We recently connected with Jeremy Bacon and have shared our conversation below.

Jeremy , thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. How did you come up with the idea for your business?

Port of Call Photography came from the passion for moments.

Sitting on a ship’s weather deck on a Sunday evening looking out over a sea like a mirror. The setting sun turned the world flame orange, violet, and scarlet. That one perfect image burned into my mind, Today nearly three decades later, I can still close my eyes and see it as if I was there. That one moment of clarity planted the seed that would become Port of Call.
I can never show that moment to another person and words fall woefully short, capturing moments for others is what my business is.

I wish I could say logic and planning went into the decision to create Port of Call, it came through that passion. My sense of fulfilment comes from the happiness I see in a customer’s face when that moment is captured (and when I get paid, lol).

When I first started up, I was one of the very few photographers in the are doing shots for cosplayers. Filling that niche got my name out and growing in the community, I still seem to do a lot of free photos for cosplayers just starting out helping them get started.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

I’m a former sailor who decided to start recording all the amazing things I’ve seen across the world. My business started from my love of photography and work to bring anything my customer can think of to life. I shoot events, cosplay, portrait, nightclub, product, and about any other subject I can put a lens on.

When it comes to my business, I want my customers to be satisfied with the job. Sometimes that means sleepless nights to get photos perfect, sometimes that means passing on a job and getting the customer to someone that can fit their needs better.

Of the work I am most proud of, is shooting for cirques. I love capturing the light and motion of the performances and feel honored when they ask me to cover one of the performances.

What do you think helped you build your reputation within your market?

I try to do things for the local community. Going out to shoot for non profits, setting up a photo boot for schools doing fund raisers, helping starting photographers out with some of the basics, helping new cosplayers with photos, etc… These things don’t generate money and I would probably be better off if I did charge, but it helps the local community grow and has garnered me a good reputation.

Have any books or other resources had a big impact on you?

I have read quite a few books that impact my business thinking, The Tao te Ching, The book of five rings, The Prince, If chins could kill and hail to the chin, and most importantly How to win friends and influence people.

Dale Carnegie’s book has been essential on how to connect with people on a professional and personal level. These skills are paramount for getting the best photos out of a subject and promoting the business brand.

Oddly enough, the Bruce Campbell autobiographies offered a lot of insight on the difficulties of starting out a small business

Contact Info:

• Website: portofcall.smugmug.com
• Instagram: @port.ofcall
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100086913621933