Author Archive
Diary of a Photographer, The Discomfort of Networking
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These last few weeks have seen a mixture of things going on in my life, mainly new and uncomfortable things, though my business coach keeps telling me that being in discomfort is where you have to be to keep going forward. Hmm! He’s probably right, and it’s reassuring to know that it’s ok to feel uncomfortable at times.
So the first dabble into the unknown came at a networking meeting, and I would be really interested to hear your comments on organised network meetings, not just for me but for other people who are starting to dip their toe in or are trying to work out whether to have a go and if it would help them. It would be good to know if you’ve found them useful, if they have brought you in any extra business or if contacts that you’ve made there have helped you to go forward in your work. So please do leave your thoughts below.
My experiences so far with just one under my belt and another coming up next week; have been good. I have to confess to not being over keen to go when the afternoon came around, just a wee bit of nerves of having to work a room. However, this meeting was lovely and informal and within a minute of walking in I had found a person who is a virtual P.A. meaning that now when I take a few days off I have someone that I can get to check my emails twice a day and respond to any queries. Now I can have a proper holiday and switch off knowing my correspondence is in good hands. Read More→
A Photographer’s Diary, A Guilty Pleasure!
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Monday found me doing something that I never thought I would do, that I have quietly frowned on others who do it, yet after trying it I was converted and wondered why I hadn’t tried it sooner. Though as soon as I had finished I felt guilty and I’m only just starting to think of it something that is ok to do.
What am I talking about? I put an image into Lightroom that I had taken the day before and, (if you could just look over your shoulder to make sure no-one else is reading this); I played around with the colours and shadows. I did something that I never thought I would do; I manipulated a photo to give me a better image than I shot and I loved it! The results were amazing; it took an ordinary looking sky and reflection and made it look stunning.
Prior to work
A Photographer’s Diary, Business All Day
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Last week saw me attending my very first business conference which I really enjoyed. I still do find myself walking around either taking photographs on weekdays or at an event like this and realising that this is what I do now for work and it’s really exciting.
So what did I learn? Well firstly, if I’d gone on the first day there had been a free bar, which considering I’d gone by train would have been ok with me. I turned up early expecting the venue to be heaving yet strangely it was very quiet all day and there were hardly any trade stands there, and of those that were there, very few that had any relevance to me, though I suppose with Healing with Photography I have quite a niche market. Read More→
A Photographer’s Diary, Double Take
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The last few weeks I have been freeing myself from the office and heading off out with my camera to take the many spring scenes outside; though I am still waiting on some lively lamb photos. Though now I have a chair with me in the boot of the car, yet more equipment to add to my list, I know I can just pull up beside a field full of lambs and sit and wait.
Original
One image I wanted to capture is a replica of one I took last year; there wasn’t anything wrong with it I just wanted to take it with my new camera and have it as a RAW image. I waited patiently for the weather to be right, for the daffodils to come out and then suddenly our mid-March summer caught me out. I’d been out to check the scene a week or so earlier and the daffodils were tightly in bud and needed at least three weeks. Out came the sun, at a time when I was busy and couldn’t get away from my desk, and very nearly took my scene away from me by the time I got there.
Re-take
As I was knelt down on the ground, moving around to get me into the right position as close as possible to last year’s shot, I realised that actually, my original shot was far better and not just because I had left it almost too late to get there this time around.
It was the same thing when I was in Italy last October. For over five years I have wanted to go back and re-take some photos of the Faraglioni rocks on the island of Capri in the Bay of Naples. Again, purely to have it on a higher quality recording format. I had thought many times about going back and waiting for the perfect weather, sitting as long as I needed to get what I needed. I even took a paper copy of the image with me to help me line up as best I could.
When I got there I completely forgot exactly which path led down to the shoot position, I ended up walking to a harbour before realising the road was never going to wind around to get me into the same position as the photo I was carrying. When I eventually found the right path, I had completely forgotten that it was down many, many steps, and at the end of long day of walking and visiting old haunts it wasn’t quite what I wanted to find. Read More→
A Photographer’s Diary, Divided Loyalties
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How was your weekend? Mine sent me the strangest of messages of how I can help others with Healing with Photography, yet it came with a twist. As the realisation dawned that I could help a specific group of people to achieve their ambitions in future years, instead of, as is currently happening, letting their head drops, so dropped the other shoe; it would be helping a sports team who are one of the main rivals of the team that I support.
Though as I saw the men, at the end of the game they’d just lost, looking dejected and in the mental zone of feeling that their season is over when there are still several games to go, my heart went out to them. As I was making dinner late that night, I heard a voice say you could help them and stop them ever getting into that place again of not believing in their abilities. That was when the division inside me started! When I see someone in pain I want to help as I presume we all do, yet helping them could be to the detriment of the team I have followed since I was a teenager.
I even went to bed thinking about what to do about this dilemma. I realised though as I dropped off to sleep that it doesn’t matter what my personal ego problems are, these are people that I know without a doubt that I can help, stopping them feeling worthless, powerless or defeated. And I know those feelings as my sports team have lost many things over the years; I understand that pain of a supporter and see all too palpably the pain of the player. Read More→
A Photographer’s Diary, Overcoming Fears and Anxieties
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This week saw a step further in my integrating Healing with Photography into the local community. I was invited to an open day at a group called Smile; a support organisation for people suffering from postnatal depression, and set up and run by mothers who suffered from it themselves.
