Name: Julia Toms
Business: Photography
Location: West Sussex
Website: www.juliatoms.com
Tell us about your background:
I have always had a camera in my hand since a very young age. It wasn’t until after university that my father gave me a Canon film camera to experiment with that my photographic really began to develop. (excuse the pun!). He refused to show me the ropes and said I would gain much more knowledge if I learnt how to use to camera intuitively. I then took my camera away with me to the Alps for 6 months to capture winter sports in action. I found the process of learning on a film camera rather time consuming and very expensive in terms of processing the film.
As soon as I got back to England I bought my first Digital SLR and a set of different lenses. This digital progression opened a huge doorway for me, and as I was already working as part of a web and graphic design team, I found I had the foundation of skills needed to process the digital images efficiently. In between working in design and taking long breaks to travel extensively to new countries, I did as much photography and extreme sports as I could manage, thus allowing me to build up a good portfolio and to start forming a business plan in my head.
In 2006 I took the step of going freelance at the age of 24… And I have only occasionally looked back! Since then I have watched my business grow, expand and develop. I now have a wide variety of subjects and clients who I photograph for. More recently I have put my design skills to good use and set up a web design business which I co-own: acroweb.co.uk.
Tell us about what you do:
I love photography and have many cameras and lenses for all different occasions. I just wish there was more time in my day to take advantage of the light! I photograph a wide variety of different subjects: weddings, family portraits, baby portraits, product/pack shot photography, food photography, interiors and architecture, and all sorts of other subjects. I also teach photography and digital imaging courses at Earnley Concourse as well as private courses from home.
Tell us about the kind of people that you meet and work with:
I work with a number of different personalities including enthusiastic chocolatiers, fine cuisine chefs, nervous and excited brides, sleepy little babies, crazy toddlers, professional sports people and hundreds more.
What is your greatest achievement?
The last 5 years have been a huge learning curve from book keeping to complicated photoshoots. So I guess my greatest achievement is where I have got to today. But if I had to single out one event, it would probably be photographing a fantastic wedding in The Ice Hotel, Northern Finland – a unique experience!
Who or what inspires you?
I teach many photography courses throughout the year and am inspired by my students’ enthusiasm for the subject. Their interest and commitment is fantastic and it gives me a buzz to be able to help them achieve perfect pictures with their cameras.
What do you hope to be doing in five years time?
I hope my business will continue to expand, allowing me to employ more people to work alongside me, particularly within the wedding photography sector. This would free up some of my time to allow me to concentrate on more projects and perhaps I would look into studying for a Masters Degree.
What projects are you working on now/ have you worked on recently?
It is the start of the current wedding season (May-Sept) and I am currently adding to my collection of photography props and accessories. So I have begun sourcing beautiful wooden signs and handmade crafts to compliment the bride and groom photographs to add that special twist. It is important to me to keep up with trends and to deliver the most up-to-date styles and techniques available.
What do you do in your leisure time?
Photography…kitesurfing… photography…windsurfing… photography… surfing… travelling… photography…paddlesurfing… photography…skateboarding…photography… get the drift?! And also reading photography magazines and enjoying other people’s photography portfolios.
Finally, any words of wisdom for other creative people?
This is a quote I have taken with me from a kitesurfer I met a few years ago and that I now apply to all aspects of my working and creative world; I would recommend others to do the same:
“Life should not be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in an attractive and well preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways, chocolate in one hand, wine in the other and screaming ‘WOOHOO what a ride’!”
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