If you’re feeling a little overwhelmed, confused, behind or directionless as you start 2026, you’re definitely not alone. Here are three things you can try (and some more reading if you’re still on holiday):

1. Hone in.

Train your focus on what you do want, and narrow down. Choose one style/ visual voice, one personal project, one goal, one word for the year, etc. Read this to understand the clarity that’s actually right in front of you: https://christinaforce.net/the-clarity-thats-right-in-front-of-you/

2. Declutter:

Ditch the rest (at least for now)! What can you let go to remove undue pressure? What don’t you need? Two location photographers I’m working with are ditching their unused and costly studios, along with unnecessary gear and everything else that was dumped in there. But even clearing out your Emails can create space in your brain.

Here are some more ideas, from an old (but very honest) blog post: https://christinaforce.net/how-to-make-space-for-better-clients-and-more-money/

3. Work on your elevator pitch.

It helps to start the year being able to clearly articulate what you do, in a way which will hold the interest of the listener (and it’s not ‘I’m a photographer/ director’ or ‘I shoot cars’.) Here’s a breakdown on how to rethink and approach this: https://christinaforce.net/your-elevator-pitch/

This past 2 weeks I’ve already met with over 30 photographers, and I love the clarity, excitement and motivation they’re finding on those calls.

Wishing you gallons of the same, and if you’re not already working with me or had a discovery / strategy call, now might be the time.

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!

I was eight, and not one bit interested in those historic machines and pictures of pit ponies and canaries (as much as I loved pit ponies and canaries). Nope, not down there.

‘Get me out of here!’  was all I could think.

As an adult sometimes I think life can get a bit claustrophobic, specifically when options seem to diminish. It’s why I chose to work for myself and not for a big company, and I suspect that’s how it is for you.

Freelance life is not for everyone, but for most photographers it’s a choice which involves a roller coaster ride of ups and downs, and in spite of this, most would not have it any other way.

Still, the confusion and uncertainty ‘out there’ has made life a bit harder over the last year or so.

When you’ve lost a few too many jobs which you bust your gut bidding, and you’ve had more quiet spells than usual, it can become hard to see the big picture and easy to feel a bit hemmed in or trapped – even when you work for yourself and you know that being a lens based image maker is your life’s calling.

Last week I talked about ‘shaking off’ that feeling of being irrelevant (you can read it here) and it applies to feeling trapped too- we are often the makers of our own prisons.

But I know that’s more easily said than done.

So as we approach the end of 2025, I want to remind you that now’s the time to revisit your direction, because as you know, if you want to rise above the noise you need to start the year with absolute clarity.

Even photographers who know their brand and style seem to suddenly go blank and default to listing the type of photography work they do (‘I’m a commercial photographer/ director’. Or ‘I photograph architecture and people’).

Sometimes there’s a stream of consciousness which gradually peters out to a self-effacing mumble.

If you’ve ever struggled with finding an interesting, SUCCINCT way to answer the question ‘What do you do?’, don’t beat yourself up (and definitely don’t avoid workshops!).

It might be comforting to know that you don’t have to explain everything, just pique interest.

Consider starting with the feeling or emotion your work evokes, or better still your ‘why’.

Examples from photographers I have worked with (yours might be here):

• I strive to empower women.
• I love to make the ordinary extraordinary.
• I help uplift people.
• I show mystery and intrigue.
• I capture fleeting exchanges of energy (see image above by the super talented Ellen Burns).
• I focus on celebrating diversity.

When you’ve worked it out, practice saying it again and again and again. Repeat it in front of the mirror every morning. Write it everywhere. Add it to your Instagram bio. Get used to sharing it and saying it out loud to anyone who asks.

This bit is so important, so you don’t find yourself defaulting to mumbling about the ‘things’ you photograph.

When you introduce yourself by sharing your why, you’ll get replies like, ‘Oooh…tell me more!’, and ‘How do you do that?’

Then you can get to the how (you’re a photographer/ director/ videographer/ blah blah.), and who you work for (brands, industry, etc.), or exhibitions you’ve been featured in, awards won – whatever feels appropriate.

