Where am I going?

The last year has been eye opening to say the least. The first lockdown was just under a year ago and at this stage, it was becoming obvious that Covid-19 was going to be a big issue and I was in a rather worrying position, where I had little to no work coming in and no focus on where to take my photography or business. Infact I was look at getting a full time job, because I wasn’t able to live on what I was earning.

The first lockdown was almost a release for me. With the business being closed, I didn’t have to worry about it and during that time, apart from working a part time job (which I am still doing). I was able to focus on improving my photography. As anyone who has read my blog knows, I passed my Master Photographers Association Licentiate, I then entered the MPA Regionals competition for London/Essex and the South East and won that, which was great. I also started to get my health into gear, which had been causing me some issues and I found something out that whilst not technically life changing, does explain a lot of what has happened in my life (more of that in another post some time).

Of course, not everything has been plain sailing, I have had issues with depression and anxiety, as well as having money worries that limit what I am able to do with my business.

So I look now and ask myself where am I going, with my photography and business?

Anyone observant among you will notice, I use the term ‘photography and business’. I am not a good businessman, I don’t care for the technical side of running a photography business and that has massively cost me over the last few years. I am a photographer, pure and simple but some how I have to make that work as a business and this is the challenge.

I am never going to be a business genius, I can’t just say yes to every job for the money, I can only shoot what I feel comfortable with and that is work, which I feel gives the best possible image to the client. So I won’t be branching out into trying to do wedding, I won’t be doing more families or trying new born photography because it doesn’t interest me and when something doesn’t interest me, I won’t do it as well as something that I am interested in.

So I have said about photography I won’t be doing, so what will I be doing. My focus is going to be on fine art portrait photography, which it sort of has been for the year or so but I just want to build on that for the moment.

I know that I am very good at that kind of photography, be it for performers, re-enactors or seniors, I want to build my business doing the best photography for my clients possible, offering them awesome images, as prints.

Over the next couple of months I am hoping to focus my business more. I will be doing some shoots, once I am able to to build my senior portrait portfolio, as well as building on my re-enactor portfolio, hopefully with a variety of different periods and setting.

I will also be starting my MPA Associate panel, which has rather changed, since my first announcement.

Of course, this is all, something I am hoping to do, life has a way of getting in the way but unless I try, I will never succeed.