Freelance photographer Stephen Finn has found success running walking tours in Dundee.
He runs Dundee Photo Walks, which combines his interests of photography and passion for the city.
Stephen tells us more about his business which promotes the city.
How and why did you start in business?
I’ve run a ‘netwalking’ group in Dundee for a few years now.
In 2022, I met Mike Duncan of the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) for a wander and a chat around Dundee waterfront.
At the end of our walk, Mike asked if I’d ever thought about doing a guided tour.
I started Dundee Photo Walks earlier this year. By combining my photography interests, my passion for talking about Dundee, and my knowledge of the area.
I’ve developed two tours. My Dundee 2.0 Tour looks at the city’s £1 billion makeover: what’s gone, what’s been done and what’s to come.
My Dundee 3E Tour is about energy, engineering and exploration – jack-up rigs, offshore wind farms, and the RRS Discovery.
How did you get to where you are today?
By being curious and sharing what I’ve learned. I’ve attended many events, such as engineering lectures at Abertay Uni.
My photos of jack-up rigs on LinkedIn resulted in a tour at the Port of Dundee.
As my tours are about the present day and recent history, I’m constantly updating them with more stories and quirky facts.
Who helped you?
Donna Robertson, of Squared Insurance Brokers, refused to accept “computer says no” and kept looking until she found insurance cover for my guided walks.
It’s a rather obscure policy, but I couldn’t run my business without it.
Ed Waugh, of Talking Horse Design and Print, called in a few favours to create two fantastic, bespoke and branded DPW umbrellas They are my favourite pieces of corporate merchandise, and probably the most used!
What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever had?
Keep it simple, cut the jargon and the technobabble – if you can’t explain something to a 10-year-old, you probably don’t understand it yourself.
I’m not an engineer or an architect, so I try to keep things simple in my tours.
Having two curious children asking questions has given me plenty of practice.
What is your biggest mistake?
In April, when the Tartan exhibition opened at the V&A, I should’ve been out and about on Dundee’s waterfront promoting my guided walks and handing out flyers.
An online presence is great, but you can’t beat face-to-face, meeting future customers to show your knowledge, enthusiasm, and personality.
What is your greatest achievement?
I successfully created and ran a bespoke event for 20 professionals.
It was a guided tour with lots of ‘netwalking’ opportunities, so they could listen to me at various points of interest and talk amongst themselves between the stops.
I received some fantastic feedback, which keeps me going on the quieter days.
What do you still hope to achieve?
Next year, I’m planning to do more guided tours for visitors to Dundee.
I also want to host more corporate tours for local businesses and organisations.
I have plans for at least two new tours for 2024, one about Dundee’s railways from the Newtyle line to the new railway station, and another about the Tay Road Bridge.
What do you do to relax?
I enjoy hiking and taking photos.
I rarely sit still long enough to read, however I devour audio books as I can listen to them whilst doing something else, mostly history and memoirs.
What do you waste your money on?
Photographic paraphernalia, but I’ve calmed down in recent years.
What’s the first thing you do when you get up in the morning?
I check the weather to decide if it’s a day for a tour and taking photos or creating content at my desk.
What do you drive and dream of driving?
I can’t drive, so a self-driving car would be very nice.
- If you would like to showcase your business with our question and answer feature, please email rmclaren@thecourier.co.uk
