Finding Happiness in Photography

In the 1992 Disney classic Aladdin, the Genie, after centuries of being kept in his lamp, at the end of the film, he’s finally freed. I’m feeling a bit like the genie right now. After what’s been less than a decade of various Architecture jobs in practices large and small around London, I’m having a go at going out on my own. 

I’ve studied Architecture, gaining my qualification only a few years back, enjoying the design aspects of the role, but less so the extremely long project times, and the strict 7.5-8 hour days at the desk. Eight months ago, I decided to take the small step toward realising my ambition of working as an Architectural photographer, and stepped down to a 4 day work week. While I mainly maintained ‘work time’ during the normal working hours on my photo day, it afforded me a huge flexibility that has always felt a million miles away from how practices function; if I’ve got enough work done, I can take my dog for a walk before the sun goes down. Another week, I was home and managed to send a few emails in the morning, and go for lunch with my Gran. These things are just out of the question in Architecture (and many) industries, that make life feel so much more than trudging through the week to reach the weekend, or the next holiday. I want day to day life to be more than being chained to a desk several prescribed hours a day (though I’m prepped for many, many hours editing photos ahead of me!)

And now, as of today I’m my own boss, full time. It feels massively liberating, at the same time as being daunting knowing I need to wear all the hats to keep being able to pay myself. But it feels like the natural step. I’ve got Architecture as a back up, and hopefully won’t be back with my hat in my hand in six months to top up, but we’ll wait and see. Lots of hard work ahead, but it feels great knowing it’s on my terms, and that the choice to follow this work is mine; having decided 18 years ago that I wanted to do Architecture, mainly as it seemed a sensible choice that combined Art, Maths and Physics.

So here’s to my freedom, and a new chapter with more flexibility. If anyone reading this needs any photography for their practice (architect, developer, contractor), or knows a friend or old colleague who might, it would be monumentally appreciated to contact me or them, to connect us.