Why am I doing this?

Have you ever thought about how you got to where you are and the path you took? We all take different paths for different reasons, but hopefully you end up where you want to be. This is how I got to where I am now.

Life is full of moments, some that matter, some that don’t, some that are enjoyable and others that we’d rather forget.

There are the obvious milestones that many of us take for granted; learning to walk, talk, laugh and cry. Completing school, maybe going to university, getting a job, falling in love, getting married, having kids (and falling in love all over again).

Some will land the job of their dreams first time round, some will settle for a job that pays the bills and others will switch around, looking for their perfect fit.

When I left school, I was convinced I was going to be a journalist (mainly because I couldn’t add up) and, with the help of my father, I achieved that goal.

And I loved it – I love telling people’s stories and spent many years doing just that.

Somewhere along the way I picked up a camera and found it was a great way to help illustrate the stories I was telling.

Even after moving away from journalism, I kept making images. It was the one constant but, at the same time, it was ‘just a hobby’.

 As the years peeled by I kept finding ways to incorporate photography into whatever job I was doing at the time.

I even started up a side hustle, taking weekend jobs or shooting on my days off.

But I never felt like a ‘real’ photographer – one of those lucky ones who did it for a living and shot day in/day out.

Without realising it, what I was actually doing was improving my technique, learning more about the craft and refining my skills.

I often wondered what would have happened if I bit the bullet when I was younger, threw caution to the wind and had a crack.

There were always reasons not to – marriage, mortgage, kids, school etc and it got to a point where I thought it was too late.

It became a regret, a missed opportunity; one of those ‘if only’ scenarios.

Just when you think your course is set and you rationalise that this is your lot in life, the storm clouds gather and you get broadsided by a classic late afternoon thunderstorm.

But instead of fallen trees, hail damaged cars and flash flooding, all you see after the storm is sunlight streaming through the clouds and a fresher, cleaner world.

For me the storm came in the form of a somewhat unexpected redundancy and the beams of sunlight illuminated the chance for a new start.

I have branched out on my own before, taking the safe route back into journalism and communications. This was my chance to do what I really wanted, what I am passionate about and what, without me knowing, I had been preparing for for the past four decades.

So, here I am; a photographer, a full time, working photographer and I couldn’t be happier.

I know it’s going to be tough, anything worthwhile usually is, but that doesn’t scare me and nor should it scare you.

I guess the point of all this is to say, it’s never too late, don’t give up and look for what you are passionate about. I’m not sure I was ready for this 10, 20, 30 years ago but I absolutely am now and I am going to do everything I can to make a go of it.