© Sara Orme

Are you perpetually fighting fires?

1 December, 2025

Over the last few years, we’ve all been navigating a world that feels like it’s shifting beneath our feet. War, climate change, economic uncertainty and rapid advances in AI – it’s overwhelming how much is going on.

It can feel like perpetually fighting fires. Like stuff is always ‘happening’ to us.

The fact is, things will never stand still (physically or politically) and neither should we.

As a photographer, you know you have to adapt to the constant changing world around you. You’ve always had to respond to calls about quotes needed tomorrow, briefs which require you to jump through hoops and a never ending list of demands which can kibosh the best laid plans (and the resulting images). You’re a pro at adaptation!

But not everything you do needs to be reactive.

In fact if you want to gain a bit more control, get out in front of it, and be proactive, there are plenty of things you can drive yourself:

  • Decide on a clear brand voice which feels human and emotive (however you uniquely achieve that).
  • Produce a constantly evolving body of personal work which has something interesting to say, will provoke good questions and conversation and which you can use to get in front of people you want to hire you.
  • Define a clear direction – so you have some goals, and use those to decide where to invest your time and money, what projects to make and which audience to go after.
  • Build a simple but structured marketing strategy to help get you there. One which keeps you top of mind whether or not you’re busy.

Making these decisions and acting on them in a consistent way (which can just mean SHOWING UP) says to the right people that you’re forging ahead on your own path. And that’s an attractive trait. People (especially creative people) respect that. A LOT.

THEN (let’s not be blinkered here) HARNESS what’s happening in technology, in communication, in adland and in the minds and heads of those dream clients, to get you to your goals faster.

That’s where adaptation comes in.

You don’t have to always be chasing the changes and trying to keep up. If you can get out in front of the pack with the above clarity, you get to make things happen, rather than waiting for things to happen to you.

And let’s face it, that’s what truly creative people do.

Happy Thanksgiving and chin up!