The Jewish Chronicle
The whole picture
We focus on the work of Paul Toeman, photographer to families, companies and theatrical stars.
October 18, 2011 16:27
1 min read
We focus on the work of Paul Toeman, photographer to families, companies and theatrical stars.
October 18, 2011 16:27Paul Toeman spent 15 years working in marketing and advertising, but in 2006, he decided to turn his photography hobby into a business. Based in Gospel Oak, north London, Paul states that his philosophy "is always to put the customer first.
"I prefer to keep a small client base, with whom I keep a strong relationship," says Paul - once he has met a client, he tends to be their chosen photographer for milestone events throughout their lives, from weddings to babies to the babies' eventual bar/batmitzvahs and special birthday parties - and even grandparents' anniversaries.
"I love to capture people enjoying themselves," says Paul, who focuses on offering fresh and fun images which will be treasured for years. He has a team of three colleagues that he trusts and has a good working relationship with, and who attend various functions.
As well as offering photography for weddings and bar/batmitzvah parties, around a third of Paul's work is carried out overseas.
Paul offers photography for corporate events and has also shot theatrical productions, as well as the actors and actresses in them, for many years. He has also led practical workshops at drama colleges in the UK, for students getting ready for their entry into the theatre world.
Family portrait sessions at home are a favourite and parties are offered in the studio, where girls can do their hair and make-up and have a photo shoot.
Clients are invited back to the studio within a couple of weeks of their event and relax on his pink sofa with wine and popcorn, while they watch a huge HD projector slideshow presentation of their images on a white wall. They leave with a high-resolution CD, ready to print at home, together with a letter from Paul which grants them the reproduction copyright. They can come back to choose their album - a contemporary coffee-table book format or an Italian leather album.