Professional Photographer & Educator based in Portsmouth, UK.
Welcome to the start of a new series (kind of) of blog posts where I talk about myself, what I get up to, and such things.
I wanted to take this opportunity to talk about my recent trip to the United States of America! Specifically, Chicago and Washington, D.C. I visited for a week each. It was my first time over to America and my first time travelling outside of Europe!
Continue reading “At Home With Mike”
Is there a more romanticised scene than that of the “starving artist” persona? The struggling artist who moved to the big city with hopes of making it big. Whether the painter in Paris or the actor in Los Angeles, there is an idealised view of these creatives and their lifestyle whilst striving to prove themselves to the community of artists and the wider public. Cries of “sellout” abound when that same artist receives not just a level of success, but more importantly payment in return for that success. So, should creatives sellout? Let us look past the romanticism of the “starving artist” role and see.
Continue reading “Should Creatives Sellout? Moving Past the Starving Artist Romanticism”
I often wonder about the progress of my photography skills and how I can improve. Aside from just reading material and trying new things when I go out and about shooting, I have found that having a photography project can fast track my skill growth whilst being a rewarding experience. You might have already read my previous post about hobby projects and using them to stay motivated (if not, be sure to go read that too once you are done here!) but photography projects can be a little different. So, what are photography projects and how can they help you?
Continue reading “What Are Photography Projects and How Can They Help You?”
Got your first photoshoot? Let me share some knowledge with you. Recently I was down the seafront early one morning, outside one of the swimming centres, doing a portrait session for a client who reached out to me on Instagram. The client wanted some headshots and some other photos for their modelling portfolio. I was eager to collaborate and get some much sought-after experience, with this being one of my first portrait sessions with a client who I did not know beforehand. I did my research to make sure it went well, and now I am ready to share with you some tips for photographing your first portrait session.
Continue reading “Tips for Photographing Your First Portrait Session”
I think something that has become incredibly clear over the past year is that being able to travel, even a short distance, is such a luxury. With this current lockdown, I have not even left the island I live on due to the stay-at-home restrictions. With that, comes shooting in the same locations a lot. For me, that means areas like the beaches and other coastal walks. Anyone shooting in the same location will know that you do not just want to get the same photographs each time. We want to improve upon those photographs and find new ways to take them. I have learnt a lot about this recently, and now it is time to share what I have found with you so you can get more creative with the photography locations you frequent.
Continue reading “How to spice up the same old photography locations: Getting creative in your local area”
I want to be enthused about the fact that 2020 is ending, but I know the reality is that 2021 is not suddenly going to be easier. The virus will not disappear overnight, and those we have lost will not be returned to us. For the average person, there is not much we can do about this. We must stay resilient and move on with our lives as best as we can in 2021. As such, it is time to wrap up 2020 and look onward to 2021 and what my goals and ambitions are for the new year.
Continue reading “Wrapping up 2020 and Looking Forward to 2021: Goals & Ambitions”