‘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 his estimates, and he was right; the results were consistently breathtaking and he had a reputation for seeing into people’s ‘souls’.

Do you have a secret recipe? The stuff only you know makes your images that bit better, more powerful, convincing, believable, authentic?

Usually when I blitz the work of a photographer I’ll ask them questions which prompt them to think about what makes an image great, not just good- we’re looking for some commonalities of the heroes I’ve selected.

Often, as it turns out, it’s their relationship to the talent. (Maybe they spent time getting to know them, maybe it has to be spontaneous- there’s no wrong answer if it does the job for you).

Sometimes you have to recce the locations in person, or be at the casting to meet the talent and get a sense of their chemistry and personality. Maybe you plan fastidiously so you can get the job done in limited time.

And all this has to be considered in production time and cost.

When you know what your most powerful images are, take a look at what secret ingredients you brought to those productions- paid or personal. It won’t be obvious to an outsider, but it should be non-negotiable to you.

Then build it into your estimate template, and make sure your producer and clients know that it’s an essential part of how you make your magic.

If you’re super experienced you’re probably doing this automatically. But being intentional about how you shoot will still get you consistently better results, and keep you on your own path, rather than someone else’s.

And right now, it’s those small things which can make a huge difference.

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 how you missed out on those jobs – briefs awarded to photographers who are, well, different to you. Maybe it’s gender, or age, nationality, whatever- it’s simply that feeling that you’ve been left behind, or left out.

You become an outsider, not an insider.

You don’t have to be a white guy over 50 for this to happen (though that might be you). You might have had a baby or a health issue, taken time off to raise kids or renovate the house, or simply become overwhelmed with industry changes. All ways you can find yourself on the outside looking in, and wondering where the door went.

Here’s the thing.

If you really want to get back ‘in’, sometimes you need to jump the fence or jimmy the door. Or find a window. It will take effort, but the first step is to believe you’re worthy of it.

To be honest, others may not see you as an outsider- it may be your monkey mind telling you that, when in fact you are admired and respected but keeping yourself small.

Shake that off- if you project it, they’ll start believing it.

Once you’ve convinced yourself that you’re still an experienced lens based image maker, capable of creating beautiful work and delivering on decent briefs (which, by the way still exist), I’m a huge fan of owning where you are right now. What have you learned from your experiences over the last few years and months? What do you have an insider’s perspective on?

Becoming relevant also means leading from the front; looking at what’s happening in the world and sharing your opinion and voice, and the best way to do this is through personal work (which will also help you feel your way back into that place of ‘Yup I can do this’).

Even if you’re feeling really happy with where you are, thank you very much, doing this will keep you relevant and top of mind.

It’s just a start, but it’s a powerful one.

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, not subject.

Think about a major campaign for a brand like Amex who want to show what you can buy: A diamond ring, a holiday, a car.

Or a content library showing different people in different locations interacting with various products.

When all the images FEEL the same any consumer landing on any one is given more than just the logo as a visual clue to the brand.

Jayden Ostwald’s images above for Aston Martin do exactly that.

When visually discerning creatives land on your website, or Instagram feed, they’re looking for this. They want to know that you’ll deliver a consistent look and feel, whatever the genre, wherever you shoot, however many images.

In fact, it’s YOU who will be the glue to hold everything together for that brand.

It doesn’t matter if you want to capture fashion, farmers, cauliflowers and hamsters, so long as your brand voice remains the same.

And the more authentic, emotive, and unique the better.

What’s your brand of ‘glue’?

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 your job).

It’s not just to help get you paid work (though it is hands down your most effective marketing tool), and will certainly placate an agent who’s working hard to get you briefs.

Making work for yourself gives you the opportunity to treat yourself like the best client you ever had. To brief yourself on the most wonderful interesting job you ever shot, and to practice planning, executing and delivering that so that you get better and better at delivering for clients.

And yes, to deal with the problems that arise and NOT give up.

I work as a consultant to photographers around the globe and when I meet with them one to one I get a truly insightful understanding of who they are – through their work and our conversations. (You might have discovered this already!)

But one thing I don’t really get a good insight into is how they are when they’re on a job, or on set, or managing a production.

When I meet photographers in person on a location workshop, I get to see a whole new side of them.

• How focused they are on getting the results they intended.
• How well they communicate within the group, and to potential talent and crew.
• How good a team player they are.
• How they cope with curveballs and dead ends.

These are all aspects of a typical production and so it’s fascinating for me to witness them in action. I love learning about how the photographers handle different situations.

When you’re working on a brief for a client, and you hit hurdles, how good are you at problem solving or pivoting? How well do you prepare for your meetings and productions and what does your team think of you?

Consider making personal work in a way which prepares you for this.

At the very least it will inspire people to hire you

In a relationship, a partner can mirror your unresolved issues.

But your agent (and potentially client) relationship(s) can work this way too.

You may not be in a romantic relationship with them (if you are, it might be a double whammy!), but your own unexamined beliefs about your art, your career or your value can all affect their behaviour towards you.

You project, they reflect.

