595: Claire Thomas – Chasing stories and an income as a documentary and fine art photographer

PhotoBizX The Ultimate Wedding and Portrait Photography Business Podcast

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Claire Thomas www.clairethomasphotography.com was briefly interviewed as a lead-up to Alex Vita's recent SEO and Website User Experience Masterclass. The reason is that Alex built her website, which she says has been life-changing for her business.

I also said in that introduction that if you were to visit her website, I'm confident that you would love, love, love to have her portfolio as your own. The images are fantastic, and the subject matter and locations are just so varied.

This is a photographer who appears to be living her best life. She is leaving a trail of gorgeous imagery like breadcrumbs, revealing snippets of what she's seen, where she's been, and who she's met.

From Europe and the Middle East to the USA, Asia and Africa, war-torn cities, landscape vistas, and intimate portraits—there isn't much missing from this incredible portfolio.

In this interview, Claire shares how to survive and thrive as a freelance documentary, editorial, and fine art photographer.

Here's some more of what we covered in the interview:

• Exploring a Diverse Portfolio: Meet Claire Thomas, whose work spans photojournalism, fine art, and commercial photography, showcasing her exceptional range and passion.
• The Power of a Personal Website: Showcasing your work on a professionally designed website.
• Building a Multifaceted Career: Claire defines herself as a photojournalist, fine art photographer, and commercial photographer, and her career reflects her versatile skill set.
• Starting in Photojournalism: From a small Welsh newspaper to international acclaim, Claire credits mentor Jason Tanner for launching her career.
• Focusing on the Middle East: Moving to Palestine, she embraced the challenges of conflict storytelling, driven by a passion for human narratives.
• Iraq & The New York Times: Claire recounts three transformative years in Iraq, including a defining story published by The New York Times.
• Telling Global Stories: Claire captures stories that span cultures and contexts, from Kazakh herders in Mongolia to Middle Eastern conflict zones.
• Building a Strong Portfolio: Self-funding projects have been key to creating a compelling portfolio that grabs editors’ attention.
• Freelancing Challenges: Claire opens up about facing frequent rejections and the grit to persist with unpublished stories.
• Owning a Website: Her website has become a crucial platform for sharing stories and attracting new opportunities.
• Collaborating with Journalists: Working alongside The Sunday Times and seasoned journalists, she highlights the value of teamwork.
• Diversifying Income Streams: Selling fine art prints and running photo tours sustain her freelance business.
• Fine Art Print Success: Limited edition prints gained popularity after The New York Times exposure, boosting her income and brand visibility.
• Adventurous Photo Tours: Organising tours in Mongolia has allowed Claire to share her expertise while catering to diverse participants.
• Experiencing Conflict Zones: From surviving a bullet wound in Iraq to finding humour amidst danger, Claire recounts unforgettable field experiences.
• Honouring Pete Reed: Reflecting on the loss of fellow photographer Pete Reed in Ukraine, she discusses the risks and camaraderie of the profession.
• Staying True to Ethical Storytelling: Navigating editorial agendas, Claire prioritises integrity while telling human-centred stories.
• Celebrating Human Connection: She reflects on the privilege of capturing and sharing powerful human stories that resonate deeply.
• Monetising Passion Projects: Claire emphasises that selling prints and organising tours keeps her career financially sustainable.
• Gear Reliability in Harsh Conditions: Despite extreme environments, her trusted D850 cameras and versatile 24-70mm and 70-200mm lenses never let her down.
• Lens Preferences for Precision: Silent shooting modes in mirrorless cameras are game-changers for interviews and sensitive storytelling.
• Gratitude & Reflection: With a deep sense of purpose, Claire cherishes the privilege of documenting lives and witnessing her work's impact on those she photographs.

A child receives emergency treatment for head trauma and other injuries at a makeshift field clinic set up inside an abandoned store on the edge of Mosul's Old City, Iraq, on July 2, 2017.
As the fighting continued to liberate the remaining pocket of ISIS-held territory in Mosul, civilians who had been held hostage inside the Old City risked their lives to escape the fighting under heavy ISIS sniper fire. Medics from international medical organisations Global Response Management and Academy of Emergency Medicine, together with Iraqi forces medics, worked around the clock to treat injured civilians, many of whom showed signs of severe malnutrition after enduring months without enough food, water and fuel.

What’s on Offer for Premium Members

If you’re on the fence about becoming a premium member, join with the $1 trial today and get access to the FULL interviews each week, a fantastic back catalogue of interviews, and have ALL future interviews delivered automatically to your phone or tablet.

Plus, special member-only interviews.

