Personal Work

The power of concept

I’ve just seen the ‘Fear No Power’ exhibition at the National Gallery Singapore and it was, as most good art is, a timely reminder of the power of concept. The five Southeast Asian women featured in this exhibition are all using art to communicate singular political and social messages. There’s no fluff. It’s opinionated, purposeful work that

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The power of intention

I used to rep a photographer who refused to cast individual people for shoots if they were to play a couple, or a family. ‘The chemistry just won’t be there, and we’ll see it in the images’ he’d say, unwavering. So we’d cast entire families, real couples and real friends. We always built that into

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Feeling left behind or out of touch?

It can creep up on you, insidiously, first a whisper and then a roar. Or it can hit you with a thump. There’s no easy way to face that feeling of irrelevance. One day you’re flavour of your industry, being hired by all and sundry (if you can fit them in), and suddenly you’re wondering

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Be the glue

‘I like shooting a wide range of work and don’t want to be pigeonholed doing the same thing all the time.’ This is something I am often told by photographers. But how do you stay consistent (so you don’t confuse people) and still get a nice diverse range of work? It’s easy. Focus on style,

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How personal work makes you better at paid work

Yesterday I met with the group of photographers who’ve signed up for our personal project workshop in Chiang Mai next June (there are still places if you’re interested). Shooting well crafted and conceptual personal work is not just for shits and giggles (though it’s a wonderful way to fuel your creativity and keep you loving

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The toxic relationship cycle – are you doing this?

Over the last few days since my online workshop Get rep ready, I have had lots of really interesting conversations with photographers, and some of those made me think about relationship patterns and toxic cycles. In a relationship, a partner can mirror your unresolved issues. But your agent (and potentially client) relationship(s) can work this

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The private party you want everyone to join

When my daughter Indi was a toddler she hated being woken up from her afternoon naps, so 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,

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