As a professional artist and photography teacher, 2022 was a year full of exciting opportunities and challenges. Here's a recap of some of the highlights of my year:
One of the biggest achievements of the year was being featured in Good Light Magazine, a professional photography magazine, three times. The first feature was in the spring, when I contributed an article about using cheap lights up close to exploit the inverse square law in portrait photography and make amazing work on the cheap. The article was well-received, and I was asked to contribute two more articles later in the year - the first one teaching how to use home automation assistants like google assistant and Amazon Alexa to help you run your portrait studio. The second one was on my love of Alphonse Mucha's work and how it imspired a scifi shoot with an amazing model.
In addition to writing for Good Light Magazine, I also had the opportunity to work with a wide range of creative clients on amazing shoots. One of my favorite projects was a collaboration with a local woman celebrating her birthday who asked me to photograph her in the style of an artist she is imspired by. It was a challenging but rewarding experience, and the images we created together were amazing!
Another highlight of the year was my work as a photography teacher. I had the opportunity to teach a variety of classes, from beginner photography courses to more advanced workshops on specialized topics. I loved sharing my knowledge and passion for photography with my students, and it was gratifying to see them grow and improve as photographers.
One student sold his work along side me in a Belfast gallery! Another got her work featured in the Ulster museum. Many more started a life long passion for photography themselves and while individual students do amazing things it is this I am most proud of: hundreds of people found a love for photography thanks to me in 2022!
In addition to my work as an artist and teacher, I also took on a new challenge this year: learning how to code. I've always been interested in the intersection of art and technology, and I decided to take the plunge and learn how to code. It was a steep learning curve, but I was able to pick up the basics and have even nearly completed a secret project that I will share in 2023.
What am I working on related to coding?
Finally, I was thrilled to have the opportunity to sell my art in a Belfast-based art gallery. Yes I take photos of people as my day job as a personal and professional portrait photographer but I have been an artist all my life too. Being an artist first is what makes me Northern Ireland’s best Portrait photographer (warning I dont think there are any other strictly portrait photographers in NI, prove me wrong)
I don’t talk about it because it confuses my photography clients but I will be starting to do this more in 2023! It is very interrelated to my secret coding project! It was a dream come true to see my work hanging alongside the work of other talented artists, and I was grateful for the opportunity to share my vision with a broader audience.
Overall, 2022 was a fantastic year for me as a professional artist, photographer and photography teacher. I could work on exciting projects, share my knowledge with others, and see my art appreciated in a gallery setting. I'm looking forward to seeing what the future holds, and I'm excited to continue creating and sharing my work with others.