An in-water photographer and filmmaker from Wadebridge is making a real splash with his new business thanks to a £5,000 StartUp Loan. Sam Sherring, 28, used the funds to purchase kit including a Canon Eos R5C camera with cage and rigging, as well as lighting and sound equipment and sundries including adaptors and hard drives.

Having enjoyed working with cameras from a young age, Bournemouth-born Sam started making short films in his teens and came to Cornwall in 2015 to study film at Falmouth University. He went on to work full-time with a creative agency for four years, producing everything from TV ads to school productions.

“It was a varied workload and a great way to learn, a hugely positive experience – but it was time to go freelance and carve out a niche for myself,” said Sam.

A love of surfing and surf filmmakers like Mickey Smith influenced his professional direction towards outdoor lifestyle, with clients secured through good contacts and a strong portfolio. These included footwear manufacturer XtraTuf in collaboration with the RNLI. “I’d been working on a personal project about lifeguarding, and they chose me on that basis,” Sam explained. “The RNLI project was a dream – real people doing real stuff, and lots of outdoors action.”

Sam was also the in-water camera operator on a mini-documentary for car manufacturer Bentley in partnership with Gen Z high-fashion agency Culted and Welsh charity Surfability, which provides tuition for surfers with additional needs. “It was awesome to work with Bentley, and it was a big success online.”

More recent commissions have included a documentary about racing driver Sam Shrimpton, shot at Silverstone, and a campaign for XtraTuf to launch the COTTY boot, developed in collaboration with professional big wave surfer Andrew Cotton. As well as shooting at the world’s first inland surf resort in Edinburgh, Sam travelled to Nazaré in Portugal, a coastal resort famed for its big waves, and shot the hero video from the water. “It was one of the best experiences of my life.”

Having researched grants and loans when setting up his business, Sam decided to apply for a StartUp Loan - part of the British Business Bank. A government-backed programme, it offers personal loans of up to £25,000 and free mentoring to help anyone start or grow a new or early-stage business.

“The fixed rate of interest made a lot of sense,” said Sam. “The process was pretty smooth and straight-forward. You have your own business advisor – mine was Jo, and she was great. The application was quite in-depth and you need a business plan.”

Sam applied for the loan with the help of Truro-based SWIG Finance, the bank’s business support partner in the South West. Senior StartUp Loans Manager Jo MacEachen said: “Sam’s proposition was well-considered and detailed; he had established strong links with an existing customer base, and was asking for a realistic sum of money.

“Sam was an absolute pleasure to work with, and I was delighted to assist him in attaining his dreams.”