Hampstead Hive Member Spotlight - Jill Cowdry
TELL US ABOUT YOUR BUSINESS..
Having fallen in love with photography during a year-long stay in Provence with my family, I studied it for two years on my return to London. I was immediately drawn to capturing imagery around motherhood which has developed over a period of five years into a family photography business. I photograph a mix of newborn, baby and family pictures and love to capture natural and emotive moments in an outdoor setting in beautiful nature which is abundant in London around all the parks. My photography is not generally posed but in the moment which I love..... Meeting a new family and getting to know them is at the heart of what gives me joy and my return rate with families is very high. I scout out the perfect location for them, advise on the best clothing to suit the time of year and generally put them at ease so they can relax and enjoy the session. I'm used to working with small children and babies and am skilled at helping them enjoy the session and have fun. Another part of my job as a photographer is to edit and photoshop all the images and present a beautiful gallery to share with loved ones and advise on all kinds of frames and prints which I adore!!
I have also worked in a more commercial setting for baby brands and have photographed many entrepreneurs who need headshots and imagery around their businesses.
WHAT IS YOUR GREATEST BUSINESS ACHIEVMENT SO FAR?
My achievements are responses from the clients when they truly love the galleries I present. I also feel a lot of pride when clients keep coming back to me for more photography. My greatest business achievement so far is working with Mum & You where I photographed many campaigns for them.
WHAT DO YOU WANT TO ACHIEVE NEXT?
As well as developing my outdoor family photography business, I would like to take more portraits of children as an alternative to the school photo to mark their milestones. I am now working in schools to capture natural photography for their families and also for the school's social media and marketing. I am also reaching out to hotels in London and the surrounding area to offer photography for families coming to stay from abroad. Some of my greatest family photos are professional shots taken in hotels in different parts of the world on holiday. Remember you can always organise a shoot with me in Central London to mark some of your favourite spots!
WHAT ONE PIECE OF ADVICE WOULD YOU LIKE TO OFFER SOMEONE THINKING OF ENTERING INTO YOUR FIELD?
Photograph everything at first and over a period of time you will start to see what you really love to take pictures of and what you are good at. From there you will really start to develop your own style in that area but it takes time so be patient. Don't be put off by all the competition but be inspired by it - there is always room for another good photographer. Practise with lots of different lenses to see what you prefer to shoot with. Practise with light at different times of the day. Remember that between lunch time hours in bright sunlight you need to be in shade as it creates hard shadows.
What is your favourite aspect of working in the local area?
Beautiful Hampstead Heath and Waterlow Park. I just photographed a family near Kenwood a few days ago and it is so beautiful there for family photography.
WHAT ENCOURAGED YOU TO JOIN HAMPSTEAD HIVE AND WHAT HAS YOUR EXPERIENCE WITHIN THE HIVEBEEN LIKE SO FAR?
I remember reading about the Hive and it seemed very inclusive and supportive so I thought I would give it a try. Not only has it grown but my initial thoughts were right and it has certainly been supportive which is so great when you are a solo player and need to feel like part of a team. There are many great business women in The Hive and it's been a pleasure following their stories.