If you have an underlying belief that your work is not quite “enough,” you may subconsciously gravitate toward agents who also treat your work as not quite enough, perpetuating a cycle of insecurity. (Perfectionism sucks).

Just like someone jumping from one unhealthy romantic relationship to another, you may hop from one agent to the next, hoping the new one will be different.

But the pattern remains the same – neglect, poor communication, unfulfilled promises, or a lack of real investment. You focus on the agent’s flaws rather than asking, “What part of me is allowing this cycle to repeat?”

It’s no secret that when you work with me I’m part photo-therapist. I love this stuff.

When I dive into your work, uncover who you REALLY are, encourage you to build your brand around that, then help you develop personal work with depth, we’re going deep, and sometimes you discover some ‘stuff’ you may never have uncovered before.

Most of that is GOOD stuff which maybe you’ve buried or ignored.

It’s what you knew deep down when your rep OR even beloved life partner told you to remove that shot from your folio, even though you thought it was the most meaningful image you ever made.

Like the agent who told one of my clients they should focus on luxury travel and removed all his honest, raw, spirited joyful images. (Thank goodness we nipped THAT in the bud.)

So in spite of the ‘toxic’ heading, I’m here today to remind you to dig into who you really are as a lens based image maker and flawed human. (No doubt it’s those flaws which make your work so amazing).

To keep revisiting your goals and vision, one which isn’t clouded by what you think you should do but is honest and reflects who you really are.

And to continue to make work which harnesses that knowledge so that you inspire the right people. And that includes your target audience, as well as some of the hard working, devoted reps out there.

Because it’s YOUR time to drive this goddamn bus.

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.

The problem with tests, is they have no depth. They’re hard for you or your agent to talk about, and barely get a blink from curious creatives. They only come into their own when there’s already a brief on the desk which fits.

But have you ever considered applying a personal project approach to a test shoot?

If you set aside potential client or agent demands for just a moment and start by coming up with a strong enough idea, there will be loads of ways you can execute it.

Ways which can address your need to practice a technique, or deliver more of a certain type of work or show you can shoot a certain type of product. Doing it this way round still means you create something satisfying as well as potentially compelling to those future viewers.

Think about brilliant movies which are initially written with no commercial aim, bought by production houses who THEN add product placement during filming to raise additional funds. The story guides the choice of product so it’s usually seamless.

On our recent workshop in Morocco several photographers wanted to talk about the roles of women in Moroccan society. One presented her personal experiences as a still life, one as a series of menacing street images, two were documentary style shoots of completely different women’s lives and another a typology of portraits with ancient messages on young women’s faces.

Four completely different ways of talking about the same topic.

With a thought-through approach to personal work you can make anything you want, AND have something to talk about.

That said, there are – if I’m honest – more than a few entries that reveal not a lack of talent, but a lack of experience in communicating ideas. I saw technically impressive test shots presented as “series”, countless familiar themes executed well, but without a point of difference, and beautifully shot work undermined by clumsy or vague written descriptions that ruined my initial emotional response.

It felt particularly poignant to be judging this right on the heels of our Marrakech presentation.

Last week was spent helping our Series Project attendees fine-tune their final project edits so that they were clear and compelling.

At the end of the presentation we announced our next Series Project: 6-14th June, 2026 in Chiang Mai, Thailand. If you’re interested in learning more you can take a look here.

We’ll be working with 10 photographers to conceptualise, plan and – once we’re on location – shoot personal projects with opinion and direction.

This will be our eighth Series Project and it’s my twelfth year judging the IPA’s. I feel incredibly fortunate to live in this world: to be immersed in so much outstanding photography, and to have earned the trust of so many talented image makers.

Thank you for continually showing up and putting yourself out there. I know how daunting it is to enter competitions and share work that’s close to your heart. But if it moves even one person, you’ve done your job.

Folio reviews are fabulous and I highly recommend them, but I can see you wondering what the next hurdle will be- now you literally have to pay to get in the door of an agency. And let’s face it- meetings are hard to get wherever you are in the world, without an additional layer of red tape and a stopwatch ticking. It’s a battlefield out there!

As always I love these conundrums because it’s obvious to me that this is an opportunity for savvy photographers to think outside the box.

What if you weren’t always trying to ‘sell’ yourself with a portfolio of work, but instead asked for their advice and help? (Did you know helping is something humans crave and is well documented as a pillar of happiness?)

And what if instead of sharing a portfolio, you shared a preview of an as yet unpublished personal project?

What if you stopped thinking about ‘meetings’ and started thinking about collaborations?

When you reframe your thinking in this way it not only makes connections and relationship building easier, but it can actually give you confidence to reach out to them.

Photographers I’ve worked with who’ve done this, have had their personal project ideas pitched directly to brands, made into advertising campaigns, transformed into (very nicely designed) zines and published in magazines, all with the energy and enthusiasm of those usually elusive creative decision makers.

With this in mind, now all you have to do is make great personal work which will get you in the door.

So how’s that going for you? What are you shooting that will inspire those creatives?

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).