London /Metzingen Business Photographer Nadine Wilmanns

That`s me

Photography is much more than a job for me, and I photograph stories pretty much constantly in my everyday life. My boyfriend isn`t even surprised anymore when I photograph a seemingly unspectacular scene just because of the way the light looks.

That`s me

Before turning photography into my main job, I took a lot of detours, all of which have shaped me and my work as it is today: I`ve got an MA in Fashion Design and have worked for designers like Giles Deacon in London and Wolfgang Joop in Potsdam as well as some high street suppliers.

One life - and the value of time

While working in my nine-to-five jobs, I deeply understood that we are given one life and how valuable time is. I realized, that I must not waste time and needed to work free and creative now. This is why I started studying Journalism while reducing my hours at my fashion job. At the London College of Contemporary Arts, I booked evening classes about Fashion Photography.

My dream was to be a photographer, and I set out to make it happen.

It`s not that all of a sudden, tons of jobs and assignments fell into my lap and that I therefore turned photography into my main job. As a matter of fact, it was the other way round: It was my dream to become a photographer, and I set out to make it happen. I quit my day job altogether and jumped into freelancing as a photographer and photojournalist. Promising myself that I just wouldn`t give up I kept on working and praying for this to work out.

Having my own business means freedom to me, passion, creativity, excitement, possibilities, and meaningful connections with clients and partners. I still remember reading one of my first books about building a business: it made me feel so full of energy, hope, anticipation, and ideas. It`s still the same when thinking of my business now. And it`s what excites me when photographing business stories for other business owners: I can identify with their passion and excitement for what they have built or are in the process of building. This is exactly what I want to translate into storytelling and emotionally charged visuals. The essence of the businesses I photograph is a big and passionate dream.

Spending my time working creatively as a photographer has not only kept me going through setbacks. It also helped me face challenges, and grow as a person, and it led to many encounters with interesting people. That`s what I love about business. Time and time again, God has placed incredible opportunities on my path – all my life as well as now. Knowing that HE has a good plan is keeping me excited about the future.

Currently, I`m living both in Germany (Outletcity Metzingen/ Stuttgart) and in London, working as a commercial photographer for businesses and magazines.

How I work

When photographing business stories, I work like a journalist: I look for emotion, a storyline, and a connection that the viewer (the business’ audience) will bond and identify with.

At the same time, I work like a photographer seeing shapes, light, and composition and making everyone feel seen and at ease in front of the camera.

My photographs are characterized by my way to see scenes and situations, how I craft light, and my intention to bring warmth, humanity, and connection into the story. This makes my work original, authentic and cinematic.

What you can expect

1. Preparing the storyline

Before I come to capture your business story, we will talk about what kind of imagery your business needs and also how many images approximately your photostory should have.

Some businesses prefer to focus on their team, some want to place the focus on their premises, others would like to outline their production process, the use of their products in everyday life, or they want images of events and meetings.

Solo-Entrepreneurs may need a diverse selection of images of themselves in action as business owners.

Businesses in the service industry often like to show their service performed on models or on some of their customers. Retail businesses may need a lot of detailed shots of their products.

Every business has individual requirements and so has yours.

2. recording the story

Depending on your needs and the size of your business, I will capture your business story in the course of half a day, one day, or more days. Some stories benefit from a follow-up ever so often – for example, every six months or so.

3. Getting the story out into the world

I will advise you along the way: on how to put your images to use in an impactful way – for example on your social media, or your website, but also in other creative ways.

If you want to, I will interview you about your business for my online magazine McWilmanns Business Story Magazine. This is entirely optional. You may use the interview text on your own website and can then link to the Business Story Magazine for a plus in terms of Google ranking.