Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Jeremy Bishop. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Jeremy, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. To kick things off, we’d love to hear about things you or your brand do that diverge from the industry standard.

One thing that I started doing 7 years ago was posting most of my photography to free stock websites for anyone to use and download for free. Most people think that is crazy and even some of you reading this are wondering why I would ever do that a professional photographer trying to make money from my work. Before I was a photographer I was a graphic designer and I found it hard to find great images to work with and design with for free. Then the company Unsplash.com came out with their business model of releasing 10 free high quality images for free every week. I soon began uploading my own outdoor photography to the website because there was none of that, and I knew I had better images I could bring to the table. Over the years, my images have begun to gain traction and views because of the worldwide audience this website had. I learned quickly that unconventional way of showcasing my photography work could act a marketing tool for my business. Over the past 7 years, I have received countless jobs and commercial work through this avenue.

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

I am a commercial and lifestyle photographer specializing in adventure photography. My main thing is introducing brands to wild places. I also specialize in water photography, from surf to underwater photography. I am most proud of my water photography and the joy that it brings. I am always planning more trips and jobs around the ocean. The main thing that I would say sets me apart is the movement and action I seek to capture in most of my images. I run my own photography business and I’ve been working for Chris Burkard for the past 4 years assisting on all his commercial projects from Iceland to California.

Any advice for growing your clientele? What’s been most effective for you?

Consistency is key. Stay organized and follow up with all of your clients or new clients you’re reaching out to. They are very busy and always miss emails or can’t get back to them. They have too much to remember and it is your job to stay on top of things and bring your business and your name to the top of their mind. Come to the table with something and not asking for something from them.

Do you think there is something that non-creatives might struggle to understand about your journey as a creative? Maybe you can shed some light?

I think about this all the time because I have a lot of friends and family who aren’t in the creative industry. As an artist, you love what you do even though sometimes it may not make sense financially or socially. My art of photography brings me joy and fulfillment and it is something I know I am good at and can make a living from. There are some seasons in my industry where it is financially rough and others will never understand why I stick with it. There are also some seasons where I travel nonstop and never get to see family and friends for months at a time, and some people will just always struggle to understand why I do it. My little piece of advice is to never let peoples opinions of you dictate who you are. Don’t stop being you, follow your passions, and always be curious.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://jeremybishopphotography.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/stillbish/