Tom McGovern is an accomplished food, fashion, and architecture photographer who shoots both locally and internationally. He’s been featured in a number of publications including The New York Times, Luxury Home Quarterly, and Greenwich Magazine. Tom loves what he does, likes food and drives a 1990 Honda Civic with 27,000 miles on it.
Meet Tom McGovern, PRO Photographer from Connecticut, USA.
1. Briefly introduce yourself and your photography business.
Hi, I’m Tom McGovern, and I own a photography business based in Fairfield County, CT. We specialize in food photography, but also have clients in the fashion and interior/architecture fields. We have been in business since 2002 and have been shooting around the world for editorial and commercial clients.
2. What do you enjoy most about what you do?
I think working with restaurants for their food photography is the thing I most enjoy. Getting out to work with chefs that are artists in their own respects and collaborating on creating a great visual for consumers. Being the first to know about a new space, and of course tasting all the food and getting paid to do so. Most of the work I have here on Taproll is “real” food in that I got to eat it after the photo was taken.
3. What was your very first camera?
My very first camera was a Canon AE-1P that was a hand-me-down from my father. I didn’t have enough money back then to afford the film or processing so most days I would simply click the shutter and advance the film arm to an empty camera.
4. What are the keys to a great photo shoot or client engagement?
I think the keys to a great photo shoot begin with the preparation in the days and weeks before the shoot. Getting the correct support staff together for the kind of shoot your doing, talking to the client and asking them enough questions so both sides feel comfortable, scouting or researching what your going to do, having a shoot schedule, all these things and more make the actual shoot that much easier. For many clients they don’t get to experience a photo shoot all that often so you want to make the time that they are on set as enjoyable and memorable as possible, that way they’ll always be more favorable to doing another shoot or recommending you in the future.
5. What are some common mistakes that emerging business photographers will make? How can they be avoided?
I think a very common mistake for all emerging professional photographers is belittling the kinds of work you don’t want to do simply because you feel they aren’t what you’d like to be doing. My feeling starting out was that as long as I’m taking photos, no matter of what, I’m still shooting for a living. Many people that I knew starting out at the same time wouldn’t take jobs offered to them because they felt like the job was below them artistically, while at the same time delivering pizzas. I took any job I could that involved taking photos, from team sports to child photos to nightclub photography, not because I wanted to specialize in those fields, but because any time spent behind the camera is better than any time spent behind a counter or desk.
6. What social media strategies or channels have worked best for you in expanding your photography business?
I think the twitter/facebook/blogging trifecta is essential for commercial photographers nowadays. I try and do all three, but with my busy schedule sometimes I fall behind with the blogging, which should change now that I have phone much more equipped for all three. LinkedIn is important to connect with commercial clients, and the discussion groups on there are a very valuable resource. Offline I still think some networking and finding out PR people can be your best local leads in commercial work, especially the PR people. They want good images to market their clients, and become psuedo-agents for your business once you show them your skills.
7. Any last thoughts, comments and/or suggestions for our photographers and clients?
I think every photographer should take advantage of all the multiple avenues online to market themselves, and not forget the classic ways of sending promotional postcards and self-promos to market your business.