What a year 2019 was
Its been a year of ups and downs in 2019.
Firstly my mental health has taken a battering, its seemed at times like there was no getting a good balance, it was either huge highs or mega downers, with no way to be able to control which came when really, but despite that i am still here, if im not then i have no idea who is writing this blog.
In terms of my Photography things have evolved a little, more out of necessity than wanting to change things, but sometimes its those situations that make us look at things closer than we would normally, but looking back i have not pushed myself hard enough as i would have liked, both in how or what i take photos of, or pushed hard enough into trying to making it a viable business, i think there were chances i did not take and should have, but as they say its easy in hindsight to look at what you should or should not have done.
So with that being said for 2020 i plan to give it one last push, a real effort to make my music photography a viable option, but this will mean pushing well outside what i am comfortable with, for instance, what alot of people dont know is that i dont deal well with large crowds of people, which is really ironic considering, but i have to be able to change how i do things to make this an easier thing for me to do, Sometimes it can depend on if i can as they say get into the zone, because i can hide behind the camera when taking photos. But we will see, one step at a time, and one plan at a time when it comes to being able to cope better.
Next year i am planning on making videos alongside my pictures, doing vlog reviews, of both camera gear and of artists and bands, and the most random idea so far is to actually promote and put on a music gig, that one is still in the air but am hopefull it may happen in 2020.
But i have to put more effort into making my music photography a business so that will be the priority, anything else on top is a bonus.
So when it comes to the reviews, I have done a few, and i do know that i have to evolve how i write and go into much more detail for both gear and music, I really need to make a plan of action on how to do the reviews so they have a standard way they are written, so they are not all over the place like the last two have been, Im not the most literate person in the world, so have to i think pick my words better, But i have all of 2020 to work on that.
So Artists this year that i have seen live, i think from a pure putting on a show that has to go to Tankus the Hendge, man what a show they put on, last year i watched them for the first time, knew nothing about them, but one of the photographers at the show said, oh keep an eye out for the piano, im stood there thinking, its just a piano, and boy was i wrong, What a stonker of a show it was.
I think the best way to describe them is a mix between Land of Giants, Mad Dog Mcrea and Kris Barras, you would not go home disappointed, what i do know is that i missed some great shots because i got distracted by the show and found myself listening rather than taking photos. but am hoping in 2020 i will get the chance to cover them once again.
Of course of on my favourite bands of the year is Seafret, they and Hutch (tour manager) are part of the reason i kept doing what i do because of how they were with me the first time i met them, And they have always gone out of their way to accommodate me when i have asked for a pass, but this year i was really honoured to have had one of my photos used as their end of tour photo, for me that was huge,.
and next year it is looking like i might be able to cover them once again, well actually twice over two nights, both down here in the Southwest , first in Bristol and then Exeter. Two guys who work their butts off and are about to release their new album next year so if you get the chance to go see them then its a must see gig.
The we have the band who i was probably the most pleased to see, Taking a rough deal and turning it into what she has is amazing, and i have no doubt at all that there are big things in offing for her, I am talking about
Hayley Griffiths, who has her own band, and i think she made the right choices with her band, with band members she has already worked with in the past making the transition to having her own band easier
There has also been new music from old friend's, two of which i will be reviewing soon, Thats music from Ollie Dixon whos new music is a big step away from is previous work, and then we have Gozer Goodspeed who has a full new album out and who never fails to put in a great show no matter where he is.
Away from music i have moved over to landscape shots, which i had been doing off and on since i started photography, but not to the extent i have this year, And have had the chance to shoot the most amazing scenery from Devon and Cornwall, what i still find amazing is that we didnt take full advantage of what is here until we moved 5 years ago, the thing is we only moved 15 miles down the road.
Which kind of leads me onto something that struck me recently, over this year i have had conversations with others about my photography both Landscape and music, and at the time it didnt really register until a few weeks ago about how people view my work and me i guess in a small part, and to be honest it made me feel dam awkward, that people would see me not just as a good photographer but a photographer that they would like to be as good as if that makes sense, and too me that makes no sense at all, because of those that have said that i have sat there and thought, your bloody kidding me, its me that would like to be as good as you, or conversations that people have remembered having with me, but considering how many people these guys meet every year while touring that something i did or said stayed with them for me is one that i cant fathom at all, but it does make me think that we all have an impact on people, no matter who we are or what we do, and its making those interactions worth while, because as i have found out on more than one occasion over the years that you never know what tomorrow will bring.
