Hi there, it’s been a while, four years, in fact, since I last posted anything photography‑related here.

I thought I’d do a little catch‑up to explain what I’ve been doing and where I’ve been hiding all this time.

A Lack of a Plan

When I decided to turn my photography hobby into a potential career, I ran into it headfirst with no real plan or clear ideas. I wasn’t sure how to promote myself or what content I would create. I threw everything at the wall and went with whatever stuck. It didn’t work well. It was a mess, and it was hard work.

I’ll be honest: I struggled, and when I struggle, I tend to give up.

A Lot of Change

Those first two years were about learning how to do things. I’d never edited a video, promoted a business, or created a brand. I did know how to code, so that was a start.

Then the dreaded C‑word came: Covid.

I know many people struggled, and I’m naturally introverted at the best of times. I thrive in my own world and dislike the noise of the world. The downside is that the kind of photography I do doesn’t lend itself to lockdowns. It’s hard to shoot street photography when nobody is around, nobody is flying, and we aren’t allowed to visit those stunning scenes. I enjoyed photographing the wildlife in the garden for a while, but I soon grew bored with both the wildlife and photography in general. My camera stayed in its bag, and I lost the passion to create.

The Hardest Time of My Life

In 2021, I saw a deterioration in the one person I looked up to — the reason I got into photography — my dad. My family wasn’t big into photos, but we always had cameras around the house and took loads of photos. I would often pick them up and mess about with them. Back then, developing film was cheap, so you could use and abuse film cameras like you can with digital cameras today.

In the winter of 2021, my dad spent periods in and out of the hospital. It was draining, and with the weight of caring for my mum, something had to give. I lost my dad on Boxing Day 2021.

My focus became getting my dad’s affairs in order and making sure my mum was well cared for. That’s where most of 2022 went. It was a crazy year.

Moving House and a New Start

In 2023, we decided to sell our house and move to a different town. I wanted somewhere more challenging photographically and somewhere that would reduce my stress. I love my hometown and will always be thankful for it, but it has become a mess. Crime was rife and anti‑social behaviour was common. I’d had enough.

So I left St Helens for good and moved to Southport. I’m now 10 minutes from the sea — yes, it does come in, in Southport — with Formby and Crosby down the road, and I can see Blackpool Tower every day. It’s fantastic.

My life is back to normal, and I have that passion for creating again. I’ve rediscovered my love of shooting aviation and discovered that I don’t enjoy landscape photography very much.

Creatively and photographically, life is great.

Plans for the Future

First step: get a plan together. I need to make it easy to create. I want to restart YouTube and write much more on this blog, which often gets neglected.

This website was the first part. I ditched WordPress, which had become a mess and a pain to use. This setup is simpler and much easier.

Next step: ideas — content and photography. It’s all very exciting.

Here’s to the future.