As 2015 drew to a close and the New Year came in, I’ve been following many people’s offerings of their “Best of 2015” posts. Now, don’t get me wrong, I think it is a lovely way to cap off the year, but during November and December my feet barely touched the ground!! For this reason, as soon as the school term ended I shut the door to my studio and focused on relaxing with my family, playing games with my children, watching a ton of Disney movies and hanging out with my husband….oh, and lets not forget training our crazy puppy too! Writing a blog, or even reflecting on the year was out of the question.
Back to January, the girls are back at school, the decorations are down and packed away, I’ve eaten practically enough food to feed a small nation, my husband is in his studios upstairs squirrelling away with some Pro Tools upgrade and the dog has been walked to the point of exhaustion. Now, finally, I can sit at my desk and look forward to what this year has in store. Looking back on many of the shoots from 2015 has a multi purpose. Initially, I get that warm fuzzy feeling as I remember pivotal moments and scenes, but next I get the projection of “how can I improve this?” and “how can I grow from this?”
Rather than setting resolutions where you “give something up” for New Year, I want to voice my hopes and aspirations while setting myself some challenges. If you are reading this I am making myself accountable to you. So, here goes…..Being Inspired for 2016…I’ll keep you updated along my journey!
MY FAMILY
I would love to take more pictures of my family. My iPhone, although regularly out taking a snap, just doesn’t cut it. My DSLR comes out for special occasions (maybe I’m too precious with it!) but I would really like to treat myself to a great quality compact/bridge camera to keep to hand or in my handbag so I can just whip it out whenever to capture my nearest and dearest through their adventures. For the techies out there, my beady eye is on the Fuji X100T system. Mmmmmmm, hello!! A bit more saving, and a bit more research, I’m hoping to make 2016 the year for it….and not get so bogged down with the household chores that distract me from photo taking!!
BUMP TO BABY
As a Photographer in Chichester I’ve been loving getting more into Bump to Baby shoots this last couple of years, my prop collection is growing, my baby-sleeping timings getting better and my shoot to wee ratio is getting smaller (some babies make up for this though!!). I also came 2nd in a maternity photo competition for Twenty 20 (see the pic here). Some things that are inspiring me for 2016 are: To become more creative with my styling and improve upon my prop collection; Provide more photo books…I use Graphistudio for all my photo books, they have launched a great product called the Baby Book, it is the perfect sized keepsake to add to the photographic collection of a family after they welcomed their new addition. It saddens me to hear about all these wonderful images people have that never see the light of print, instead gathering dust somewhere on a USB stick or disk in a drawer. N.B. The bumps do exist, I tend not to share these publicly however as many of the mums-to-be are in a state of undress they may not want the world to see! I have a select few on my portfolio should you wish to see.
WEDDINGS
By now you should know I LOVE WEDDINGS!!!! I have been really lucky to have met some great couples who have wanted to experiment and push the boat out creatively for their collection of images. I would love to do this more! I love using Pinterest, photography magazines, blogs to keep up with current trends and new ideas and techniques. I am inspired for 2016 to be a year where I can really grow in my creativity at weddings. From the early stages of getting ready, to the ceremony, following on to the portraits and the evening’s party. I strive to improve my technicality, my equipment and general photo taking every step of the way. I hope to attend more wedding photography workshops this year and seminars presented by the leaders in the wedding photography field. Not only are they great fun to attend, I always return with a wealth of new knowledge that I am eager to practise!
BIPP & MPA QUALIFICATIONS
Lat year I was accepted as a Provisional Member of 2 professional photography associations: The British Institute of Professional Photography and the Master Photographers Association. This in itself was a proud moment for me as only approximately 30% of applicants are accepted! I have attended workshops, met new people and been very inspired! This is the year I hope to achieve my first qualifications with them. There are 3 levels: Licentiate; Associate; Fellow. I hope to have passed my “L” in both this year (and learn to pronounce it!!). A bonus will be that achieving this will go towards a BA in Photography too. Some of the images above I hope to use in my submission for qualification, my genre being Wedding Photography. The hardest part I am imagining (after the picture taking of course) will be learning how to self-critique at a high level, constantly seeking even the most minute details to improve upon… then learning when to stop!! Oh, and writing the actual submission. That will also be a challenge, but an inspired one, I hope.
BAND PHOTOGRAPHY
I am really fortunate to be married to my husband. He is a bloody good chap!! He is also a very talented musician and music producer…because of this, he often gets me involved if he needs something visually creative. I have been involved in music videos, from the stunningly simple to the ridiculously complicated; Photo shoots for promo’s and websites, tours and publicity, and, public events that need documenting. I’m a lucky girl!! I have met some amazing bands and artists who inspire me with their music, their craft and their passion. I can’t wait to get my teeth into the new artists that will walk through the door this year and provide a visual service that compliments their audio one!
This is quite a lot to think about and focus on this year, and there will be more I’m sure! I love making lists, it really helps me to focus on what I need to do, when and how, so this blog will serve me as my list of how I hope to be Inspired for 2016. I can’t wait to check things off the list and update you as I achieve some of my challenges and realise my hopes.
Happy New Year everybody, and be Inspired for 2016!!
xx