This year has as i said been a year of ups and downs, a few downs like when my camera ended up in my dogs water bowl, and came out looking like the Mary Rose just lifted from the sea bed, I had a few choice words, like dam and tarnations, and opps e daisy, to wanting to quit photography which i wrestled with for a long time, to my mental health taking nose dives, but i am feel very lucky that i have the most amazing family and friend's who no matter what i come out with have always been there for me, Aaron you know the conversation i am talking about but thank you, for taking me out on a very impromptu bbq, you always seem to know what and when to say something or just to let me yap, i know i havent always been the best mate, but yet you have always been there no matter whats been going on for you. To Arrons mum, i have never really thanked you for the cakes, to those reading this your probably thinking uhhh, but when my mum died and we got back after the funeral i received a xmas cake, and man it is a cake and a half, but every year since i have had that cake, but along with it being an amazing cake it has a sentimental thingy to it, and this year has been no diffrent, although i am surprised at the time of writing this there is still some left, not for long though.
The Tavisock Wharf, this year you have always been open to me coming along and shooing bands, and possibly next year allowing me to showcase some of my work, which would be huge,
But the biggest thank you has to go to Sarah, my long suffering wife, who not matter what mad cap idea, or how bad i get with my mental health you have always stood next to me, making sure my ideas are not too way out there, or knowing just the right thing to say, or just letting me get on with things, to being able to sort things out fo me when things go wrong, I may not say it that much but i owe you everything, if it were not for you supporting me and constantly making me see sense i would not even be writing this or be taking photos, i cant thank you enough for what you do for me, and for others, you are a constant source of support for many people. and they should be thankful they have you in there lives, because i know i am and always will be.
So what will 2020 bring, who actually knows, but what i do know is that i can only try a little harder than 2019, take some of them walls down that i have and push my comfort zone a little bit, so we will see what happen, so no matter who or where you are i hope you have a great holiday, and that if you have goals for next year that you achieve every single one of them, and you know what if you dont reach them, thats ok, because we all have to keep learning, thats how we evolve, thats how we keep striving in life.
Thank you for reading this dribble, and i will leave you with some shots from this year.
See you on the other side.
Firstly my mental health has taken a battering, its seemed at times like there was no getting a good balance, it was either huge highs or mega downers, with no way to be able to control which came when really, but despite that i am still here, if im not then i have no idea who is writing this blog.
In terms of my Photography things have evolved a little, more out of necessity than wanting to change things, but sometimes its those situations that make us look at things closer than we would normally, but looking back i have not pushed myself hard enough as i would have liked, both in how or what i take photos of, or pushed hard enough into trying to making it a viable business, i think there were chances i did not take and should have, but as they say its easy in hindsight to look at what you should or should not have done.
So with that being said for 2020 i plan to give it one last push, a real effort to make my music photography a viable option, but this will mean pushing well outside what i am comfortable with, for instance, what alot of people dont know is that i dont deal well with large crowds of people, which is really ironic considering, but i have to be able to change how i do things to make this an easier thing for me to do, Sometimes it can depend on if i can as they say get into the zone, because i can hide behind the camera when taking photos. But we will see, one step at a time, and one plan at a time when it comes to being able to cope better.
Next year i am planning on making videos alongside my pictures, doing vlog reviews, of both camera gear and of artists and bands, and the most random idea so far is to actually promote and put on a music gig, that one is still in the air but am hopefull it may happen in 2020.
But i have to put more effort into making my music photography a business so that will be the priority, anything else on top is a bonus.
So when it comes to the reviews, I have done a few, and i do know that i have to evolve how i write and go into much more detail for both gear and music, I really need to make a plan of action on how to do the reviews so they have a standard way they are written, so they are not all over the place like the last two have been, Im not the most literate person in the world, so have to i think pick my words better, But i have all of 2020 to work on that.
