Top 5 memorable quotes from Paul Hampartsoumian. By Orla McGroarty
1. “Luck happens when preparation meets opportunity”
This has to be one of the quotes that stood out to me in the session. It’s really important to know your craft, so that you can make the most of the opportunities when they come. Paul explained that mostly people like to book the same photographers, but sometimes they are unavailable. This is your chance to demonstrate that you are the best person. It’s important to “Always look for anomalies in the system; these are your opportunities”.
2. “Connect with people on human level”
One of things that Paul believes is that it’s not just about taking the photograph, but also to remember to connect and talk to your clients. It goes a long way. Just the simple thing of saying ‘How are you?’ can make people’s day better.
3.“Try and be invisible; always wear black you don’t want to mess up any one else’s shot”.
A really useful tip for the next generation of photographers is something Paul explained took him a few years to realise. Your job is to just to take the photographs, so blend in to your surroundings.
4.“Always show commitment! Don’t expect it to happen in the year it is a long journey!”
Paul explained that having a few photos being published in a magazine does not make you a professional photographer. You need to have regular work and have a book of contacts to be able to do photography as a full-time career, so it’s important to always be reliable and send edited pictures on time.
5. “Don’t undervalue the boring stuff, do what you have to do”.
Being a photographer is mostly being a freelancer and it’s really important to make sure that you don’t forget to do your admin correctly. This is as important as taking the perfect image. Make sure that you do everything you are supposed to.