There's no real roadmap, I think, to success as a photojournalist. It's hard, and everybody has their own way of making it happen. It was a struggle, continues to be a struggle. But I just love storytelling, and it's such a privilege to meet people and have the opportunity to be able to try and share their stories. – Claire Thomas

You'll also receive access to the members-only Secret Facebook Group, where you can connect with other Premium Members and interview guests to help, support and motivate you to take ideas you hear in each episode and put them into action. The group also has FB live video tutorials, role-play, and special live interviews. You will not find more friendly, motivated, caring and sharing photographers online.

Seriously, that's not all.

I just love these connections, you know, whether or not I make money, I don't care about that, but it does mean a lot to me to get the stories published. – Claire Thomas

In addition to everything above, you'll get access to instructions on forming or joining a MasterMind Group with other premium members. These groups are super motivating, make you accountable, and build friendships with other pro photographers with motives similar to yours – to build a more successful photography business.

Twelve-year-old Arkalak trains his eagle in the Altai mountains of western Mongolia. In keeping with Kazakh tradition, Arkalak followed in his father's footsteps and began training his own eagle at the age of ten. October 2019.

What is your big takeaway?

Following this interview, I’d love to know if you're taking anything from what Claire shared. Is there something you heard that excited or motivated you to the point where you thought, yeah, I'm going to do that! If so, leave your thoughts in the comments below; let me know your takeaways and what you plan to implement in your business based on what you heard in today's episode.

As a freelancer, it's quite tricky to make ends meet. You've got to be doing a lot of stories to make ends meet. There's more money with NGOs, UN agencies—this supplements the income. – Claire Thomas

If you have any questions I missed, a specific question you’d like to ask Claire or want to say thank you for coming on the show, feel free to add them in the comments area below.

iTunes Reviews and Shout-outs

I check for any new iTunes or Google reviews each week, and it's always a buzz to receive these… for several reasons.

Firstly, it's confirmation that I'm on the right track with the interviews and that they are helping you improve your photography business. That's awesome!

Secondly, iTunes and Google are the most significant podcast search engines, and your reviews and ratings help other photographers find PhotoBizX. More listeners mean more interviews and, ultimately, a better show.

When I have an article in The New York Times, for example, it draws people to my website, and then I'll have a surge in print sales. – Claire Thomas

If you have left a review in the past, thank you! If you haven't and you'd like to, head to https://photobizx.com/itunes or https://photobizx.com/google. You can leave some honest feedback and a rating, which will help both me and the show. I'll be sure to thank you on the show and add a link to your website or blog if you let me know the URL of your website and your name.

Alternatively, if you've left a review for PhotoBizX and are looking for more backlinks to help your SEO, leave a review for the new Photography Xperiment Podcast. Email me your keywords or phrases and where you'd like me to link them.

Since I've had this website, thanks to Alex, it's just given me a way to showcase my work in a way that brings me a lot of joy, which I didn't have before. – Claire Thomas

Another great way to get a backlink to your site is to send a video testimonial. It doesn't need to be fancy, and your phone will be perfect. Click record and tell me how PhotoBizX has impacted you and your photography business.​

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A camel yawns in front of the Pyramids at Giza, Cairo, April 2015.

Links to people, places and things mentioned in this episode:

Claire Thomas Website

Claire Thomas on Facebook

Claire Thomas on Instagram

Claire's original and short interview with Andrew on YouTube

Picto NY

Episode 108: Alex Vita – How To Build A Photography Website That Converts Visitors To Clients

Episode 268: Alex Vita – Everything you need for a successful photography website

A cowboy rides a horse in front of the Grand Teton mountain range in Jackson Hole, Wyoming.

Thank you!

Thanks for listening, and a massive thank you to Claire Thomas for sharing her incredible journey and insights into building a photography career fueled by passion and purpose. Claire’s honest approach to balancing creativity with business strategy and diversified income streams will hopefully encourage you to stay resilient and chase your photographic dreams.

My prints range from the limited edition ones. The open editions are smaller, but the limited edition starts at 16 by 24 inches. And this I have is a limited edition of 50. So I've found those to be quite, quite popular, because it's quite a manageable size. I sell those for $1,250 for the initial set. – Claire Thomas

That’s it for me this week; I hope everything is going well for you in life and business!

Thanks, and speak soon
Andrew

Claire fitted out in combat gear while working to cover another conflict.

The post 595: Claire Thomas – Chasing stories and an income as a documentary and fine art photographer appeared first on Photography Business Xposed - Photography Podcast - how to build and market your portrait and wedding photography business.