So Artists this year that i have seen live, i think from a pure putting on a show that has to go to Tankus the Hendge, man what a show they put on, last year i watched them for the first time, knew nothing about them, but one of the photographers at the show said, oh keep an eye out for the piano, im stood there thinking, its just a piano, and boy was i wrong, What a stonker of a show it was.
Of course of on my favourite bands of the year is Seafret, they and Hutch (tour manager) are part of the reason i kept doing what i do because of how they were with me the first time i met them, And they have always gone out of their way to accommodate me when i have asked for a pass, but this year i was really honoured to have had one of my photos used as their end of tour photo, for me that was huge,.
The we have the band who i was probably the most pleased to see, Taking a rough deal and turning it into what she has is amazing, and i have no doubt at all that there are big things in offing for her, I am talking about
There has also been new music from old friend's, two of which i will be reviewing soon, Thats music from Ollie Dixon whos new music is a big step away from is previous work, and then we have Gozer Goodspeed who has a full new album out and who never fails to put in a great show no matter where he is.
Away from music i have moved over to landscape shots, which i had been doing off and on since i started photography, but not to the extent i have this year, And have had the chance to shoot the most amazing scenery from Devon and Cornwall, what i still find amazing is that we didnt take full advantage of what is here until we moved 5 years ago, the thing is we only moved 15 miles down the road.
Which kind of leads me onto something that struck me recently, over this year i have had conversations with others about my photography both Landscape and music, and at the time it didnt really register until a few weeks ago about how people view my work and me i guess in a small part, and to be honest it made me feel dam awkward, that people would see me not just as a good photographer but a photographer that they would like to be as good as if that makes sense, and too me that makes no sense at all, because of those that have said that i have sat there and thought, your bloody kidding me, its me that would like to be as good as you, or conversations that people have remembered having with me, but considering how many people these guys meet every year while touring that something i did or said stayed with them for me is one that i cant fathom at all, but it does make me think that we all have an impact on people, no matter who we are or what we do, and its making those interactions worth while, because as i have found out on more than one occasion over the years that you never know what tomorrow will bring.
This year has as i said been a year of ups and downs, a few downs like when my camera ended up in my dogs water bowl, and came out looking like the Mary Rose just lifted from the sea bed, I had a few choice words, like dam and tarnations, and opps e daisy, to wanting to quit photography which i wrestled with for a long time, to my mental health taking nose dives, but i am feel very lucky that i have the most amazing family and friend's who no matter what i come out with have always been there for me, Aaron you know the conversation i am talking about but thank you, for taking me out on a very impromptu bbq, you always seem to know what and when to say something or just to let me yap, i know i havent always been the best mate, but yet you have always been there no matter whats been going on for you. To Arrons mum, i have never really thanked you for the cakes, to those reading this your probably thinking uhhh, but when my mum died and we got back after the funeral i received a xmas cake, and man it is a cake and a half, but every year since i have had that cake, but along with it being an amazing cake it has a sentimental thingy to it, and this year has been no diffrent, although i am surprised at the time of writing this there is still some left, not for long though.
The Tavisock Wharf, this year you have always been open to me coming along and shooing bands, and possibly next year allowing me to showcase some of my work, which would be huge,
But the biggest thank you has to go to Sarah, my long suffering wife, who not matter what mad cap idea, or how bad i get with my mental health you have always stood next to me, making sure my ideas are not too way out there, or knowing just the right thing to say, or just letting me get on with things, to being able to sort things out fo me when things go wrong, I may not say it that much but i owe you everything, if it were not for you supporting me and constantly making me see sense i would not even be writing this or be taking photos, i cant thank you enough for what you do for me, and for others, you are a constant source of support for many people. and they should be thankful they have you in there lives, because i know i am and always will be.
So what will 2020 bring, who actually knows, but what i do know is that i can only try a little harder than 2019, take some of them walls down that i have and push my comfort zone a little bit, so we will see what happen, so no matter who or where you are i hope you have a great holiday, and that if you have goals for next year that you achieve every single one of them, and you know what if you dont reach them, thats ok, because we all have to keep learning, thats how we evolve, thats how we keep striving in life.
Thank you for reading this dribble, and i will leave you with some shots from this year.
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