based mainly off my photography.
I’ve photographed some big names over the years including Ice Cube, Skrillex, Kid Ink, Machine Gun Kelly, and Nghtmre.
To see photos from Adrian’s portfolio and contact him, you can visit: www.AdrianCollinsPhotography.com
