College student snaps up her future

Barnsley College student, Holly Mumford, has turned her love for photography into a business as she launches her own enterprise, Holly Mumford Photography.

Having first becoming interested in photography when she was younger, Holly used to photograph sunsets from home and flowers in the garden before gaining more experience and skills. The decision to launch her own business, Holly Mumford Photography, came about when Holly began her Level 2 Creative Media course at Barnsley College and discovered iTrust, the College’s business start-up programme designed exclusively for students.

Holly said: “I’ve always been interested in photography; I think it all started when I was around six or seven years old, but as I grew older and began my course at College, I’ve become more passionate about it and now it’s something I want to do full-time and pursue as a career.

“At first, I never thought about setting up my own business, as I always thought it would be too complicated or difficult but after attending the career talks at College I started to hear about the set-up process first hand from other entrepreneurs and discovered it wasn’t as hard as I first thought. As soon as I had decided I was going to take the leap and do it, I knew straight away I was going to focus on portrait photography.”

Holly has been working on her business for three months and has asked friends and family to take part in photoshoots to help boost her confidence and skills in the industry such as editing, angles and subject positioning.

Barnsley College’s Enterprise department is home to the iTrust initiative, a joint venture between the College, The Barnsley Chronicle and The Business Village, which supports students interested in starting up a business in Barnsley. Students who receive support from iTrust will have access to an array of information and guidance such as mentoring from industry specialists and local businesses and financial investments.

As part of the iTrust programme, Holly has learnt how to stand out in such a competitive market, create cost sheets, launch social media pages and research the industry for the best equipment. She will also receive a grant totalling £250 which she hopes to use to buy new equipment such as lenses, flash clips and lens accessories to expand her range of services.

Holly added: “I would definitely recommend getting involved with the Enterprise department if you’re thinking about setting up your own business, even if you’re unsure about the idea and concept. The team also support you for three years after you’ve left College which I think is really good, so you have additional help if you need advice on anything. The Enterprise team make setting up your business so much easier to understand and they encourage you to complete small tasks to help you get your business running which I’ve found so helpful.”