There is nothing so disheartening than a wounded spirit. Creative hesitancy. Fear of not ‘doing it right’. I’ve seen it at my workshop time and again and it’s heartbreaking.

We want to avoid pain. I am aware that background has a lot to do with this. Some people were dealt a better hand than others. If you are told you are not good enough for long enough you might start to believe it.

All of us hate the idea of being embarrassed. We baulk at the idea of being judged.

Somehow, if we can, we have to take a step in the direction of letting this all go and being ok with ourselves.

Your work is good enough by the way if it’s good enough for you.

If you make comparisons you'll see that there is always someone better and always someone not as good. That’s life. So it’s pointless comparing. You see it’s about doing this for ourselves. Taking photographs I mean. I genuinely don’t care too much if people like my work or not. My preference is they do. But I’m not doing my life in accordance with that.

I look at the work of the great photographers. It rubs off. But I don’t get into my head with comparing. I enjoy taking photographs and that is good enough for me most of the time.

Do it because you love doing it. Do it for you. It’s fine that you do it for you. And if you enjoy it then that’s good enough.

Don’t let fear or embarrassment screw around with your trajectory. Don’t run away from fear.

If you’re on a shoot and things are not running smoothly - you know how it is when you turn up to a shoot and things are way out of synch with the vision you had over breakfast this morning - slow down, pause, and feel it out. Be aware of how you’re feeling. You see if we’re not aware of that stuff it runs us. Fear is the ultimate puppet master.

This is why so many photographs are mediocre. it isn’t a lack of talent. It’s basically people who get scared to be with their fear and inhibition and they step back, literally and metaphorically.

This is an unconscious reaction, that’s the problem. We get scared and our reaction to that fear is automatic. We avoid and as a consequence we play it safe and therefore the images we are coming up with are safe.

What happens then? We lose heart. Our spirit takes another hit.

If we can be with that stuff. The fear. If we can feel it then for the first time we have a choice. That’s a very powerful place to be in.

I’ve seen with my own work the degree to which I move into fear is the degree to which my images shine. When I push through fear more often than not I’ve taken a risk.

And have fun. The best advice I would give anybody starting out is ‘don’t ever stop having fun with it’. Remember the first click. What it felt like. It wasn’t about taking great photographs. It was just for the fun of it.

You’re doing great :) x