Daniel Rannoch: Breaking into the Industry with Storytelling Wedding Photography
Can you please share a brief history about your photography business? What motivated you to start this venture?
I started Fern Photography with my friend, Matt. We wanted to create wedding photographs that were real stories for real people. We were two individuals from different parts of the world who came together in Edinburgh, driven by an urge to create wedding photographs with authenticity.
Our first weddings were unconventional, mostly shot in the dark by firelight. The importance of storytelling for these couples resonated with us as photographers. We believed wedding photography should focus on a couple’s story and their wedding journey, rather than the photographer wanting to create one epic portrait for their portfolio.
Back then, storytelling wedding photography, as opposed to traditional/formal photography, was only just emerging. We were kind of making it up as we went along. In a way, that was the perfect approach. We didn’t follow any traditional template, so everything was possible and nothing was considered taboo.
What kind of challenges did you face when building up your portfolio or setting up your studio? How did you overcome these challenges?
Breaking into the wedding industry is famously difficult. Almost no one wants an unproven photographer to document their big day. It’s too important. Normally, one gains experience with an established photographer as an assistant to learn the trade; however, we were lucky to be approached by a few friends.
Could you describe the early days of your business? What were the initial reactions and feedback you received?
The early days were full of hustle and inventiveness. We worked on a shoestring budget and had to find ways to do jobs with no money and makeshift equipment. For a while, we cycled to all our jobs, carrying equipment on a trailer to keep costs down. We always met clients in a fancy hotel to create an upmarket feel, as we didn’t have a studio or an office. Every time we made some money, we invested it back into the business. It took three years before we started to draw a wage from our work. That reinvestment was well spent, though. As our business grew, we had the capacity to expand and take on new opportunities.
The feedback we received in those early days was excellent. People loved what we did and the experience they had working with us. It was very encouraging.
How did you manage to grow and expand your business? What strategies did you use to attract more clients?
Growing our business was difficult. In the end, we decided that the best strategy was to present ourselves as authentically as possible, be honest about what we do and how we do it, and tell the story of why we did it that way too.
Posting on social media was initially a plan, but we found out pretty fast that it was a lot of effort for very little reward. It really only attracted other photographers to our accounts, not potential clients. Advertising on social media seemed to have little effect, too. In the end, we split our marketing budget between magazines and Google ads and made sure we consistently provided excellent service, which resulted in great reviews online.
How has your business performed financially over the years? Can you share some milestones or achievements in terms of revenue?
We’ve been growing in revenue each year since 2011. In 2016, we were able to make the business pay ourselves a living wage, which was a huge achievement for us. Since then, we have had a steady income and managed to keep up with inflation in the UK. During the pandemic, we had almost no income and no work. It was pretty stressful. We used that time to review our services and added video to our business. With the downtime, we trained ourselves in filming and editing, and now that part of our business is generating one-third of our income and rising each year.
What are some key lessons you've learned along your entrepreneurial journey? Is there anything you would do differently if given a chance?
Chasing every sale and expecting everyone to be our customer was an exercise in futility. When one starts a business, there is a reasonable desperation not to pass up on a sale or be discerning with clients. This can really damage a business, though. Because we took on a lot of work that wasn’t exactly from our ideal clients, it resulted in less successful recommendations. Once we learned that targeting our ideal clients, and accepting that some people just aren’t a good fit for our business, we started to grow our reputation with the communities that loved what we do. This created a loyal client base for repeat business and excellent referrals.
I’d also avoid trying to work all hours of the day and night. Separation of work and personal life is important to avoid burning out.
Are there any tools or software that have been particularly useful in managing and growing your business? Give us a list of what you use in your kit.
We are early adopters of technology, and that has benefited our business as we developed and grew.
Initially, we didn’t have a studio, so we worked remotely from each other for eight years. From the very beginning, we used Dropbox to synchronize our files and ensure that we both had access to the newest edits at any given time. As early adopters of Dropbox, we benefited from rewards such as unlimited storage and unlimited file revisions, which meant we’ve had a fully comprehensive backup solution, remote file access, and the ability to share our workload with each other from the start.
We also implemented a CRM called Tavé that was made for photographers. It ensured that we had good and accurate records of clients, jobs, invoices, and tasks, allowing us to plan our work, make sure we got paid, and never miss a deadline. At the start, this was a bit overkill, but as we grew, it meant that we had systems in place to handle that growth and allowed us to take advantage of opportunities. Over the years, we have seen first-hand the problems other photographers have had in missing deadlines, double-booking themselves, and collecting payments that we have avoided. It may seem like an extra expense at the beginning of your business journey, but planning for growth before it happens will be a saving in the long term.
Could you recommend any books, resources, or mentors that have significantly influenced your business journey?
The best resource is your local community. There are many influencers and workshops out there that will try to convince you that, for a small fee, they can teach you the secrets to success. It’s almost always a lie. The best way to learn about your market is to talk to others around you, make connections, network, and share ideas and stories of success or failure with each other. It’s a great way to learn and ensures you will build strong relationships with other businesses. There will come a day when you need help due to unexpected events, and those relationships will be what save you.
We have always made a point of teaching and training new photographers who are interested in learning about the business. We do this for free, and those photographers have gone on to grow successful businesses of their own. It’s a great benefit for them and us. We pass on our knowledge to help them avoid the pitfalls we experienced; they inspire us with new energy and ideas to help us avoid stagnation. It’s a win-win for everyone.
What advice would you give to budding entrepreneurs who wish to start their own photography business?
It’s a tough industry, and you will get advice from all sides telling you the ‘right way’ to do things. Listen to that advice, but make up your own mind about what to do. Make sure you do things your way—that will attract clients who will be loyal to you and your individuality. Experiment, play, and learn. It’s a creative business, and learning through trial and error will make you a more robust photographer. Don’t be afraid of making mistakes.
If you are asking for creative criticism of your work, don’t take the comments to heart. Listen to and understand the feedback, and then decide for yourself if it matches your vision. Just because someone is experienced or established doesn’t mean their opinion about your work is definitive. Believe in what you do and why you do it. When receiving criticism, let that critique inspire you rather than redirect your journey, because opinions rarely take into account the context of your creation.
Daniel Rannoch is a renowned wedding photographer and co-founder of Fern Photography. With a strong passion for capturing authentic love stories, Daniel has revolutionized the wedding photography industry by focusing on storytelling rather than traditional wedding poses. His journey began in Edinburgh, where he and his partner Matt launched their business with limited resources but boundless creativity. Today, Daniel’s work is celebrated for its genuine portrayal of couples’ unique journeys, earning him a loyal client base and industry recognition.
About Daniel
- Country: United Kingdom
Specializes in
- Lifestyle Photography, Portrait Photography, Wedding Photography
Quote
Make sure you do things your way and that will attract clients who will be loyal to you and your individuality.
Thanks Daniel for this sincere testimony of your photographic journey.
It is not a career for everyone but you and your business partner are interpreting it at best, as true entrepreneurs.
Keep up the good work in your amazing land of Scotland
I agree! It takes a certain personality to succeed in something like wedding photography, let alone with someone else at your side. As I like to say: “If there aren’t any ups and downs, then you’re not doing it right” haha! These are some awesome folks and I am excited to hear from them more on the podcast!
Hi Daniel, this is a great read my friend, three years without an income must of been hard on you both.
Keep up the good work