Be proud of your own unique brand. It’s what sets you apart from the other photographers out there who work in your industry, and it’s your beacon of light when you’re confused or lost.

And hey, you never know who you’ll bump into in the lift.

instead of coaxing her out of bed, we’d have a little party. (Stay with me here.)

We’d walk into her room, put on some music, and start dancing. Within seconds, a little dot would appear at our side, dancing her heart out with the happiest face of all.

Indi is a creative maverick, and now a musician (funny that), based in London. She doesn’t like being told what to do and must come to things thinking it was her idea.

Not so different from most creatives.

Not so different from you, and your creative director, art director and designer clients.

They don’t want to feel pushed, cajoled or begged to do anything.

So how do you have a party that your clients want to be a part of? One which will have them getting all FOMO and seek you out?

It’s easy;

• A strong, unique brand and outward looking presence that isn’t afraid to stay on its own path.
• A regular habit of making and sharing personal work which pushes into new territories with interesting ideas.

Every time you make personal work you’re holding your own party, and you’re choosing the music.

Can you see how much more compelling that is than trying to tell those creative mavericks how to think about your work or why they should hire you?

I know it’s scary, but you’ve got this.

Most artists start this way.

Even now you’re probably playing with new gear and ways of showing things- certainly if you’re continually growing. (That’s one of the things I love about advertising photography- every job brings it’s own challenges and learnings.)

But if you catch yourself looking at other photographers, especially your competitors, and emulating their style- maybe to show that you are very capable of doing that work too- you could be sabotaging yourself as well as your brand.

(After all, your brand is you).

Creativity isn’t doing what others have done, and trying to match what’s already out there.

It’s coming up with ideas and ways of doing and saying things that haven’t been done or said before, or photographed/ filmed in that way.

Now more than ever you need to be a leader not a follower.

• Make imagery in your own brand voice, and which says something unique (it can be funny, sad or serious- it’s your thought so it’s perfect).
• Find your tribe- the people who want that work and will pay good money for it, or something similar. People who want you to elevate their brands with your magic.
• And stay visible to those people, repetitively, consistently, reliably, whether they reply or not.

You don’t have to be someone else to succeed. It’s OK to be who you are; it’s just a case of working out what you want to do with that.

A performance artist, fashion designer, and all round creative genius, Bowery was an iconic larger-than-life figure who featured in ballets, on catwalks, and was often called ‘Modern art on legs’. He was very much part of the London and New York art scene.

Bowery hated being ‘labelled’ and yet his brand was uniquely his own. His club, Taboo, was notoriously difficult to get into, because only the most outrageous creatively dressed people were allowed in.

As a wide eyed teen I landed in this world from the ‘burbs and it blew my mind.

Photographers like Nick Knight and Fergus Greer, and magazines like The Face and ID were all collaborators in this this creative rebellion which informed my interest in self-expression, something I continue to look for in photographers because creative people, even today, have a responsibility to help brands stand out.

If you want to get ‘in the door’ and be seen and hired by the top most awarded creatives in the world, you’ll need to embrace and share your own creative uniqueness, especially now.

Make sure your online presence is uniquely yours and not trying to be like everyone else.

Make personal work that has something to say- a different perspective or unique edge.

And understand that your audience does not appreciate you pleading to be let in- they’re looking for confident collaborators who are passionate about their craft regardless.

At Taboo, the doorman Marc Vaultier would bitchily hold up a mirror to the rejected clubbers and say,

‘Would you let you in?’

Look at your brand and consider that. Would you let you in?

The most successful photographers in the world love doing what they do whether it’s personal work or paid work.

And let’s be clear- they do BOTH.

They put the same amount of energy and enthusiasm into it all-  they literally love their work.

But if you’re getting paid work that you can’t find a way to enjoy, you’ve probably got one of three issues.

1. You probably shouldn’t be a photographer. Honestly why choose such a difficult career path if it’s something you don’t enjoy?

