Eimhear Collins is an award-winning freelance photographer from Co. Louth. She lives in Drogheda with her husband Bryan and their three children, Nicholas (23), who is studying in Boston, Eoghan (19), studying at DCU and Annraoi (15), a Junior Cert Student.
“The five words that sum up my business are: Creative. Inspiring. Artistic. Enjoyable. Distinctive
My family and my friends encouraged me to start my own business as so many people were becoming interested in my images and my unique style of photography. When I set up my website it enabled me to reach more people and it gave people who were interested in my photography the opportunity to see a range of images from a variety of locations.
I have been told that my style is quite distinctive and unique. I have been passionate about seascape photography since 2011 and I love the fact that people can recognise my images by the composition, mood, tone and colours in them.
Facebook has certainly helped me grow my business as many orders come via my page and my website. It has also been hugely beneficial for me to have my work displayed prominently in popular local restaurants, hotels and gift shops. Another critical factor was my success in the Top Oil Annual Amateur Photography Competition when I was relatively new to photography. Having a winning entry in their competition gave me confidence in my ability as a photographer and the push I needed to go professional.
I knew my business would be a success when people who had bought one of my images previously returned to add more to their collection. It was also great to see people coming to me to buy gifts for their friends and family and for special occasions.
I would advise anyone starting out in business to follow your dream and take advice from people you trust. Also, seek advice from someone who has already travelled the same road. There are some good training courses now available for people who would like to start their own businesses. Unfortunately, I felt that I could not access this training as I am deaf.
I enjoy the independence of working for myself and making my own decisions. From time to time, I engage in projects with other photographers who have similar interests. For me there are no real disadvantages, I can choose when and where to work with others when opportunities present themselves. My children are no longer in primary school so childcare is not a big issue at this stage, thankfully.
If my children wanted to become entrepreneurs I think that I’d support them and offer them advice. I can understand why people would want to go down this road but it is not for everyone.
I want to continue to develop my style and expertise – you never finish learning. I want to continue to promote my work online and exhibit it in public places and I’d love to travel to interesting places and challenge myself to capture the beauty of different landscapes and seascapes that people in Ireland may not be that familiar with.”
