10 years ago today I started on this journey and in that time a lot has changed.
I hope that my technical skills would have improved during this time. But the funny thing about knowledge is that the more you learn, the more you realise how little you know.
Looking back, I have made some really embarrassing mistakes that hopefully I won’t repeat. But making mistakes is part of the learning process. Those mistakes play a part in formulating what my thinking is today. It would be strange if my opinion hasn’t changed over the years.
I was recently asked by a friend the photographers I admire and have influenced my work. So, have any of the various photographers and artists I have discovered while working on this project been key to me?
There really isn’t one who stands out to me as head and shoulders above the others. I might like a photograph or a piece of artwork. What excites me is discovering new work. Seeing the world from a perspective that I would not have thought of is what really inspires me.
Creativity is hard. Even the naturally talented have to hone their skills. They might be better at figuring out how to do it. The phrase “practice makes perfect” still holds true for them. It takes hard work as there are no short cuts.
For me, one of the positives to come out of the pandemic was that some of the commercial photographers who were too busy pre-pandemic to share their experiences found they had the time to spread their knowledge. Many have gone back to being busy again. However there are a few who have carried on their educational work.
If you were to ask me in 2013 what 2023 would look like, I don’t think I would be close to the mark with any predictions. The only thing I know to be true about the future is that I’m going to keep trying to do my best work.