Just So.

Its been a glorious, challenging, and equally satisfying week. Friday, Saturday and Sunday I shot the Just So Festival, a family arts festival not far from where I live. I had been contacted months prior to the upcoming event and had been asked if I would be a staff photographer for the festival which, of course (!) I said I would. It had been something that had been twisting my stomach with apprehension and creative nervousness (and perfectionism) for some weeks as the event approached but overall it was thoroughly enjoyable, and I spent three days shooting reeling over how much I loved photography as an art, knowing that this was what I was ultimately born to do. Although absolutely exhausted after a full weekend Im ready to wind down this week, which of course will be done at home editing the 3,000 + photographs I spend the weekend shooting. I cant show many of the photo’s I took during the festival for copyright reasons, but here are a small handful of personal photographs.

After spending a much needed girlie weekend with a friend (pictured above), Monday was spent completing a shoot (in film) at a local lake with another old and dear friend. Unfortunatley I shot the two whole rolls in black and white Illford film thinking the camera contained a roll of colour (boo). Im always euphoric upon collecting my prints (more so than I am on christmas day – there is something so magical about seeing and holding the results of your very own work in your hands), so when I opened the packet to see that they weren’t in fact, colour at all, I was pretty gutted. Upon scanning them into the computer though, and adjusting the levels slightly, they’ve grown on me. Sometimes mistakes can turn out for the best (note to self; sometimes. Dont make the same mistake twice!). More from the set can be found here and here.

In other news, things are currently really positive all round. I’m using “action before motivation” to get me through unpleasant waves that come (and go). On days of stale pessimism when the earth seems to pull my being downwards, I get up and do the things that are on my to do list rather than crawling into bed and ignoring them like I used to, and Im finding that it feels so good and so satisfying upon completing that list. Saying yes (!) to invites and opportunities instead of “no”, or cancelling because I’m low, or tired, or just generally bored of everyday mundane things has helped me more than I ever knew it could. But maybe I’m just in that place now. Where Im ready, accepting and genuinely wanting to say yes (why not!) to new foods, new ideas and I’m dreaming about new things and new opportunities and challenges, because I’m excited and curious about tomorrow.

I’m hopeful. Because aside from constraints, freedom, these days, is the only option.

It works, I promise.