Update - October
Hi all,
It has been a while since I wrote on my blog. I have had a busy few months since May, with wedding bookings, photoshoots and events. I have been very fortunate to be kept busy and I am so grateful for all those that book me and especially for those that keep on coming back, again and again.
In May, I wrote about an event that I covered in Stafford. The Stafford Music and Food Festival is a monthly event running every Thursday. The organisers put in so much effort to make it a success and they have so many vendors and performers on hand to help make that happen.
I quickly got used to how the event ran and I got more and more comfortable with where I stood and what photographs to capture. I have always been a bit of a ‘trigger-happy’ photographer so editing was always fun after each of these events. Another problem I have is then culling these images….I love people, and capturing moments, so this was always a hard task too, but I provided the organisers with a nice selection of images, capturing the best moments of the day.
With my confidence in events photography growing, then I decided to reach out to a few organisers to see if there were any positions that I could help fill. I was more than pleased when a few days later, I was contacted by the producers of Lichfield Festival. My initial email had mentioned me doing the work for free, as a way for me to broaden my experience and portfolio, but the organisers offered me a hourly rate and I was beyond happy with this.
I was provided with a weekly run down of each performance that they wanted me to cover and for how long, with a request for particular photographs. I was excited but very nervous. The first day turned up quickly, but my nerves almost got the better of me. Camera, batteries and memory cards prepped, I made my way there and photographed a few of the performances. I came away buzzing. Not only had a photographed at a wonderful event, but I was getting paid for it too. It did not feel like work because I love what I do. The icing on the cake was when I saw one of my previous lecturers at one of the shows, proving that I was putting some of the skills I had learned to good use.
Since then I have photographed 2 weddings, various photoshoots and a few different events. I am still trying to write to businesses regularly asking for opportunities but at the moment I have had nothing new come through….which is fine, because I have also started my final year at university to obtain my degree in photography.
I did my first two years at Walsall College but had to move as they ran out of funding to do my final year. Having moved to Stafford then the best choice for me was the Stafford one, but I didn’t realise at first that the campus for photography was in Stoke. I went for my interview and fell in love with the place. Yes, the commute a few days a week is a headache….but I have been there 3 weeks already and I am learning more and more each day.
Well, that’s everything I have been up to in a nutshell……I have still got events to capture, which are in my diary and photoshoots to capture, alongside coursework but I am happy that I am in a position where I can do this and make this my career. I may not be at the top of my game yet and I may have a long way to go before I believe in myself fully but I am determined to make this happen for me…….Dont let anyone tell you that I was never a trier! :D