Design Inspiration

Featured Photographer • Brian Mullins Photography

December 03, 2015
RaleighPhotographers

Brian Mullins of Brian Mullins Photography is an award-winning wedding photographer in Raleigh, North Carolina. When he’s not shooting beautiful weddings, he works on his craft through commercial photography, bridal portraits, engagement sessions and writing articles for Resource Magazine. He loves to help other photographers, and actively teaches photography classes and participates in mentorships.

Brian Mullins 1

Your studio shoots a wide range of photography genres. Where did you start, and how did you expand into other areas?

I started my photography career as an editorial photographer for a local magazine. This experience was invaluable as I had a wide range of subjects and things to photograph. A typical day would be business portraits in the morning, then move over to an architectural shoot then finish up with food photography, food preparation, etc. I carried this experience over when I opened my business in 2005 and worked on slowly growing my referral business until the momentum took hold and I was getting new clients outside of a direct referral.

Getting out and using your talent and skill to tell someone else story, using your voice, helps develop your own style and eye for your clients.

What is the best piece of business advice you can give to new photographers?

Have a solid business plan that focuses on shooting profitably! I cannot tell you how many photographers I talk with don’t have a good game plan on how they actually generate revenue. Putting your focus on those things that make you money is of the upmost importance because, without that, you really don’t have a healthy business.

Brian Mullins 2

Many photographers talk about the importance of personal projects. Is personal work important to you and if so, how does your personal work affect or inform your professional work?

Having personal projects are very, very important. As it turns out though, personal projects are also the first things that suffer when we get busy. I try to shoot for personal reasons as often as possible and am working on a new long term project as we speak. We, as photographers, can have a very powerful voice when shooting for ourselves and I think it’s key to photograph something that will make a difference. It can be anything from “Mailboxes of the 50 States” to something more powerful like the SPCA, wounded soldiers or battered women. Getting out and using your talent and skill to tell someone else story, using YOUR voice, helps develop your own style and eye for your clients.

What is the biggest challenge in being your own boss?

Time management. I find myself, in any given day, getting pulled in 50 different directions so managing my own time and deciding where it’s best spent is a challenge I face every day, week, month and year. I think this is actually the biggest impact you can have in your business. Decide what things absolutely need your voice and either put off or have someone else do the things that don’t.

Brian Mullins 4

How has Fundy Designer changed or helped your business?

Fundy Designer has really been paramount to how I run my business workflow. The design process used to take a hours and hours. So long that I would outsource it which increased costs, delivery times and had to be factored into sales. With Fundy, the design process is down to less then 30 minutes (from import to export) and allows me to really push more and more albums to clients. With inexpensive album companies like Snappish, it was really hard to compete with the amount of time and energy it took for me to custom design a book. Now with Fundy, the original design and changes are so fast I have become more competitive and my album sales and profitability have gone way up!

Fundy Designer has really been paramount to how I run my business and workflow.

We asked you to pick one of your recent images that challenged you. Why did you pick this image?

RaleighPhotographers-0006

This house was special to my couple and they wanted it in their photos it but many of the scenic places were in direct overhead sunlight. We shot quite a few “safe” ones using open shade but this photo was one totally for me. My clients ended up loving it even though their requests were for the “soft” light. Just serves as a reminder that while keeping my clients happy is first and foremost, I have to shoot for myself and push boundaries at every wedding.

…while keeping my clients happy is first and foremost, I have to shoot for myself and push boundaries at every wedding.

Do you have anything else to add? Any other workshops or products to recommend?

I’ve been with Fundy Album Designer since 2009 and watched it evolve from, essentially, a set of super fancy Photoshop scripts and automations to the standalone version. At each turn Fundy and his team has listened to feedback from their customers (which is so rare these days) and really turned this software into the premiere product you have today. I’ve used it not only for albums but HUGE wall collage prints which would of taken me hours and hours in Photoshop.

To see more about Brian Mullins, visit his website or follow him on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter

 

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