“…Clients will always come back to you when you treat them with respect…”
For Fidal Bassier of 55 Photography, that means being honest, humble, sincere, dedicated to producing quality work, and always striving for excellence. “You know, basic human qualities” with, he later adds, “a little bit of detachment. Things don’t always go the way you want them to. It’s all about serving the client and the clients’ needs. In the end, it’s what the client wants and trying to meet the client’s needs”.
The registered business owner got into photography on account of his daughters, now 11 and 8 respectively. When they were born, the proud papa could not stop snapping photographs of his little girls and from there his interest grew, with him reaching out online to local photographers, some of whom, among them Kojo McPherson, were happy to share their knowledge for which he is quite grateful. In 2010, Bassier made the transition from amateur to professional photographer. “The first job I was paid for was a wedding…” the former St Joseph student, who is particularly known for his stunningly beautiful wedding shots, recalled.
There are many lessons he has learnt throughout the years, primarily the importance of networking with other photographers – professionals, amateurs and even persons utilising their cellphones for casual shots – to grow the field of photography locally. A member of the Guyana Photographers Facebook group, which is open to the public, Bassier said no one could do everything on their own, at a certain point we need other professionals’ help to grow. He says the 3000-strong group, who have come together to share ideas, knowledge and techniques, always have activities happening to keep interest high, including contests, and persons can also post photographs for critiques. Some members of the group even offer classes for beginners and others who joined as novice photographers now own their own photography business.
“I am always learning. Different people have different thoughts and ways of doing things,” he would later conclude in his calm, soothing voice, after highlighting that the flexibility of photography enables him to set his own schedule and spend lots of time with his children and wife. When asked what inspired him, he said simply, “Religion. I am a Baha’i and it’s all about the oneness of humankind and the elimination of prejudice….I see beyond the material to the humanness.”
His advice to budding entrepreneurs is to “do something you love doing almost every day, [because you will be doing it almost every day]”. “Be in it for the long haul,” he emphasised, noting that after five years in business you may still be struggling, but if you have a good product and service, “you will survive and thrive”.
“Success is always thriving to better yourself and business. Always try for excellence, to build your capacities. I don’t think there is any one point where you can say I have made it – because it sets up a barrier [to growing, to improving, to betterment]”.
Contact: 653-5832, FB @ 55 Photography
