My Journey: From UK IT Desk to Czech Portrait Mastery
In March 2013, I followed a daring dream: leaving a secure IT job in London to chase portrait photography in the Czech Republic as an Englishman without the language or a safety net. It was a leap of faith, but deep down, it felt like destiny calling. With my wife Eva as my voice and our 3 month old daughter Amy as my inspiration, I let my passion and images speak for me.
“Don’t wait. The time will never be just right.” – Napoleon Hill
No backups, no Plan B I poured my soul into mastering light, colors, styling, and authentic connections. Practicing on Amy, we styled shoots that anchored my emerging vision. By month six, clients flooded in, leading to our first studio; by year’s end, over 120 sessions. My excitement shone through every shoot, bridging language barriers and turning strangers into loyal fans.
“Everything you’ve ever wanted is on the other side of fear.” – George Addair
Through 13 years of triumphs and trials pandemics, economic storms, and cultural shifts I’ve forged a resilient system: efficient, creative, and foolproof for delivering breathtaking results time after time. This isn’t just survival; it’s thriving on pure passion.
“I think good dreaming is what leads to good photographs.” – Wayne Miller
If I can build an empire from scratch in a foreign land, imagine what you can achieve with your vision. Let’s ignite yours together. Daniel Venter
Claire John-Lewis –
I loved this Tutorial, i found it amazing the way you can manipulate so much but still have that perfectly natural serene look.
Thank you Daniel
Leah Salzwedel –
I’m not sure I will go to this level of manipulation on an already really great image, but I definitely learned a lot of great techniques. It looks fantastic afterward…now on to practicing manipulating that dress!
Jong Lee –
Really good, appreciate you taking time to make these videos!
pjaydubya –
Your work is incredible! Looking at the finished image while next to the original, it seems that this is all about managing light. Such an artistic eye!
Tiffany Noga –
I was struggling pretty bad with the wrinkles in one of the maternity photographs I had. This video helped me even more than I expected and I was able to deliver and learn so much. If you’re questioning on if you should purchase just do it you won’t regret!
Richard Wanbon –
As always, I love the step by step review of everything. Seeing you run into the stumbling areas of Photoshop editing and how you problem solved was excellent for me to learn from. Other instructors may have wanted a polished final version to share with clients but this was more helpful. I’ve seen a number of your videos and expect to learn less each time but I still find myself learning lots regardless. Well done!