We regularly have the pleasure of working with our photographer, Josh, from Feed Me Content on various projects across the business from food photoshoots to venue shots to drone footage. Read more to find out more about Josh, his experience and his advice for anyone wanting to go into professional photography.
Please talk us through what you do for us at Elite
Please talk us through what you do for us at Elite
I’ve been working with Elite Pubs now since 2018, and the first project we did together was for the opening of the Cow Shed in West Malling. Since then, we have worked together to create multiple brand videos, as well as an extensive library of imagery that has been used by the group across the website and social channels. Every shoot with Elite Pubs has been great fun, and the venues themselves are so easy to shoot since they’re all stunning!
Please talk more about your career so far
Please talk more about your career so far
I actually started my business in August of 2018, so pretty much around the same time as my first shoot with Elite Pubs. They were my first ever repeat client!
The name of the business ‘Feed Me Content’ was actually inspired by the work I was doing at the time, since most of the clients I was working with were in the hospitality sector. They were feeding me food, and I was feeding them content (cheesy I know, but it works!)
Since then, the business has developed drastically, and we’ve moved more towards video production since that’s what our clients are needing the most. The type of customer has also changed massively too, and while the business started off very much in the hospitality sector, we now work with companies in multiple industries including Consumer Electronics, Logistics, Influencer Marketing, Automotive, Real-Estate Development and many more.
Our content has helped many companies generate traffic to their sites and, more importantly, has converted many new customers.
How long have you been a professional Photographer?
How long have you been a professional Photographer?
I’ve been working on different projects as early as 2017, however I would say that I only really became a ‘professional’ in 2018. So, I’m in my fifth year of business, and I love it more and more every day!
How did you segway into Content Creation?
How did you segway into Content Creation?
I was working in marketing before I decided to make the jump and start my own business, but even before then I was making YouTube videos for myself.
In 2012 I started making videos, and have continued to keep that passion alive ever since. It’s weird because even though it was a segway for me to jump into self-employment, it just felt like the right thing to do, and I have absolutely no regrets!
What’s your favourite thing about your job?
What’s your favourite thing about your job?
The people I get to work with, for sure! I’m such a social person, and I’m also very curious as well – so it’s great being able to see parts of so many different businesses that other people wouldn’t have access to.
Meeting new teams and building a rapport with vastly different individuals from a variety of different sectors is really exciting for me.
I also love the variety that this job gives me, since no one day is the same, and no one shoot is the same.
What’s been your most unusual shoot location / job
What’s been your most unusual shoot location / job
There’s been a few, it’s so hard to pick! I think all of my work is unusual really, in the sense that no location or job is ‘normal’ since it’s so varied from week to week.
For example, one week I could be in a Vineyard photographing the vines, the next I could be in Belgium filming a promotional video in a wood veener factory, and the next I could be shooting an interview with the Police Department in Madrid. All of these examples are very real shoots that I’ve been involved with, and none of them are ‘normal’ really!
There’s things that I do more often than not of course, but the goal of the shoot is always different, meaning that ‘usual’ doesn’t really exist.
What’s your favourite thing about working with Elite?
What’s your favourite thing about working with Elite?
The team for sure! I absolutely adore Elite Pubs as a company, and I really value the friendships I’ve made throughout the pubs and the lovely marketing team.
Since Elite Pubs was our first ever repeat client, I almost see them as ‘home’ in a weird way. It’s always nice to hear about the new developments in the business, and I look forward to every opportunity I get to work with the team.
Oh, and the food as well.. I get to eat the food after we do a new menu shoot, so that’s also a big plus.
Any advice for someone looking to get into your industry
Any advice for someone looking to get into your industry
People invest in people, and while you could be the best creative in the world, no one wants to work with someone they don’t connect with. Although the work we do is great of course, I genuinely believe that it’s the personality we put behind the brand that moves it forward, and my goal has always been to make sure our clients enjoy working with us.
I want our customers to go “ahh great! We have a shoot tomorrow, it’s going to be a fun day!”, and in order to achieve that, it’s important to keep the energy high and the stress levels low.
Invest in yourself and trust the process. Taking up a job as a creative is hard in any capacity, whether it’s for yourself or with a company. The best time to make that jump though is now, and it may be tough to start off with, but there’s no greater teacher than experience itself, and you will land on your feet if you give yourself the space to make mistakes and learn from them.
