As most of us do at the end of a year, I’ve been reflecting on the past year as we head into a new one.  Many of you have commented that I am not a big user of social media - understatement! - and some were not even sure if I was still in business but I am - still here, still active and thankful to be so.  First and fore-mostly, I wanted to thank you for your engagement and support not only over this last year but the almost 10 years now that I have been in business. How the time has flown by and what a fantastic time it’s been. Whether it has been a singular occasion or ongoing projects, it has been wonderful to work with you and capture the special moments in your lives and your work - and sometimes both. Thank you.  Throughout the year, I have been lucky to have such interesting and diverse work, meeting and working with so many fantastic and creative people, events and businesses, lovely couples and wonderful families and capturing such beautiful, intimate and heartfelt moments and imagery. 

Heading into 2025, it’s hard to know what the creative landscape will look like in another 12 months. I’ve seen the year be financially challenging for many people, both personally and professionally which is unsettling. Several projects I’d been involved with, which had been running for many years, came to an end. While other projects have commenced as new ideas and new opportunities have appeared in their place. The economy is also changing in its capacity to support photography, as well as many other sectors, as has been obvious for sometime now. I’ve spoken to a number of visual arts students throughout the year who are quite fearful about what their future might look like and whether they will be able to have a career in the creative sector. There are no easy or simple answers to those questions.

It should not really surprise anyone that the pace of technological change, and AI in particular, has been accelerating. Its impacts on medicine and the sciences has been quite astounding. Over the past year however I have seen those technological changes have clear impacts across the creative arts sector and how it has adjusted value applied towards creatives. In many respects, AI offers great opportunities to skills and capabilities not previously available to those without extensive training or extensive budgets, but its venturing into creativity and AI generation has troubled many. As such, I’ve started to see some backlash against AI as many organisations reject AI-generated imagery to recapture authenticity after a period of experimentation.  I’ve also sensed from some that AI is seen a bit like cheating, even as it becomes so sophisticated that we can’t tell it is AI, and that we feel like we are being tricked. Several clients have asked me if I can shoot on film and I’ve had increased requests for black and white photos, harking back to older, simpler times. Like the use of “analogue” and “digital” as a descriptor for current times, a marker of not just technology but of effort, thought, care, and human creativity.  

Where this will all land, I will not attempt to guess, but despite this, I remain hopeful and optimistic though that stories will still need to be told, memories and moments, lives and loves will still need to be cherished and captured and not merely generated. 

So I wanted to wish you and yours all the very best for the festive season and a safe, happy and fun New Year. I leave you with cake, several in fact,  from Christmas Day,  captured by my trusty 4 year-old iPhone always on hand, as the family ran behind me to avoid being in the frame! 🤦‍♂️🤷🏻‍♂️

Take care and the greatest of happiness and successes to you all! Here’s to a wonderful 2025.