BY: ALYSSA MAHADEO
The art and creative expression of photography has been showcased in the beautiful way photographers are able to capture, and freeze a fleeting moment in time. While we can never relive the same moment twice, the images captured through a lens allows for us to relive those memories, reminisce and share them for years to come.
Bruce Bachan Photographer and Founder of In Your Prime Photography understands the care and responsibility he has to his clients to capture their precious moments.
“In the beginning photography was more of a hobby for me, I had a passion for the arts, I took some crash courses that taught me the basics, but I never thought it would become more than that,” Bruce shares.
In recent years photography has become a much-respected art form, but this wasn’t always the case.
“My parents agreed,” Bruce admits. “They told me that this wasn’t going to be something that was going to be able to put food on the table.”
Born to Guyanese and Filipino parents, Bruce was raised here in Canada. Hailing from two vastly different backgrounds, his mixed heritage has allowed for him to experience the best of two worlds, to see the difference in culture, traditions, and customs.
“Coming from a Guyanese and Filipino background encouraged me to keep an open mind about culture, respecting and learning about the customs and traditions, with a better understanding for when I have to go out and shoot a wedding ceremony,” Bruce explains.
Originally on the path to becoming a civil engineer, Bruce soon realized it wasn’t something he enjoyed. “I hated it, I was investing time in something I didn’t want to do.” he shares.
His first camera was a hand me down film camera he received from his father, a Nikon DSLR that he would experiment with, taking photos wasting film at the time, nothing to be taken too seriously.
“I didn’t care too much about photography because I wasn’t sure where I was going to go with it, but I left it there on the backburner to revisit as a hobby,” Bruce shares.
“There was no inclination that I was going to go into photography as a kid, because the nagging question was always, who can make a career out of this type of thing?”
Fast forward a few years to Boxing Day 2009. Bruce purchased his own DSLR camera with plans to actually put it to use, but again it never took priority and began collecting dust for yet another year. A friend who had a lounge opening in the East end invited Bruce out to the grand opening where he finally managed to take his camera out of storage and captured some shots at the event. People at the party asked where they would be able to find their photos, and Bruce agreed to share them via email, or through Facebook.
On Facebook, the feedback and reception his photos received then prompted him to build his own website. The traffic on his website led to clients booking Bruce to cover their own corporate events, local weddings, and event destination weddings.
“Once I started taking photos, I realized how much I enjoyed it,” Bruce shares. “One thing led to another until I considered the possibilities of translating this into a business after shooting a few weddings and corporate gigs.
For the past five years, Bruce has been working the photography scene almost 75% full-time. The exposure he has received from putting himself out there, branding himself well across social media and on his website has led to booking many more successful photography sessions. After hearing the words of encouragement and positive feedback from his clients he started to get more referrals and business just from shooting at various events.
“I thought to myself you know what, I can make a living out of this,” Bruce explains. “After they saw how well I was doing my parents too began pushing and supporting me as the years went on.”
In Your Prime Photography primarily caters to weddings and corporate/private events in the GTA. The name was developed from the idea of immortalizing ourselves still in our prime to capture moments and memories so we can remain forever young in timeless photographs.
“The first two years I have to admit were definitely a struggle for me because I was still very unsure of where this was going to take me,” Bruce admits.
“I would say that roughly 60% of my business comes from word of mouth, while the other 40% is definitely from social media,” he says.
“When you do weddings for 500-800 people, guests see you, they notice you and the work you’re putting in and they come ask for a business card which is how word of mouth really works and word gets around. When someone comes up to you and says I saw you at my cousin’s wedding, and you did an amazing job it’s great to hear that.”
In Your Prime Photography captures the important essence of a couple’s big day. Anyone with a camera can shoot a wedding but it’s all about how you shoot it. One thing Bruce prides himself most on is his level of experience, as well as the customer service he is able to deliver to each of his clients. “I always come with a smile,” Bruce explains. “I always try to offer something for them that fits their needs, get to know them through a personal consultation and identify their wants and needs so that everyone is happy with the final product on their big day.”
In Your Prime Photography puts great emphasis on attention to detail, they put in the extra effort to stay on top of current cutting-edge photography trends and work to capture your precious moments to be remembered for all time. Memories and moments are fleeting, they can be gone in the blink of an eye, and In Your Prime Photography understands this, shooting beautiful, creative and unique shots that highlight the most treasured moments in your life. They look forward to working with you, feel free to reach out and connect for a consultation and display your loves stories in the years to come.
