We recently connected with Andrew Dufton and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Andrew thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Do you take vacations? How do you keep things going – any advice for entrepreneurs who feel like they can’t step away from their business for a short vacation?

I take as many as possible. I mean, life is for living right? I love what I do. Being a part of someones wedding day is an honour, and meeting so many different and interesting people is amazing. But its important to keep doing the things you love for yourself too. I love to travel, the world is a huge place and theres so much see, every trip is an adventure. I also find it helps to keep me focused, keeps me rested and keeps my creativity and excitement alive. I guess I’m one of the lucky ones, in the sense that I can work from anywhere in the world. But my advice for anyone is, just do it. Stop thinking about it and book something. The more you think about it the less likely you are to do it. I know it can be worrying at first, your business is your baby. But if you don’t have some down time you’ll burn out, and then you’re no good to your business or yourself. Start with a weekend away, stay in the same country if you really want. Just have that down time.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

Well first of all, I should probably introduce myself. I’m Andy, and I’m the owner of Andy Dufton Photography. My story starts back when I was 12. My dad got me a camera for my birthday, sadly there were no digital cameras then, it was all 35mm film. When I first started, I left the camera in auto mode and I was happy just taking photos, but it wasn’t long before I started to play with the different settings. I bypassed the semi auto settings and went straight into the full manual mode. I remember spending a fortune on film as I was learning. With being self taught it was all trial and error. I quickly learned the basics though, and then really started to experiment. I guess starting my own photography business was always going to be the next step for me, even if I didn’t realise it at the time. Fast forward to 2016 and I was ready to open my business. I started with social media, doing family portraits and the ever popular Christmas/holiday shoots and superhero shoots. I then progressed to weddings, shadowing someone as a second photographer to learn how weddings ran from a supplier perspective. It was obvious to me then, that there was so much potential to be creative with the photos for the couples and I knew it was the direction I wanted to go in. I enjoy capturing photos of the whole wedding day, but what I really love, is getting the couple shots. Getting the wow shots for them, getting sunset shots, playing with lighting and reflections etc…… The ones they have enlarged and show off on their walls. Growing up in the North of England, being surrounded by beautiful scenery and castles, means its second nature to me, to look at the surroundings and to utilise the sights around the couple to enhance the photos, while adding to the couples memory of the day. Now, nearly 9 years on from when I started, I have done dozens weddings and love what I do. I love getting to know my couples and sharing in their interests and passions, and I love to create the perfect memories of their day for them to look back on for ever. Of course I’m not just a photographer, I’m their cheerleader, their help and support, and the guy that steps in to fix things if theres an issue. I’m also their graphic designer for when the couple order one of my albums. This is also one of the things I’m proud to say that I do, I’m always there to help my couples no matter what. But the main thing that makes me proud, is simply just seeing the couples faces light up when they see the photos. Its the best part of the job, its like a pat on the back, and all the recognition I need.

Is there a particular goal or mission driving your creative journey?

The goal for me is to travel the world doing what I love. Being able to take photos all around the world, experiencing new things, new cultures and capturing images of sights that many people may not get to see.

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

There are two answers to this. The first is to see my clients faces light up, as they look through their wedding photos, or family photos. The second is seeing my photos printed in magazines, or being shared on social media. Both are like a pat on the back, a well done, and that reassurance that you’re not the only one who likes your images.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.andyduftonphotography.com
• Instagram: Andy Dufton photography
• Facebook: photography by Andy Dufton

Image Credits

Andy Dufton Photography