SOUL MIND HEART

My name is Eric-René Penoy. I am French by origin, born in Charleville-Mézières in the Ardennes, and I have spent most of my professional life between sales, customer experience, photography, and education.

My professional journey actually began far away from photography. After studying Law and Economic and Social Administration in Business and Administration Management, I entered the world of retail and customer service. My very first position was behind the After Sales Service counter at Fnac in Reims.

It was an extraordinary school.

I learned very quickly how different people can be when they become customers: how to listen, how to understand what is really being said behind a complaint, how to remain patient, how to explain, reassure, solve problems and, above all, how to create trust.

I then joined the sales team during the opening of a Saturn store in Reims. It was there, surrounded by technology and by customers passionate about photography, that I discovered photography myself. As a real geek, I knew every camera we sold — around 140 references at the time — and I became fascinated not only by the technology, but by the people behind it and the reasons why they chose one camera over another.

Photography eventually became much more than a passion.

In 2012, I moved to Scotland to follow my partner. I barely spoke English at the time, and photography became my way of creating a new professional life. I started by photographing friends' weddings, then friends of friends, and progressively developed my own approach.

In 2014, I became a full-time wedding photographer and photographed 57 weddings during my first full season. Since then, my work has taken me across Europe and internationally, photographing weddings in many different countries and working with couples from very different cultures and backgrounds.

Over the years, I also became a trainer, speaker and mentor.

In 2017, I was recognised as BodaF New Talent of the Year in Barcelona, and in 2019 I was selected among Rangefinder's 30 Rising Stars of Wedding Photography worldwide.

But perhaps more importantly, I discovered that one of the things I enjoy most is sharing what I have learned.

I teach photographers not only about photography, but about everything that happens around the photograph: how to communicate with potential clients, how to understand their expectations, how to build trust, how to sell without becoming "salesy", how to create a meaningful customer experience and how to build a sustainable business around their creative work.

This is where my two professional worlds — customer service and photography — have naturally come together.

I strongly believe that a photographer is not defined only by the images they create.

They are also defined by the experience they provide.

The way they answer an enquiry.
The way they welcome a client.
The questions they ask.
The way they explain their value.
The way they manage expectations.
The way they communicate before, during and after the assignment.
And ultimately, the emotion and trust they leave behind.

In a world where photographers have access to extraordinary technology and where the technical differences between products can sometimes become increasingly difficult for customers to understand, I believe that the human experience surrounding a brand and its products becomes even more important.

This is also why I am reaching out to Leica.

Rather than approaching you with a traditional request, I would like to explore the possibility of creating a class or workshop within the Leica Academy, potentially hosted at a Leica Store, focused specifically on Customer Experience, Communication and the relationship between photographer, client and brand.

The idea would be to share practical experience with photographers and Leica enthusiasts around topics such as:

• Understanding the psychology of the customer

• Creating a premium customer experience

• Communicating value rather than simply selling a service

• How to conduct a meaningful first conversation with a client

• Turning an enquiry into a relationship

• Storytelling and emotional communication

• Building trust and confidence

• Selling without compromising authenticity

• Managing expectations before and during an assignment

• Creating a memorable experience that continues after the photograph has been delivered

• Understanding how a strong personal identity and a strong brand can work together

I believe these subjects are particularly relevant to the Leica community because Leica has always represented more than technology alone.

It represents a relationship with photography, craftsmanship, culture, emotion and, perhaps above all, a particular way of seeing.

My experience has taught me that when people invest in something they are passionate about, they are not simply buying a product. They are buying into an experience, a story, an identity and sometimes even a part of who they want to become.

That is something I would love to explore with a Leica audience.

I currently live between Portugal and Mexico and continue to work internationally as a wedding photographer, educator, speaker and mentor. I have also developed my own educational platform, where I cover photography, business, storytelling, SEO, sales and customer communication through written, audio and video content.

I would therefore be very happy to discuss whether this type of class could have a place within the Leica Academy or within the educational activities of a Leica Store.

I am not approaching you simply because I am passionate about photography. I am approaching you because I believe I can bring a different perspective to the Leica community — one built at the intersection of photography, retail, customer experience, communication, sales, and education.

And I would genuinely love the opportunity to share it.

Thank you very much for taking the time to read my message. I hope it might spark your curiosity and perhaps open the door to a conversation about what we could create together.

Warm regards,

Eric-René Penoy