Daniel Atkinson Photography – Interior & Architectural Photography Specialist Making Businesses Stand Out

Daniel Atkinson is a commercial photographer offering professional photography and video marketing services to the property and hospitality markets. His clients include property developers, estate agents, interior designers, furniture makers and architects looking for great visuals to showcase spaces, built up environments or to get their work noticed. Herts Review spoke to Daniel recently about his journey into interior and architectural photography as well as his aspirations.
 
Daniel’s visuals are amazing. From the images on his website to his social media platforms (Facebook and Instagram) and other online properties, it is clear that if you want great visuals to stage a property, drive traffic to your website or social media platforms or highlight the value in a high-end property or product then Daniel is your man.
 
“I had always had a passion for photography mainly as a hobby. In my 20s, I travelled quite a bit and took a lot of pictures for myself and for travel blogs. I started off my career in Corporate Communications. This was at the early stage of internet, so a lot of things were fairly new and there were a lot of opportunities at the time. I did web design projects, SEO and was involved in video marketing projects”.
 
“In 2014, I took a career break as I was re-evaluating what I wanted to do. My daughter was very young at the time and my wife had just got a promotion. I was assisting a friend, a photographer, on a shoot at the Gherkin in Central London. My friend specialised in architectural photography and I remember being intrigued about the whole process and thinking to myself that I would like to do this. I have always liked different aspects of photography and video side of things, so I decided to move into the specialist niche of interior and architectural photography”.
 
Starting up was not easy. “the photography space is extremely competitive, and it takes a while for clients to see the value you bring. It is a case of working extremely hard at the early phase of your career for little financial reward to build up a strong portfolio and get your work noticed. I started off working for charities and museums with limited budgets. I did free video shoots to get noticed. Through these opportunities and interaction with clients you get a better understanding of what appeals to clients and how you can go about giving them value”.
 
Daniel Atkinson Photography was formally launched in September 2017. Daniel’s portfolio has continued to grow with an established client base in the property, interior design, and hospitality sectors. “I have done a lot of work with property developers that want great visuals to market their properties. I have also worked on visuals for high end properties to drive sales. I have worked on hotels, short-let apartments, new builds, restaurants, museums, holiday cottages, luxury homes and much more”.
 
 “It has been quite a journey getting to this point where I am established and have a decent client base. It has taken a lot of effort. In hindsight, if I had to start all over, I would have had a clearer idea of what I want to achieve and focus on reaching the right clients. Networking has to be targeted and going to every networking event is not the answer. This niche is more specialised”.
 
Thankfully the business has not been adversely impacted by the covid-19 pandemic. “Following the lockdown in March it was literally dead for the first 6 weeks. When the property market resumed operations, it picked up and it has been okay ever since. We are still doing photos shoots. Of course, we are working in a safe way and following the government social distancing guidelines”.
 
“Some of my clients in the hospitality sector have been hit by the lockdown and their businesses have suffered. Other clients are doing well due to the lockdown as demand for their services has gone up. So, it has been a balancing act. Keeping in touch with my clients going through challenging times and working with them to plan for the future and then doing projects for my clients that have not been impacted negatively by the lockdown”.
 
Daniel differentiates himself by offering a personalised service for each client. “You can take photos of a space in all manner of different ways. With me it is about that relationship and providing the highest quality of service. With national photo agencies, you do not get that relationship as you could be working with different people. In our case, you know what to expect and what you are getting from start to finish which helps with the project”.
 
“Going forward, I am looking to grow the range of services I offer to my clients. There is a lot more that can be done within the property space. I will be building on what we have now to grow the business and make it more resilient. I am also looking at more collaborations on various projects”.
 
“For young people interested in a career in photography, my honest advice is that it can be tricky, and you will not grow overnight. It is a saturated and competitive market. To get clients, you have to demonstrate value to them and understand what it takes to deliver the goods. It might be wise to start with one of the national agencies for little pay to develop your craft. With dedication and hard work, you can succeed overtime”.
 
If you are looking for professional visuals to enhance your business contact Daniel here.