2. You’re working with clients who are not aligned with the type of photographer/ artist you are, or who don’t value what you do. Sure, sometimes you’ll get difficult clients- but all the time? If this is the case you’re possibly targeting the wrong people.

3. You’re not sharing work that’s actually authentic to who you are so you’re attracting the wrong clients (See 2). Making personal work is your chance to inspire your audience so they hire you for the right kind of work.

It’s your life. It’s your ship. You get to captain it! (No, you really do).

This is the number one most common regret shared by people at the end of their life, as studied and researched by Doctor Gabor Mate, a specialist in the human condition-  particularly when it comes to life’s regrets and unfulfilled potentials.

He found that the resulting self-suppression and constant internal conflict caused major psychological and physical health issues.

As a lens based image maker you’ve probably made a decision to do something you love, so congratulations on following your heart. Whether you started 30 years ago or 5 years ago we all know it’s not an easy path.

But if you look back at why you chose photography (and these reasons could be manifold, including the freedom to travel, to be seen, to belong, to collaborate, or to share, as well as an obvious attraction to making imagery) how far away are you from the original dream? And are you happy with where you’ve found yourself?

I’m not saying there’s a reality which is permanently rosy. Of course you sometimes work on briefs that don’t float your boat, or you get a difficult client here and there. Commercial photography almost always involves some compromise.

But I cannot emphasise how many photographers I meet who have allowed those occasional difficult clients and briefs to become their norm. And who have drifted down some other unsatisfying path which bears no resemblance to the goal.

If this resonates, even a tiny bit, Dr. Maté suggests the following (and I’ve added how I think you can apply this to your photography business):

1. Regular self-reflection to identify areas where you’re not being true to yourself.

In the case of photography, this could be revisiting your best work and the work you love doing (usually the same thing!) and making sure you allow that to guide your direction and work you seek.

2. Gradually setting boundaries and saying ‘no’ to things that don’t align with your values.

Learn how to say no to the briefs which don’t align with your goals, or set parameters which allow you to get paid well and educate those clients into not taking advantage or devaluing you. Only share the work you want to do more of, so that you regain the driver’s wheel. Your own boundaries can change everything.

3. Seeking support through therapy or counseling to work through deep-seated fears and limiting beliefs.

And get a mentor who can help you see your best work and who you really are, who supports your dream but understands how to harness this in a way which is practical and converts into work. This should not replace therapy by a trained psychologist but can be an incredible way to address your creative blocks and get excited again about image making, leading to a more positive outlook and reaching your potential.

4. Practicing small acts of authenticity daily, gradually building the courage to be more genuine in all aspects of life.

Regularly make truly personal work for yourself which is for no one but you, but which, if shared, helps people understand who your really are and where you really want to go. This could range from a deeply thought through project to a simple shoshin (beginner’s mind) approach.

Why did you choose this career? And what can you start doing today to get you back onto the path you are excited about again?

Traditionally Easter is about birth and it makes sense when spring is springing and babies are being born.

But whether it’s autumn or spring or you live somewhere with an endless summer, the beginning of Q2 is the perfect time to revisit your brand.

As a photographer or film maker you’ll know your brand starts with your visual voice. The look and feel of your work, and what it evokes in the viewer.

If it’s consistent across the board, whatever the subject matter, discerning clients (especially creative decision makers) will feel confident about your ability to deliver on brief.

If it’s a bit all over the show, you’ll be creating confusion, and a confused mind says ‘No’.

It’s pretty easy to fall into this mess, even when I’ve previously Blitzed your work.

You make work for clients and it doesn’t match your other work but what the heck- you share it anyway because you know you did a great job of answering the brief.

Or you see that another photographer won a nice job which you didn’t get a look in on but you know you could have done it – so you add images to prove it, even though they’re nothing like your other work.

This is how the slippery slope to confusion begins, and only the least discerning people will not care. (And you probably know what it’s like to work for those people who don’t value your work.)

So take a look at the work on your website and social, and give it a refresh.

It’s your time!