2025 Recap

I forgot to do a recap post last year, but most of what I’m going to say about 2025 also applied to 2024.

I’m still struggling with the right camera and lens line-up. Having experimented with several, each has its own pros and cons and there is no such thing as the perfect camera. It would help if I had the post processing skills to get a consistent look between different systems, but that’s proving beyond me.

2025 has been a very busy year for events. I did a lot of photography for Haven’s Hospices, following the Waddle on Sea event from the setup to the charity auction, as well as the Glow Run evening fun run.

After a fallow year in 2024, the Folk Festival was back and I was more involved than ever. I took on the role of coordinating the other photographers, and it was interesting to see the various different takes on shooting the same event. I hope to remain involved for the 2025 festival.

Other big events included the Old Leigh Regatta, Southend City Day, the Leigh Art Trail, the Southend Portrait Artist competition and the Southend City Jam. In amongst those there were any number of smaller arts events.

I was even asked to photograph a CD cover for an EP:

This leads me on to where I currently stand as a photographer.

I’m always keen to find new opportunities for photography, so I’ll take on a variety of different photo shoots if they interest me. I love shooting events, and being an “official” photographer at an event always makes it easier. I still get a real buzz from seeing my photos being used to promote events.

However…

I have been asked a couple of times now to shoot professionally at events that I would not otherwise be particularly interested in, or have any reason to attend.

I am not a professional photographer. It’s a hobby for me and if, along the way, I can support local charities and events, so much the better. I’ve always said that if I tried to make photography a semi-professional side hustle it would take some of the enjoyment away from it and I’d need to find another hobby that was simply for relaxation.

I don’t want to take paid work away from other photographers who are relying on their photography to make a living. That’s why, for the most part, my event photography is for charities and small organisations. I do it as a volunteer for fun.

I still want to shoot other things. I’m not a wildlife photographer but I’m often tempted to try, even if it’s only the local squirrels. I know I’d need to invest in different lenses to get better results with more challenging wildlife and it’s not something I’d do often enough to be worth the cost.

And then, as I’ve said in both of my previous recaps, there’s street photography. I keep trying.

So for 2026, I want to keep shooting different things and, of course, finally settle on a camera system. Somehow that second resolution seems unlikely!