The month of May sees our team at Picture Perfect Photography celebrate ten glorious years of business, and we want to share our story with you. This isn’t a guru guide. It’s the story of how we started, adapted, overcame challenges, and knocked on the doors of opportunity that helped us to grow and become the successful photography studio that we are today.
We’ll be taking you through our journey of creating a prosperous photography business, showing you the good, the bad (and the ugly!) and not forgetting our greatest success…
You’ll get to know:
• Where it all began
• How the business grew
• Our greatest success
• What challenges we faced
• Our continued growth
• Our vision for the future
Let’s start our photography story…
So, where did it all begin
Picture Perfect Photography was born in the spring of 2012, with one passionate photographer shooting happy couples at weddings. They had one core mission: to bring the vision to life through creative photography, by transforming everyday snapshots into something more. Picture Perfect Photography was all about providing an experienced and tailored service that offered more than just an image.
With a mission to create the perfect experience through high-quality photography skills, lighting expertise, and creative shoot direction, the once-simple photography business became a vision of perfection, built on the knowledge, and varied professional experience and portfolio, of the Picture Perfect Photographer creator, Collette Evans; Premium Photographer and Founder.
How did the business grow?
Starting with very little capital and borrowed equipment, the seed of a photography business was down thanks to the joy and success that came from shooting weddings for family and friends. Wedding Photoshoot Packages were launched, propelling the Picture Perfect Photography brand and its creative skills over the first two years.
The core mission never changed: to create the perfect photoshoot experience. Soon, Picture Perfect Photography expanded to the fitness industry. As a keen fitness enthusiast, and on her own fitness and bodybuilding journey, Collette explored this world through her camera lens and soon found herself working on Fitness Photography. From fitness products to transformation packages, gym location photoshoots to capturing personal training in action, this was when Picture Perfect Photography found its strength and carved out its own business niche.
Throughout 2015, business was booming, clients signed up in increasing numbers for our photography services, and we were creating more stunning photos for businesses across different industries, from fashion and corporate, to varied product shoots.
Today, our creative photography studio continues to work across the UK for well-known brands and expanded internationally, completing a high fashion shoot in the fashion capital of the world: New York City.
What is our greatest business success?
From a modest start with borrowed equipment, one of our biggest successes came in 2016: Picture Perfect Photography found our first home studio and gym studio for photoshoots. This added the cherry on the cake to the perfect photoshoot experience for our product photography and fitness photography packages.
With a significant growth period, further success came in our best year yet, 2020. In 2020, we moved into our new premises. Offering a large, open-space photography studio, a space to relax, work and unwind for clients and colleagues, a private workspace we call “The Zoom Room”, and outdoor locations for natural and rustic photography creations, it really was a perfect place for our perfect photography. As Picture Perfect Photography expanded, so did our team, as we brought on board Marketing and Sales colleagues and worked with video editors to create an even more diverse portfolio of perfection.
What were the challenges we faced?
With the good, there have to be the bad and challenges to overcome. 2017 wasn’t the best year for Picture Perfect Photography, as Wedding Packages took a dip in bookings. But as one door closes, another opens. Collette took a part-time job alongside her photography to work through this roadblock, and along the way found a new and exciting opportunity in the market for Food Photography.
How have we continued to grow the business?
Without challenges, you don’t learn and grow. In 2018 business picked back up again, and Picture Perfect Photography was on another journey of creative success, with the introduction of Commercial Photography, Photography Subscription Plans, and a new and larger photography studio.
After another great period of growth, in 2020 Picture Perfect Photography hit another great success, as we relocated again to a new studio. Even better than the fantastic environment, we had loved, we upgraded to a three-story, open-spaced premises that we call home. A creative photography studio and head office, offering 50 square meters of clean, bright photography studio space with a variety of backdrops, lights, and workspace for any project, as well as outdoor shoot locations and separate floors for client relaxation, we can now offer our clients even more on our quest to create the perfect photoshoot experience. Here we can bring pure satisfaction to our clients, whether they require product photography, commercial photography, clothing photography, or anything else. They want it, we do it!
Over the last few years, Picture Perfect Photography has continued our exciting journey, going from strength to strength, working with more diverse and interesting clients, collaborating with businesses across corporate, product, fitness, and events sectors to take projects beyond just photography and combining photography, editing, marketing, and sales expertise. The perfect photography experience doesn’t start and end with the click of a camera: it’s so much more. Check out our latest work.
What does the future look like for Picture Perfect Photography?
We struggle to contain our excitement for the future, which we know will be bright and creative for the team at Picture Perfect Photography. Celebrating a decade of continued growth and business, our creative photography studio is not stopping there, with exciting growth plans on the horizon. Our photography business has a lot more to offer, as in the next few years will be exploring;
- Innovative ways to continue bringing our vision to life and focus on product-based and fitness businesses
- Including modern video packages and services
- Launching an Academy with Photography Courses
- Developing a team of experienced and younger creatives in the area
- To become the go-to Photography Agency.
Ten years is a major milestone for Picture Perfect Photography, and we can’t wait to see what we’ll achieve next!
And, what is our advice for creatives and businesses looking for photography services?
Follow your passion, strive for perfection and if you get the chance, come work with us!
