© Christian Mushenko - from his series 'Seat 42'. Christian and I have worked together for over a decade and one thing I've always admired about his work is its consistency. That warm, effervescent glow runs through everything he shoots, regardless of the subject matter.

Why some photographers get hired again and again

26 June, 2026

Three weeks ago my flight to Hong Kong was cancelled because four sparrows found their way into the cockpit and then into the works. I kid you not.

We were already on the plane and the pilot initially chuckled as he explained the delay to departure. He wasn’t laughing 2 hours later, when we were asked to offboard the plane, but he and the crew never stopped updating us.

As you know spanners (or sparrows) in the works can happen to anyone, no matter how up to date your equipment and processes, how skilled your crew are, and however well you plan.

The weather can crap out, kit can fail, clients can throw hissy fits or change the brief, memory cards can corrupt, crew (including you) can get sick, permits can fall over and tech can do all sorts of ridiculous things. I’ve seen every one of these (and many more) happen first hand. Some are production headaches, but the buck almost always stops with you.

Lens based image makers who get repeat work are often the ones who can deal with whatever is thrown at them (and an excellent producer helps too).

They stay calm.

They take stock of the situation.

They think through solutions.

And they’re excellent at communicating those options – and more importantly why – to everyone who needs to know.

In fact communication is everything (assuming you are a good photographer, and that’s a prerequisite in my world) because you’re not just selling a completed piece of work. You’re selling your ability to interpret a brief, collaborate with the creative and their producer, communicate to their client, and manage untold situations whilst keeping your cool.

The same applies to your marketing. Through your Emails, social media and even personal projects you have a wonderful opportunity to show how you think, work and communicate and that’s gold. Because your target audience want to know they’re in safe hands, even when the sparrows hit the fan.