How did you first get clients?

In February 2026, I went back to my old university, the University of Lancashire, for cJAM, a networking event where third year students could meet people working in the industry. Somehow, I found myself positioned as an ‘industry guest’, which sounds terribly professional for someone whose main university achievement was locating the cheapest pint within a two mile radius.

It was a really good day. I got to catch up with my old tutors, have a look around the Media Factory and chat to a load of students who were about to head out into the industry themselves. I also offered to have a few of them shadow us on upcoming shoots, where they can discover that half the job is lugging kit and rearranging furniture.

One of the students I met, subsequently sent me a message on LinkedIn asking how I got work when I was starting out. Was it mostly through contacts? Cold outreach? Or did I just gradually build things up?

It got me thinking about it, because there wasn't really one particular moment where everything clicked into place. It was a pretty slow start, with a mixture of luck, people I knew, actively looking for opportunities and gradually building up a network.

So, this was the answer I gave him.

After leaving Preston I went back to my parents' house in Runcorn. A fella I played 5-a-side with knew someone that ran a video production company down the road, and I was able to get some paid work as a second camera op on a few jobs. The gigs weren’t super regular, but this was my first video work since graduating.

That was a very flukey, ‘who you know’ moment, and was good experience. I spent about 12 months doing bits of that alongside bar work. I didn't drive or have my own kit at the time, so it was a pretty slow start.

A side note: the fella who ran the company used to say, ‘Oh, if we get this project up and running, we could have loads of work for you, coming in for 2-3 days a week.’ His intentions were good, but it never happened. I think I was too passive in finding other work and just hoped this would come off. 

Until someone actually books you, the promise of more work can mean little.

In 2012 I moved into a flat in Manchester and got a 25-hour-a-week contact centre role for Argos, which was actually quite useful because it gave me some guaranteed income while leaving me time to freelance. I also did some voluntary editing work for a small company on the side. This came from me actually being proactive for once and sending CVs/emails out. You probably shouldn't have to do that (unpaid work), but at the time it was still very slow for me.

A couple of months later I started shooting weddings for a video company in Manchester as a second shooter/assistant. I ended up doing probably 20-25 weddings over two summers. That came from a job ad I saw on Mandy, I think. I didn't want to do weddings long term, but it was a great learning curve.

Around 2014/15, the contact centre I was working in was planning to film/document an office refurb. I volunteered to make the video for them and they let me have time away from my normal role to shoot and edit it. I'd used all my spare income from weddings and overtime at Argos to buy a DSLR and a few bits of kit to shoot this.

Once that was finished, other people within the business started asking me to make videos for them, so I ended up getting an unofficial secondment to basically just make videos for the business. I did that for 3-4 years while continuing to build freelance connections outside of it.

I also knew a lad who had been to UCLan who'd started a web design/marketing agency, so I shot videos for some of his clients.

Then in 2016 I got a LinkedIn message from Warrington Wolves. They'd seen my latest showreel and asked me to work with them. That turned into a monthly retainer shooting matchdays, BTS, training, player interviews, kit launches, membership promos etc. That was the point where I felt I could actually leave Argos.

The rugby work was a big turning point because suddenly my work was being seen by thousands of people every week, which led to more opportunities, people getting in touch and gave me a much stronger portfolio.

By around 2018/19 my website was also ranking well on Google for Manchester Camera Operator & Director of Photography, so that helped massively. I was getting enquiries from people I'd never spoken to before.

One other thing I'd mention is that if an enquiry comes in and I'm unavailable, I always make the effort to recommend some other contacts I trust. Work often gets passed around like this, so it's important to return the favour and not to see others as competitors.

I suppose the short answer is that contacts helped me get started, but I built a network and regular work by saying yes to opportunities, showing up, putting work out there, keeping in touch and staying present on social. People have to know I exist.

There wasn't really a master plan. Some things were complete flukes, some came from people I knew, some came from actively looking for work and others came from simply being in the right place and volunteering to do something.

I could probably have done loads more outreach and made things happen earlier. And I could still be doing loads more!

It does take time, and if/when you get quiet, the easiest work to win is from clients you've already worked with, so reach out to those first.