14 for ’14 – A Year In Review
When I sat down at roughly this time last year, to write my 2013 review, I had no idea of the changes that would unfold in 2014. That’s the nature of life I guess, but maybe it wasn’t something I was prepared for. When I established this business in 2010, I created a regimental routine, which I worked from month to month and year to year. I had a set way of doing things which helped me stay organised and on top of my duties. I took great pride in this ‘system’ because not only did it keep my occupied but it meant I could be relied upon. There were two issues though with this routine. One, it was focused entirely around one client. And two, it didn’t allow for any down time to recover. From April 2010 until April 2014, I estimate I had maybe a total of two weeks holidays (not including sick leave). That sort of pace catches up with you very quickly and is quite counter-productive in the long run, especially for a creative. If you don’t crash and burn, you just end up on autopilot. In April of this year, after more years than most realise (I started contributing to the project whilst still a college student), I parted ways with Speedhunters. Looking back, I think it was the best thing for both sides. They weren’t getting the best of me, and I was becoming more and more frustrated with the direction they were going in at the time. It was an amicable parting, but a parting none the same. On the first of April, I was a solo artist with no regular income (something Speedhunters provided). It was time for me to sink or swim. April was a particularly scary month. If I worked a single paid job during […]
2013 – A Year In Review
It’s been a funny sort of year two thousand and thirteen. My immediate thoughts on the year are not particularly positive, and when looking back through what I’ve shot, I should be feeling much happier. But I’m not. Instead, and like previous years, I’ve again come away feeling frustrated and knowing that I should have done better with the opportunities which presented themselves. I’m not saying that the work is shit, but it always feels like I’m missing that certain little something to bring my work to the next level. I’ve made quite a lot of changes in how I approach a shoot and have been working on my processing but I still feel like I’ve a long, long way to go. One promise that I’ve made to myself is to undertake more personal work in the coming weeks and months. Without the pressure of deadlines or strict briefs, I can experiment with different techniques and shoot things that I normally would have no outlet for. It also re-introduces fun and enjoyment back into my photography, something which I feel has been missing for quite some time. The collection of images below may not necessarily represent my absolute best of photographs of 2013, but they do evoke the best memories. Some may have been seen before and some may not. None of these photographs would have been possible without the help and kindness of so many people. In no particular order I would like to thank the following for their support and contribution, no matter how big or small: My parents Gerry & Sheila, my girlfriend Laura, Derek & Philomena Troy, Martin Ffrench, Larry Kehoe, Ben Chandler, Neil Sheehan, Rod Chong, Rob Bullough, Bryn Musselwhite, Annika Goksu, Jonathan Moore, Suzy Wallace, Sean Klingelhoefer, Larry Chen, Keith Charvonia, Dino Dalle Carbonare, […]