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Anita Corbin, How winning an award kickstarted her success as a photographer
Anita Corbin, How winning an award kickstarted her success as a photographer
1.What is your business?
Photography; editorial portraiture, photojournalism and creative images for annual reports, prospectus, websites, brochures and exhibitions. My partner in business and pleasure is John O’Grady! We set up Corbin O’Grady Studios in 1984 and we are professional photographers specialising in making people look good.
2. What prompted you to start up in business?
In 1980, whilst still a 3rd year photography student at the Polytechnic of Central London, I entered a Sunday Times/ Nikon competition “Young Photojournalist of the Year”; my “Girls in Sport” series caught the judges’ eyes and I was given an “honourable mention”. A whole page of published pictures in a national magazine was exactly what I needed to launch my career at the highest level, it was a steep learning curve but I soaked up every minute , working along side the great photographers, art directors and designers of the day was a huge honour and unique experience. This lucky break reinforced my belief in myself and my talents, I knew I could do it. I became a regular freelancer with the Sunday Times magazine for the next 15 years, shooting portraits for human interest stories.
3. What was the market situation when you started up?
In 1981 the market for editorial photography was alive and kicking; colour supplements were commissioning original features and sending photographers and journalists all over the world. I wanted some of this action but it was a very competitive market and as a 22 year old woman in a male dominated world I had to be better than good, I had to be excellent and willing to work at the drop of a hat. I had a long an fruitful relationship with The Observer Magazine and travelled to some fantastic locations, every job was different and I began to develop my intuitive style.
In the mid 1980’s the market opened up as businesses recognised the power of strong imagery in their annual reports and other literature, we set up Corbin O’Grady Studio in Waterloo and began working with the top graphic design consultancies, in a city that’s well know for cutting edge design, on annual reports for the Blue Chip companies.... It was a period of rapid growth and our wide ranging skills in photography were in demand, so much so that we would often take all of the images in an annual report; portrait, abstract, landscape, product. It was a very competitive time and we had to work hard and respond quickly to the evolving market.
4. Do you have a vision for your business and if so, what is it?
To observe and interpret the world and to create images that move and inspire.
More personally; to initiate an archive of images of 21st century women- “Women 1st”
5. What was the biggest obstacle you had to overcome and how did you do it?
Rejection was the biggest obstacle, I soon realised that I had to believe in my own abilities and not to take rejection (by art directors or designers) personally.
6. How did you find the finance to get started?
My Dad set me up with my first Nikon kit in 1981 - since then we’ve always reinvested in our business. In 1988, when we launched our new studio, a DTI grant helped to pay for our corporate identity design.
7. What are your personal qualities that have that have helped you to succeed in business? Determination, creative energy, physical strength, passion for photography, communication skills, self belief.
8. How do you keep going when things get tough?
Take a walk in nature...we moved to Somerset at the end of the 90’s.
Take in the details, soak up the beauty...remind myself that photography is my destiny!
9. How do you measure success?
Seeing our pictures published and exhibited, our images are out there in the world communicating a positive message.
Work from my archival exhibition of “Visible Girls” a study of Girls in Subculture, forming a major part of the syllabus for photography students at a London University.
Testimonials from clients are always a good sign!
10. If you had one piece of advice for a woman starting out in business, what would it be?
Nurture the creative aspects of your business, be honest with your clients and they will respect you.
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“There is no scientific answer for success,” says Anita Roddick. “You can't define it. You've simply got to live it and do it.” In creating the wildly successful Body Shop chain of cosmetic stores, Roddick created h...
Leanne Hoagland Smith
Are your sales where you want them to be? Will you be one of the few who achieves sales success or one of the many who have failed to change? So what are you doing to change those results? Let’s be honest, with companies moving globally and at lightening speeds, the traditional business solutions are outdated and dead. My approach moves your business out of its comfort zone and secures your competitive advantage now. If you are seeking to increase sales, build customer loyalty, create a culture of great attitudes or just achieve some sleep filled nights, then we should talk because my clients have experienced exactly those types of results. Learn more about customer loyalty at http://www.processspecialist.com/customer-loyalty.htm Give me a call at 219.759.5601 for a free strategy session. P.S. If you are seeking a motivational speaker, sales trainer or small business expert that will leave your audience smiling and remembering, please feel free to contact me at 219.759.5601. - Visit Leanne Hoagland Smith's Website
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Sue Stockdale
(Visit Sue's Website)
Sue Stockdale founded Mission Possible, www.miss
ionpossible.co.uk to help women to
achieve their goals in business, using the
same principles that led to her success in
becoming the first British woman to ski to
the Magnetic North Pole. Since 1997, the
company has worked with 1000s of women
worldwide. Services include an
award-winning businesswomen’s network, and
peer support groups for growing
businesses.
A fitness fanatic, Sue has represented
Scotland in athletics, and in 2004
finished runner-up in TV’s Superhuman. Her
academic achievements include an MBA in
Entrepreneurship and an MSc in Quality
Management. She lectures at several
Universities on leadership and
entrepreneurship and her advice on
motivation regularly appears in the media.
She is author of Kickstart Your Motivation
and Secrets of Successful Women
Entrepreneurs. For further information www.suestockd
ale.com
Sue Stockdale Video - Polar adventurer and motivational speaker Sue Stockdale speaking at Millionaire Mind Event in London about building trust in your team on an expedition and setting up systems to make expeditions and business easier.
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“There is no scientific answer for success,” says Anita Roddick. “You can't define it. You've simply got to live it and do it.” In creating the wildly successful Body Shop chain of cosmetic stores, Roddick created h...
