From Strength to Strength

Fall forward

It's November 2017. We have just finished our final exam of our degree. I graduated with a degree in Accounting and Finance and sat with peers while we discussed what we were all going to do now that we were done with our studies. Some of us were already heading to graduate positions, while others were still unsure. I was jumping in my car and heading on a road trip the next day. I was keen to start living; after getting my first taste of travel 18 months prior, I was hooked.

We were all going around in a circle talking about our plans when a very quiet friend mentioned that she would be getting a tattoo to celebrate the end of our studies. Curious, we all asked what she would get. “My late grandad had a saying that he used a lot, and I think that's what I’ll get.” Naturally, we were all curious. Was it a personal saying, something special between Grandad and grandchild? A few seconds passed, and she calmly said, “Fall Forward.” I loved the idea. Fast forward seven years to now, and I'm no longer in the infancy of chasing travel and photography.

The timeline I created two weeks ago brought up a lot of memories, many forgotten faces and moments. This was one of them. Most of us have seen and can quote Rocky: “It’s not about how hard you hit; it’s about how hard you can get hit and keep moving forward.” I prefer “Fall Forward.” The truth is, life does hit, sometimes really hard, often out of the blue or just when you think things are starting to rally for you. These are the times when “Fall Forward” works best. We all fall, but it’s having the awareness to take something from it, see something you hadn’t before, and not just fall but fall forward. We are all gaining experience and lessons every day. It could be in relation to your career, love, life, sport, whatever you are trying to get better at or simply do more of. You will fall; the key is to fall forward.

I reflected quite a bit on this. As I mentioned, I went from full-time shooting to working for myself, trying to get fine art off the ground. The mindset I had was that I was back in 2017, trying to make something happen with photography. I was new to this area after working for someone else for so long. I realise now that this was so unbelievably wrong. I have so much experience. I have photographed politicians, sports stars, celebrities, big concerts, Australia’s biggest sport event, learned lighting, made multiple photo books, studied from my favourite creatives, taken 200,000+ photos along the way. I am not in the infancy of my career; I am well and truly established.

Sure, in different areas I have a lot to learn and will only grow as not only a creative but as a person when I do, but in relation to how I was thinking, I was putting myself in a very old box. The reality of what I’m trying to create is not the same as in 2017. Back then, I used to photograph sunrises and sunsets, working out how to compose, the best settings, determining if we would get a good sunrise or sunset. Now, I am heavily focused on making images. I know I can take a great image regardless of the situation because I have done it hundreds of times before. Now I am trying to take all I know and apply it to who I am trying to become.

So for those out there who feel they are starting over or stuck where they are: you, like me, are not starting at position zero. I have so much experience with photography, people, life, that to think I am starting over is quite ridiculous. Truth be told, there is much I have to learn. I am terrible at the business side of my art. I am learning how to market myself, SEO, book shoots consistently so I have a regular income, sell more prints. All of this I am building and working on, and no doubt in time I will fall again. When I fall, I will aim to fall forward, take note of why I fell, and what I can do to avoid falling for the same reason again.

I am writing this for any of you who need to hear it, but mostly I am writing this for me, for the side of me who falls and thinks I am back where I began. I am writing this because I sometimes allow myself to forget all I have done and can do, and believe I am still the same person I was when I first picked up the camera.

On that note, I am still creating for my portrait sessions and my fine art. This week saw a big shoot with an incredible violinist, Fynn, who has played at some of my exhibitions in the past, as well as the release of a favourite shot from my new series titled "Balancing Act." I would love to know what you think of these images.