Self-taught wedding photographers go from food banks to ‘rising stars’ listing
Scots couple have turned their fortunes around after advert gamble, writes
A SCOTS couple who were reliant on food banks are now listed among the world’s “rising stars” of wedding photography after teaching themselves the trade.
Ten years ago Darren Hendry, an architecture graduate and his wife Sarah were claiming benefits, living in “mould ridden flats”and struggling to make ends meet.
Both were keen amateur photographers and the couple took a gamble and put an advert on trading site Gumtree offering their services with a selection of images.
Within days they had landed a paid wedding commission.
“We were a little surprised since that type of photography had never really interested us, plus these people were really trusting us given that there were no wedding photos in the advert,” said Mrs Hendry.
“But they did and that made us really think to ourselves, this could really work.”
The couple, who were living in Dundee at the time, enrolled on a government-funded business course and started working professionally, offering commercial photography, product shoots and portraits to supplement their income.
After running a successful business for a few years in Forfar, they decided to “take a massive risk” and apply for an artist’s visa to work in the USA. This second gamble also paid off.
Since relocating to Los Angeles in 2018, the Hendrys have been featured in Vogue magazine, listed among the 30 rising stars by US photography magazine Rangefinder and were named best wedding photographer of the year. The couple have also captured celebrities including Joaquin Phoenix, Jane Fonda and singer Billie Eilish.
It’s a far cry from their former life in Dundee, when Darren, 32, was applying for ‘any job I could, with no luck’.
“It was a very tough time and we really didn’t think we would make it through,” said Mrs Hendry.
“We were on Jobseekers Allowance and had to rely on food banks from time to time as we just weren’t able to make ends meet. I was ill at the time and Darren was applying for any job he could with no luck.
“We lived in several dodgy areas of Dundee in some very unpleasant conditions.
“Several months later, we randomly dusted off our (old and slightly tattered!) cameras and decided to try and get back into shooting.”
The couple say they faced a few knock-backs from immigration lawyers after deciding to try for an artist visa in the States in 2018.
“We ended up deciding to contact just one more lawyer.
“This time we got a positive answer and six months after our initial email to her in December, we moved our business and lives over to Los Angeles.
“California is somewhere we’ve always loved to visit, ever since making our first trip over here many years ago.
“But we always knew here full-time was going to be a completely different monster – acquiring clients, building up our busines from scratch again and basically starting afresh and relearning life in a new part of the world.”
Two years on, after moving their lives, business and pet rabbits to the States, the couple are confident they made the right decision. They say wedding photography is viewed slightly differently in the States
– rather than something photographers do to supplement their income– and couples are more willing to take creative risks.
“We find that more American couples really appreciate the art of wedding photography, and are willing to pay handsomely for it,” said Mrs Hendry. “We really do feel appreciated here. Plus, the weather makes it a lot more enjoyable, we certainly don’t miss the Scottish weather. There are only so many dark and dingy castles you can shoot at whilst it’s pouring with rain.
“One lesson we still need to learn is to stop being so self-conscious about ourselves and our work, and not compare ourselves to our peers.
“It’s a tough thing to master, but we’re slowly getting there. Also, we always remember where we came from and to not take anything for granted.”
It was a very tough time and we really didn’t think we would make it through