I made it against all the odds: Here's what it takes to go pro as a female photographer

I loved photography from school age and got my first film SLR aged 16. Pictures of local architecture and my school pals were the main themes. I discovered the buzz of doing portraiture of strangers in my final year of a graphic design degree at Camberwell Art College, and I furthered this during studio employment at Venture Portraits.

I worked at the ND Creative ad agency and moved into the commercial sector with product and marketing photography. With the tools I'd gained, I set up my own studio in 2011, shooting weddings, portraits and commercial.

Adaptation is an essential skill for self-employment. Initially, I lacked the knowledge of how to run a business. I had good project management and marketing skills from my agency days, people skills from years at Venture and creative skills developed since I was a teen, but I had no idea how to handle accounts or tech issues, or how to consistently generate enquiries.

I also was a single parent of a teenager and had no savings or funds, so money was tight.

I knew I needed a studio to offer Venture- style family portraiture. I found a rented space that another photographer, Alex Telpher, had created by converting an old church in the suburb of Byker. His studio, his team and his shoots were hugely inspiring to observe when I was starting up mine.

But just two months into my business, my dad died unexpectedly, which was a huge setback. He had been my photographic inspiration and after some really tough times, I went back to my business feeling pretty raw but full of determination to succeed.

I had to scale back when I lost my main client, meaning a third of my annual income disappeared overnight. It was a huge error putting all my eggs into one basket and some reflection was needed.

Recently, I’ve had to restructure how I work due to an autoimmune disease diagnosis that causes me chronic fatigue and joint pain. Limitations on the hours I can work, long commutes and carrying equipment have meant a rethink.

Another challenge is being taken seriously as a female in a male-dominated industry. One of my first big industrial contracts needed me to wear hard hats in factories and mines, working alongside mostly men.

I remember seeing the all-male film crew I was working alongside sniggering behind my back, it was crushing. I later learned they thought my male client and I were having a fling!

Solution-based skills. Sometimes clients don’t know what they want yet and suggestions or encouragement to find the right tone or genre of photography are needed.

People skills are needed to be passionate about the service you provide and to make working with you a fun, bespoke experience for your clients. Efficiency and adaptiveness are also essential, as I pride myself on hitting deadlines and providing a slick and professional service.