2015 reflections and 2016 Plans... exciting times are ahead!

So we're into 2016 and shockingly only a couple of days off being halfway through January. It's a quiet time of year for most people in photography and therefore an excellent time to plan world domination strategies for the forthcoming year..

That's 'photography world' domination by the way, nothing more sinister. Reflecting on my achievements from last year, I can only say it was a great year. I entered my 4th year of working in the photography industry, having graduated from university and moving to London. I worked with some amazing photographers on some great shoots with celebrities including: Barbara Windsor, Harry Judd, Mel B (who has the foulest mouth of anyone i've ever met!) Julia Bradbury and the list goes on. I've also done some pretty cool shoots myself for some London clients and built up a good relationship with lots of people. So where does this lead me?

1) SHOPPING! Well, naturally, the shopping list has grown and i'm eagerly awaiting an announcement from Canon about the release of the 5D Mk IV which MUST be coming out soon. It has to! The Mk III has been around for 3 years now and the video capabilities are well behind it's competitors.. we'll see. Also on the list is a new laptop... again awaiting word from Apple about their new Macbook Pro's which MUST be due for release any time soon. (Any inside info would be much appreciated!)

2) MORE SHOOTS! Last year was great with all the work I did with other photographers on shoots, but it left me feeling that I'd neglected my own photography and had spent too much time at the blunt end of the lens rather than behind it. So this year, I aim to shoot lots of tests and i'm aiming for one per month so keep checking my website for new work.

3) MORE SHOOTS! Yep, that's right. More shoots! This year will see me shooting for more clients as I move my marketing plans more toward developing my own business and building my client base. I don't think that people realise what goes into being a photographer. 75% of the work or more goes into somewhat dull activities such as marketing, admin, accounts, meetings and planning... it seems the smallest part of the job is actually TAKING PHOTOS!!! They don't tell you that at uni!

4) BORING ADMIN! Unfortunately, there's a lot of boring admin to be done as a photographer / self-employed freelancer, so January is a great time to sort out business systems and processes while getting some good marketing done. Maybe one day i'l get an agent then I don't have to worry... i'll put that on the list for 2018...

5) STUDIO SPACE! This year i'd like to get my own office / studio space. Great as it is working from home, I kind of miss that going-to-work feeling and that home time or Friday feeling. Plus, it's a bit of a lonely job at the moment and it would be great to work with other like-minded creatives (Christ! That sounds wanky!) but it's on the list for toward the end of the year.

So there it is, i'm sure there's more but that will do for a start. So to finish off, there's a few images from 2015 all shot by be for different projects and clients. Enjoy!