Today we’d like to introduce you to Charnell Timms.
Hi Charnell, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
My love for photography started in our backyard in South Africa, alongside my darling father and the dark room that he had created as his part-time studio-or as we might say today, his man cave.haha.
Witnessing the magic of film come to ‘light’ (excuse the pun) in the dark room was both mystical and astonishing and with it, a spark for photography to this day.
Wildlife photography was the first to grab me, and I was obsessed with shooting white throated bee-easters burrowing along the sandy soils along the riverbanksIn South Africas famous Kruger National Park whilst on safari with my parents. As a excellent in sports at school, it was Sports photography that grabbed my interest next as I was always asked to take photos at school and after graduating from university I turned the page from amateur to professional where my focus remained with Sports like Windsurfing and Kitesurfing in Cape Town and then Weddings too.
The next big move and challenge was moving to the United Sates as I had to basically start all over again
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
My biggest challenge was moving my business from South Africa to the United States between 2013 and 2016. Learning how to charge and deal with a different culture, and being dropped down the food chain too–coming from a city like Cape Town where I had worked on establishing significant brand awareness, to Maple Grove, MN where nobody knew my name, took a lot of time and grit to work and weave my way into the psyche of Americans.
Great, so let’s talk business. Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
Because I spent the formative years of my professional photography career in South Africa (2006-2016) I started with windsurfing/kitesuring and Wedding photography, but moving my business to Maple Grove (2016-2025) I had to morph a few areas of focus, so besides my wedding photography being my core business, it was a welcomed change and challenge to focus and add Senior Grad sessions to my portfolio along with corporate gigs and family photography which is not really a niche in South Africa.
What sets me apart from others, as I have often being told by my guests is how different and spontaneous I am—for me I always try and get the point across that for my wedding clients (all portrait clients) to look good, they first and foremost need to FEEL GOOD—so I live and die by my ‘Passionately Playful’ slogan. That is what makes me most proud brand wise.
Also I am the only photography in the Twin Cities area that had a 50/50 split when it comes to my portfolio of traditional vs LGBTQ+ weddings—Also I have a unique pricing structure where I prefer to just have an hourly rate and then clients can ‘build their own’ package by adding certain products to my offerings.
Last but not least Im very proud of my international portfolio–I have been flown over to Germany, England, Ireland, Zanzibar, United States, Mexico and France to shoot weddings. I have shot weddings of 12th century Chateaus in France to Castles in Dusseldorf Germany, I have shot weddings with Lions watching, and Giraffe’s towering over my bridal couples, as well as enduring -40degree celsius temperatures (Minneapolis, USA) to plus 45 degree Tempeatures in Tulbagh, South Africa. I have shot weddings out at sea on private yachts and 5 star Rovos Rail trains too. The more novel the challenge the more creatively inspiring it is for me. Movement, movement movement–being on the movement is the closest I can get my clients to perfection.
My ‘passionately playful’ brand works thanks to my ability to adapt and mingle with all cultures and my wedding career has not only taken me all over the globe but has included many wonderful and varied cultural aspects. I am move focused on creating memorable moments than perfect images–wedding to me are about Romance, so catching the ecstasy, those heart warming emotive moments are central to my wedding photography philosophy and ultimately the way I try capture the beauty of the moment.
I have shot many Indian, Pakistani, Sri Lankan weddings, as well as Greek, Jewish, Irish, German, Danish and traditional African weddings with all their weird and wonderful traditions that accompany these weddings–like the Danish who after getting married, pick up the groom and cut the tips of his socks off, or a traditional African wedding where they cut a sheep and offer monetary notes to bless the groom etc.
How can people work with you, collaborate with you or support you?
Because I had to start all over in the United States I have spent less time on networking and more time just trying to be a ‘work-horse’ so I started off doing the smallest of jobs just to get the ball rolling on the ‘word of mouth’ and repeat client scenario.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://charnelltimmsphotography.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/charnelltimmsphotography/
