Looking Back
2009 wasn’t a bad year, but it wasn’t exactly a good year either. The meltdown of the worlds economy didn’t help matters, especially since many clients and companies saw it as a means to ensure their bottom line was still healthy. Clients that were usually good at paying decided that 90 day terms was more acceptable, to them that is. It’s been challenging to say the least, the biggest thing I’ve managed to learn is having one source of income, in todays climate, is madness. If there is one thing I picked up from being in the banking industry, it’s diversity is king.
On a photographic front, things were much better. I fully enjoyed doing my MA over at the LCC and also meeting some pretty impressive people along the way. The MA has forced me to change the way I see images and construct stories. Having Paul and John rip you a new one when you present work that isn’t up to scratch has been a breath of fresh air.
I’ve had the pleasure of spending time with major drug dealers, Karen National Liberation Army high ranking officials & Burmese migrant workers, a community wishing to live on their own, away from racial integration, Shark hunters and people in and around South Africa. All of those people have given me inspiration to go out and explore more. At 34 I’m still as keen as ever to travel, something I cannot see changing in the next ten years.
What lies ahead for 2010 then?
Well for a start, I now have to work on my final project for the MA. I’m still in two minds about what to concentrate on, both ideas have major access issues and safety ones, not something that has stopped me before but you still need to plan these things. I’ll also be concentrating on collaborating with my lovely wife, Emma, on my fashion/beauty related campaigns. It was good to take a year off and not shoot that side, so I’m ready to get stuck in again. I’ll also be ramping up the interviews on this site, I have some AMAZING photographers lined up, there is so much wealth on this continent that isn’t being reported, so I’m hoping to change that. I’m also hoping to work with more NGO’s this coming year, it’s like winning the lottery when you do finally get to work with one, so let’s hope I have a good set of numbers.
Hope your 2010 is a cracking year and thanks for visiting the site and your support.
Here are some of my favorite images from 2009:
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