Reliable income funds creative experimentation.

Episode Overview:

Today I am joined by the talented London-based photographer Haris Ahmed. He specializes in corporate, startup, and comedy/celebrity photography.

During the episode, we discuss how Haris transitioned from working at Apple to building a sustainable photography business, his unconventional path into comedy photography, and his approach to balancing commercial work with creative passion projects.

Haris came to photography through his father's property development business, where he handled marketing and property photography. Despite initially avoiding photography due to fear of the technical aspects, he discovered a deep passion for the medium during his digital media degree. His transition strategy was unconventional: while working part-time at Apple, Haris built a YouTube channel featuring photography content to serve as proof of his video and technical capabilities for potential corporate clients. This approach solved the common challenge of needing previous work to get hired.

His entry into comedy photography happened organically through a friendship with comedian K-Kurd, whom he met while working at Apple. Initially unaware of K-Kurd's growing profile, Haris simply brought his camera to shows and events as a friend, documenting moments without expectation of payment. This authentic approach evolved into professional work as K-Kurd's career grew, eventually leading to tour photography, Netflix specials, and work at major venues like the O2 Arena.

Episode Takeaways:

→ Finding reliable income sources like corporate work funds creative experimentation in other genres—you don't need to monetize every aspect of your photography.

→ Reverse-engineer the client's perspective: understand that marketing managers need to justify spending and require proof of capability, not out of distrust but necessity.

→ Build portfolio proof through alternative means—Haris's YouTube channel demonstrated consistent content creation ability when he lacked traditional client work.

→ Equipment choices should prioritize achieving specific creative outcomes rather than technical specifications alone.

→ The quiet, personal moments shot for yourself often become client favorites—integrate your authentic voice across all genres rather than compartmentalizing.

→ Act as if you already have the job when discussing opportunities, focusing on problem-solving rather than pitching.