It’s given my brain an onslaught of lovely fresh photography. But it’s also reminded me that, whether they win awards or not, a LOT of personal projects never really get seen.

I often speak to photographers with a gorgeous series (or three) still sitting on a hard drive a year after they were made, waiting for a simple grade. Or who’ve won awards but not gotten around to sharing the news.

Even if you’re someone who shares every win on social media, you might still struggle to get noticed.

In fact, if you’re not putting your work in front of creative decision makers in multiple ways (including those monthly emails you keep meaning to send) you might as well be hiding under a rock.

The photographers I see getting regular jobs and building long-term client relationships don’t post a few images on Instagram and hope for the best (or leave them sitting on a hard drive).

They’re constantly talking about their work, sharing it with the right people, and resurfacing it again and again across different platforms.

And if you’re not doing this, what’s stopping you?

I hear all sorts of reasons.

“I’m too busy.” (Usually working on the jobs that bore you senseless.)

“It’s too cringey.”

But if you dig deep, it nearly always comes back to one thing.

FEAR.

Fear of rejection. Fear of being exposed. Fear of being vulnerable. And perhaps most of all, fear of being visible.

If you want to succeed as a lens-based image maker today, you can’t hide behind the camera forever. Your work deserves to be seen, and so do you.

I know you’ve made amazing work. Now make sure the right people see it.

At the beginning of this year 2013’s top shots were judged by an advertising creative from TBWA Melbourne. You can see the final winning shot here, and last year’s top shots here (Jan- March), here (April- June) and here (July- Dec). As I’m part of a large photography forum in Asia this year I’ll be cajoling an Asian based creative on board as the next judge. To be in the mix, I just have to edit your website/ folio during that month.

Here are my first three from 2014, and do keep watching my blog for updates.

January

I am a bit of a sucker for a shot which allows the imagination to roam. Top it with beautiful light (captured or created), and perfect composition and it has all the winning attributes. January was a tough month as I edited so many folios but when it came down to it this one was a great stand-alone image. Craig Proudford is a young Sydney photographer to watch. His work has a quirky approach, and is executed with utmost attention to detail. After assisting some of the best advertising photographers in Sydney, and putting together a gorgeous folio, I have no doubt he is well prepared for an awesome 2014.

February

I am in love with the layers and textures in this shot. And it’s also refreshing to see black and white imagery used in a deliberate and conceptual way. I can’t imagine the work that went into the costume design for this shot- part of a much larger project called ‘Shanghai Shadows’. But then, everything Robert Earp shoots is highly conceptualised and produced, and involves his very competent team of artists. You can see more of the series here.

March

‘I find something primeval, spiritual perhaps, in our immersion in water and the light of the dawn. It’s hard not to be moved by this interaction. I’m sure if you looked at our brain waves, the light and water would be triggering endorphins or fairy dust, or whatever you want to call it.’

So speaks Christian Mushenko of his ‘Poolside series’. And of course, here I go again, drooling over those ocean pools. It seems that every morning Sydney-siders head out in droves to their ‘local’ to do some laps and enjoy the balmy weather, chat to the neighbours, walk the dog and imbibe some of the fairy dust. It was hard to pick one of the many shots I waded through as I did Christian’s new print folio, but I settled on this one with it’s glistening milky water, slightly ominous sky, and the small figures doing their morning laps.