
“My goal when I take a photograph is to give the viewer the experience of being there.” – Adrian Collins
by Adrian Collins
I’m a professional live music and nightlife photographer. My business, Adrian Collins Photography®, started off as a casual hobby and quickly transformed into a business.
Many people where involved in teaching me how to start a business and the skills needed to be a professional photographer. I’d say the biggest asset was the Centre for Arts and Technology, which is a private fine arts school taught by leading professionals in the art industry.
We were taught everything from basic settings to creating a business plan. As a professional photographer starting out, I couldn’t afford to hire mules (people who carry your equipment), an assistant or a marketing team. Most self-employed professional photographers who freelance are responsible for every aspect of their business.
The biggest challenge of being a freelance artist is the fact that so many people expect you to work for free. People don’t understand the amount of work that goes into taking and editing a photograph.
The upside of having your own business though is that you can decide how you want things to run; You can decide your hours and payment. Almost everything is in your control.
One thing I get told by the people I photograph is that I really get in there with my photographs. My goal when I take a photograph is to give the viewer the experience of being there.
My overall goals are to be photographing mainstream artists, Vancouver (or Vegas) night clubs, and to make a comfortable living based mainly off my photography. I’ve photographed some big names over the years including Ice Cube, Skrillex, Kid Ink, Machine Gun Kelly, and Nghtmre.