Anja Poehlmann is a documentary photographer living on the south coast of England. She specialises in branding photography alongside natural family photography – documenting the little moments that make life unique. Her authentic imagery helps to capture people as they actually are in day-to-day life, leading to relaxed photographs that are a joy to look at. I spoke with Anja to find out more about her work.
What got you into photography?
It was really just the existence of digital cameras. I had a film camera as a teenager, but I wasn’t really in to shooting with it. But then I went to university and digital arrived on the scene. I went to Hawaii for an internship and took a bridge camera with me. I photographed everything and started a blog, and the guy I was living with was really encouraging and told me to keep going. Once I moved back home to Germany, my dad had got himself a Canon EOS 300D that I kept stealing to take photos, so he bought me an EOS 350D and everything spiralled from there.
I learnt how to use and understand the camera and had it with me the whole time. People started asking me to take photos for them, and one then recommended me to a friend to shoot their wedding. I thought that I should probably start charging but ended up working from 11am until midnight and only charging the client 250 euros! I started shooting more and did 10 weddings a year as a side hustle alongside my full-time job. In 2014, I moved to the UK and tried working as a wedding photographer during the summer, but eventually my savings started to run out and I took a temporary job at American Express before moving back into my previous career as a video producer.
By 2019, I’d had enough of company politics, so I decided to quit and try photography and videography full time. Just as my business started to gain momentum the pandemic happened and I couldn’t work anymore, along with not knowing how long this would be for. However, this actually gave me the chance to learn how to properly run a business and market. I joined a photography membership scheme and the woman who runs it was absolutely brilliant. I learned a huge amount and was ready to go once restrictions lifted. And now I’m working full time as a photographer.
You specialise in personal branding photography and family photography. Tell me a bit more about what you shoot.
The majority of my work last year came from corporate companies and small businesses. I do branding photography for small businesses, shooting them at their work or wherever else they want. I’m giving them the option to market their business beyond a simple headshot. So, I will show what a client does, capturing how they run their business behind the scenes.
My real passion though is documenting family life. My family photography isn’t posed at all – I just go to people’s houses and shoot them doing whatever they’d normally be doing in a day. I don’t retouch the family photos at all because that takes away the element of realness. I also barely retouch my branding shoots – I want my clients to be seen as they are. That doesn’t mean the photos look unprofessional or unfinished, but I love using light and pulling out someone’s personality in a shoot by engaging them in a conversation to create an environment where people trust me to take their picture. The goal is for my clients to love seeing themselves in images – not because they look like the best version of themselves but the most authentic one.
What made you decide to do this style of family photography?
It’s basically how I shoot my own life! And in 2020 I started to realise that I could offer this as a service. I like documenting reality. I think this stems from my childhood – I’m the youngest of three children and there are far fewer photos of me than my older siblings. I also really dislike having my photo taken. So, I wanted to create an environment where having your photo taken wasn’t something you’d dread. Instead I’m just documenting a family’s everyday life – no one has to perform and there’s no stress involved. When I look back at my childhood, I remember the little things my parents did with me every weekend and those are the sorts of things I want to document. When you have tangible proof of something that happened in a photograph it really helps with remembering. Most people love my work but it’s not for everyone. I do have a really good audience that appreciate my work and will shout about it for me. I just want people to know that there are lots of ways to photograph families and you need to find the right approach for you.
What kind of influences do you draw inspiration from? Do you have any favourite photographers or creative influences that have informed your photographic style, and why?
I don’t have a single favourite photographer, instead I find that I’m inspired by day-to-day life and light. I like old style street photography and black & white images from when people shot on film. The Americans by Robert Frank is one of my favourite books – it’s such a beautiful collection of real-life photography. I’m also doing Project 365 (where you take an image every day) so I always have my camera with me and can be inspired by almost anything.
What kit do you shoot with and what’s your favourite bit of kit?
I now shoot with Fujifilm. I had a couple of Canon DSLRs and sold them in 2016 to go mirrorless, mainly to decrease the size and weight of my kit. My favourite camera is my Fujifilm XT30 which I bought second hand. It’s very resilient – I used it to shoot some sea swimmers and managed to get soaked by a big wave while walking backwards. I was told it couldn’t be repaired but it’s amazingly still working (I did get a replacement on insurance!). That one is my everyday camera. I use an XT3 and XT4 for client work.
What are you working on at the moment?
Over the next few weeks I’m working with a few corporate clients who I’ve been shooting video for. I’m now in the editing phase, producing promo videos for their website that show what they do. I’ve also got a branding shoot coming up with a business coach – business coaches and consultants are two of my biggest areas for some reason.
What would you say is your goal with your photography?
My goal is to make enough money to live a comfortable life, work with my own schedule, take vacations and delight people with my way of seeing the world. I’m not interested in running a six-figure business. I want my work to make me happy and to work with clients who are happy with what I can do for them.
As a female photographer, do you feel that you face any particular challenges? Do you feel that the industry is favourable towards women, or would you like to see any changes?
My background was working as a video producer, leading a team of four people. One of the guys in my team was 10 years younger than me and, while I loved working with him, people would often talk to him at a shoot and presume he was in charge. I just learned to deal with it. I haven’t experienced any issues with my clients but at weddings you do get the ‘Uncle Bob’ character who thinks they know more than you. I’m lucky to have a supportive community made up of both female and male photographers.
What advice would you give to budding photographers?
Shoot what you’re interested in and don’t ever stop shooting. You can only get better if you keep taking photographs. I’d also really recommend learning the basics of running a business if you want to make money from photography because unfortunately it’s not just talent that will make you successful.
You can view more of Anja’s lovely work on her website and Instagram, as well as following her on Substack.
