So, I’m 19 years into my photography career and it feels like a good time to reflect on what I enjoy about it! I think we all slip into routines in life including in our professional capacity and every now and again it’s good to question these things.
The first thing that springs to mind is the access I gain to new places and industries, that’s always really interesting. One day I might be on an organic farm, the next The House of Commons, perhaps a bio mass energy site, sometimes the Camel Estuary and once Abbey Road Studios!
It’s a real privilege to learn about all these different industries and fascinating to see these locations too! One of the original prerogatives when I chose this career pathway was to see new places, so that box has definitely been ticked!
The next great thing is people, as you can imagine I meet thousands of people. Some every day folk, some high up people and some celebrities from time to time! I’ve already written a separate blog on the celebs I’ve encountered, the most recent being Ellie Simmonds!
One of my main roles when taking people’s portraits is putting them at ease, in a very short space of time people need to quickly reveal what they are unsure about in their appearance so we can work together to get a great picture. So, it’s also a privilege to connect with people so personally so quickly.
Having a job where I can be creative, technical and organised was one of the original goals and photography certainly ticks all three of these. The bit I didn’t anticipate when I started out 19 years ago was all the extra skills I’d have to learn (web design, graphic design, marketing, accountancy and later down the line social media). It would be lovely to outsource all of this, but as many sole traders know it all adds to cost, so it was easier to learn the basics myself. If I were to look at that positively, I have been fortunate to learn so many new skills.
Lastly, I do enjoy seeing my work used online/ in print, it’s always fun to spot my imagery dotted around on my client’s social media feed, brochures, banners, websites, LinkedIn profiles etc. If you look closely in Gloucestershire you’ll also see my photos on the side of the bin lorries lol!
What do YOU enjoy about your career?