An award winning Caithness photographer has taken the decision to develop his hobby into a full time business. John Baikie, along with his wife Michelle, will run Caithness Photographic from their home in Castletown.
In recognition of his work, John was named as the Highlands and Islands Photographer of the Year at the 2003 Highland Media Awards. According to John, who was previously employed as a technician with Rolls Royce at Vulcan: "It was a big step, finally deciding to give up my job and the security of a regular wage, but it's something I've always wanted to do, and now seemed like the right time to do it. I've found that I have been in more demand recently, particularly since I won the Highlands and Islands Photographer of the Year award.
"I am hoping to build up the wedding side of the business, which is starting to get busy, with many bookings already in the diary for next year. I'd also like to get more into the commercial side of things, as there is still a trend for local businesses to use photographers from outside of the area. I will also be carrying on the press photography and will now be offering a modern portrait service.
"Michelle will be helping out with a lot of the essential work behind the scenes, such as taking bookings, helping with orders and wedding albums, allowing me more time to concentrate on taking photographs."
John and Michelle received business start-up assistance from Caithness and Sutherland Enterprise (CASE), which included a funding package totalling £3,600. This form of CASE assistance is designed to help new businesses by providing valuable business advice and a regular income for the first twelve months of trading, usually the most difficult time for fledgling businesses.
According to Ian Thomson, development manager with CASE: "The business start-up grant has enabled John to fulfil a long held ambition to run a full-time photography business. With back up from Michelle I'm sure the business will be a success."