Hidden Gems: Meet Brian Mullins

Today we’d like to introduce you to Brian Mullins.

Hi Brian, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
Like many photographers, I started out as a hobbyist and quickly discovered how amazing it was to be a photographer – but also how expensive it could be. GAS, as we call it (Gear Acquisition Syndrome) is a real thing. I have a background in video production work but shooting still frames always held some type of “magic” as you had to tell the story in a single frame.

The first camera I bought just wasn’t doing it for me so I reached out to the only professional photographer I knew and asked a few questions. He got me on the right path for buying a used but durable camera body and lens. As we talked thru the different camera & lenses out there, he asked if I would go out for him and photograph Christmas decorations on a house – for one of his clients (a local magazine). I, of course, jumped at the chance and while I would love to say I knocked it out of the park, I didn’t. To quote him “Well, I can use some of the ones I shot last year”. He gave me another chance though… it was a story about a crossing guard in Cary, NC who had been doing that job for decades. That shoot was featured in a double truck spread “the photo spanning across 2 pages” in Cary Magazine.

After that success, I was hooked. Fast forward a couple of years and my (now) mentor asked if I wanted to take over his role as Chief of Photography for Cary Magazine. I had doubts but I took the job and for the next two years had the opportunity to photograph everything from corporate executives to food, architecture, products and even dogs. It was the best “introduction” I could of ever received to the world of photography. In 2012, I made the jump to being a full-time professional photographer and have absolutely lover every minute of it.

Fast forward to 2021. I’ve made it thru the pandemic and have grown both my wedding and commercial photography business over 400% since 2012. I have a brick & mortar studio with a dedicated studio space & client area in Apex, NC and have traveled to three different countries and across the US with different clients.

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Being a professional photographer is not an easy career. There are constant pressures on your time as taking photos really consists of about 10% of our day. Editing, marketing, advertising, IT, web design, accounting, SEO, blogging, phone calls and at some point, some coffee take up a very large part of our day.

2020 was a really rough year for all photographers. The large corporate clients had scaled back their advertising, the personal clients (weddings, portraits) were all quarantined so there was just not a lot of business to be had. Some of the best advice I ever got was to always have five lines of income. While my commercial & personal photography were almost non-existent, I grew my commercial real estate business (what a great time to photograph buildings when no one is there) as well as kept teaching photography via zoom calls.

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
Brian Mullins Photography LLC, based in Apex, NC, is a wedding & commercial photography studio that’s been in business since 2006. We specialize in weddings, product, architectural, marketing & editorial photography. The sheer diversity of our experience in multiple fields of photography lets us identify and combine techniques from varying photographic specialties. This allows us to handle difficult shoots using a unique & artistic eye.

Is there something surprising that you feel even people who know you might not know about?
I used to be extremely introverted. Photography allows me to satiate my inner introvert while allowing me to be “safe” when directing or speaking to large groups of people.

Contact Info:

• Email: contact@brianmullinsphotography.com
• Website: https://www.brianmullinsphotography.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/brianmullinsphotography/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RaleighWeddingPhotos
• Other: https://www.raleighcommercialphotos.com

Image Credits
Brian Mullins Photography