A Design For Life: Stories From Behind The Lens

2022 Part 2: Fix You

"Everyone has a photographic memory. Some don't have film."

Stephen Wright

Every now and then, I tend to make a habit of looking through the work I have done in the 9 years that I've been in this business. Most of the time I scroll through the shots and it brings back a lot of memories I have of the gig and the clients that I've come across.

There are some shots that I look back with pride, some that bring back goosebumps, and then there are those that I wish I had done better.

I suppose every photographer's process comes with its quirks. I've learnt from an early stage when I started in this industry that mental preparation is key to getting through a gig seamlessly and if you head in blind, you are setting yourself up for a world of hurt. This is a very important thing that I tell budding photographers I meet.

I've always been of the belief that looking through your previous work every now and then is a good indicator of how far you've come in your journey as a photographer. I mentioned before that I cringe whenever I look through the work I've done in the first 2 years I've been in this business, and trust me if I had a time machine I would definitely go back in time to redo the shoots that I did in those 2 years.

But that's just wishful thinking on my part.

At the end of the day, you tell yourself that you win some and you lose some. I've met photographers who can't seem to forgive themselves when they screw up a gig, and they get so demoralised that they end up being a second shooter (which to me feels like a demotion), or they stop shooting altogether (which saddens me).

That shouldn't be the case.

As freelancers, we are made of sterner stuff. It's an unspoken code of ethics that was embedded in our collective consciousness when we start out in this business. We can't always have successes all the time because there will definitely be failures along the way. That's just part and parcel of what shooting full-time is all about. We learn from it and move on.

Granted, the money may not be that fantastic but at the end of the day the satisfaction of having a client who loves your final product is more valuable than the pay check you are getting. Having a repeat customer means income coming your way. All you need to do is keep your head together, get the job done right and produce an awesome final product that will potentially get you places.

That is why we do what we do!