For me personally, that I attended, represented a big marker and flag waving moment in how far I’d come in my recovery from depression and low self-esteem. A year or more ago the thought of a room full of strangers who might all want to talk to me would have made me refuse the invitation with a host of excuses as to why I couldn’t attend. That I quite happily drove over and even though I had difficulty find the centre and car parking, it was a real turning point that I didn’t take that as a sign that I wasn’t meant to go. A year ago I’d have turned tail and headed for home full of relief that I didn’t have to speak to lots of people.
As I walked into the room filled without about 25 people many heads swivelled in my direction to greet me with warm smiles. I saw the number of people and hesitated, just long enough to give the lady, strategically placed by the door, selling raffle tickets time to pounce. Lightened of some money it was time to move in and meet some of people with those friendly smiles.
By the end of the meet and greet and refreshments, did I mention lunch was included? Well you know me by now, I do enjoy some sustenance. I had spoken to everyone in the room and left giving myself a big pat on the back. Read More→
A Photographer’s Diary, What’s Your Block?
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You know I have started putting into each week a slot with a video from a business coach and not only does it kick me out of procrastination, it is helping me to look at things afresh.
Moving on from last week taking five minutes each day to visualise how I want my life to go, I sat down and thought hard when in training with a business coach Jack Canfield he asked, ‘What you could you all day every day for a month that would move your business forward?’ The instant answer was get on the phones and speak to people.
When I was sending out invitations for the presentation I did a few weeks ago, I found that I got a better response from people who I rang and spoke to than those that I simply sent an email of introduction. As busy as we are we still do like that personal touch don’t we? A human rather than a machine. I also discovered that by speaking to people they would quite often say, oh have you thought about trying this person or this company. And I also found one person who did some of my marketing for me by passing on my information to many different departments and organisations.
For me it comes back to, what’s stopping me from picking up the phone and making calls? Am I rejecting myself, with reasons why the courses won’t suit a particular company, before I give them the chance to? And the majority of the time it’s a yes. Though not this week, motivated by a video I watched of Anthony Robbins on Friday which helps you to remove your blocks, (the link to it is at the bottom of the article), I have done his exercises and am inspired to call the list of people that I need to. Read More→
A Photographer’s Diary, Five Daily Minutes With the Law of Attraction
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Springtime
This week I have been doing a mixture of head clearing and focusing on things. Firstly I decided to get my desk organised and have bought myself a new in tray so I have somewhere to dump, sorry slap on the wrist! I mean so I have somewhere to put things that need my attention. This came with a few other things, an index box and best of all some drawers to get my office neat and tidy.
Oh and of course a beautiful notepad, no trip to the stationers is complete without coming home with a nice notepad. And I do need this for seminars! Oh gosh who am I kidding, I love notepads and need no excuses to get a new one.
Just bringing these things into my life has suddenly freed up all the clutter I’ve been holding onto in my mind which has given me room to dream. This last week I have initiated five or more minutes every day where I just close my eyes and see what I want to happen in my life. I see, breathe, smell, feel and taste whatever I’m thinking about. I visualise everything down to the smallest detail. This goes back to seeing the bigger picture that I was talking about a couple of weeks ago.
You know how it works; you do it all the time though maybe not consciously. When you focus on something or someone so much that you eventually pull it into your life, be it good or bad. Well this technique I’m using fully now, the law of attraction, is used by business men and athletes alike, it helps me to see where I am going, more than that; it helps me to let the universe know where I am going and get me into the vibration of success. Read More→
A Photographer’s Diary, Springtime is Arriving
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I love this time of year, the spring bulbs are all coming into flower, the grass is starting to grow again and the blossom starts to bloom on the trees. It does create a divided call on my time, between choosing to stay and work inside on courses and contacting companies, or nipping out when the sun is out to take some photos of the joys of spring.
Of course there isn’t really a decision to make; if I have the time I grab hold of my camera and head off to the countryside to take lots of photos. This last weekend I went back to a location I discovered last summer. I really just went back to explore it and make sure it was as beautiful as I remembered.
Whip Crack Away
A Photographer’s Diary; The Bigger Picture
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I’ve started putting some more nurturing activities into the end of my day to help me unwind and relax; a steam room, sauna and whenever I feel like it, the gym upstairs.
A day sat at the computer as you no doubt know yourself, doesn’t give you much chance for exercise. So a quick walk on the treadmill whilst watching, what is fast becoming, my favourite comedy and then retiring to the leisure facilities with a good book, has become a cherished part of my day.
My old back garden
The one thing though that has become a bit tricky is recognising people that I meet in the steam room or sauna once I’m out of it! Let me explain; I wear contact lenses though remove them before going to gym as lenses are uncomfortable in the steam room. So I wear glasses, though obviously not in the steam room or sauna and this is where the problems begin. Read More→
