A Brave New Year

                              The View from Ardnacross, Isle of Mull

It has been a quiet on my blog of late

By now I should have blogged about, the Zebra Shoot, my foray into Infra Red and my new affordable digital Download series 'The Story Behind the picture' (which is going rather well, thank you to all of you who bought it)

But somehow I have not got round to it, mainly because I have had a crazy schedule over the last month, with the launch of my food book, building the new website, working on an ambitious and rather big photographic project with my partner Lucinda Marland which we sincerely hope will make quite a splash in 2012(you will be the first to know about it when I'm able to talk about it) throw into the mix a road trip to the Isle of Mull on the west coast of Scotland and that was December more than full.

2010 was a pivotal year for me in so many ways

And I learned some very big lessons -

1.That things can change very quickly indeed.

2. Engaging in area's and with people that you had no prior knowledge of, can change your world and that of others too

3. Sheer persistence and not taking 'no' for an answer can carry the day

The key in the lock was travelling to South Africa to undertake a week long workshop with some under privileged youths in a South African township

Doing this workshop opened so many doors for me, personally and spiritually

Giving is one of the most powerful things we can do as human beings

But in all probability learned more from them than they did from me

I know and understand that we can't all tear off around the world, but there are many ways in which we can give back, using our photography, on our own doorstep

I suppose what I'm driving at is that we as photographer's, myself included, often get wrapped up with the obsession of equipment and not what we do with it.

One of the high points for me this year was when Diego Huerta and his girlfriend went out to record the Hurricane which hit their city

The only way I feel for a living breathing photographer to grow is to shoot what one loves and learn along the way, not only about photography but about life itself as one does

As the economic recovery continues to be uncertain, with tough times ahead for all working photographers and amateur photographers in their day jobs, I see great challenges ahead, but also great opportunities.

If we did just one thing to make a difference, large or small, and put some of that fancy photographic equipment to use it can make a bigger difference than one might imagine.

So my friends I wish you a very Happy New Year

Let's get out there and shoot some great pictures which make a difference - someway, somehow