Prince George resident Gurinder Paul on having two careers he loves.
It was a love of nature that first sparked Gurinder Paul’s love of photography. “I remember playing around with cameras when I was a small child, but what really kickstarted things was a field trip to Mount Robson,” says Paul, who was born and raised in Prince George. “That was my first exposure to hiking and camping – to nature. At almost every stop we made, I was in awe of the things I saw, and wishing I had a camera so I could capture an image of them. After that, I started taking photos all the time, improving my skills by watching YouTube tutorials and following blogs. I love shooting on film and do it as much as possible, when the light and circumstances allow.”
His professional career started in 2012, when he began shooting landscapes and sharing them in Facebook groups. Eventually he was commissioned for weddings. “I love the interaction part of it, and people say I’m good at putting them at their ease and making them feel relaxed so they get natural looking pictures they love.”
This quality of staying calm and being good with people has stood Paul in good stead with his latest venture: He got his realtor licence in June 2018. “What I enjoy most is working with people and helping them to find what they need,” he says. “Many of my first real-estate clients have been past clients of my photography business. In fact, one of my wedding clients called me last month and asked me to help sell their house. He says when I’ve done that, I can do the baby photos!”
Paul says the two roles are surprisingly complementary. As well as his calm and trustworthy nature, he brings his experience at running and marketing his business to his realtor work. Having lived in Prince George all his life, he knows the town inside out. Then there’s the all-important home photography. “There are still many realtors who don’t get professional photos taken and that’s a disservice to clients,” says Paul. “I’m happy to use my skills to make clients’ homes look as appealing as possible.”
To find out more about Gurinder, visit his Facebook page or email him at gurinderpaulrealtor@gmail.com.
