Why I became a photographer

I can’t remember the exact reason why I became a photographer, but I think it was along the lines of the fact that I loved art but I wasn’t overly keen on painting and I couldn’t really draw, picking up a camera was almost a shortcut for me. I took art at A level because it would open new doors for me in the art world to then lead me into do photography professionally, my sixth form didn’t have a photography A level so an art A level was the next best thing.

I remember being in an A Level art class back in 2009, I would have been 16, there was a fellow student in my class that possessed a certain confidence in her art rather than being particularly good at it, but she thought she was truly wonderful. The theme for that term was self-portrait… here’s a little bit of back story about me, when I was a teenager I lacked a severe amount of self-confidence, I had VERY low self-esteem, and I was currently in a relationship with a guy who in a few short years would drag me to rock bottom and convince me I had mental health issues (but that’s a story for another time) I wasn’t the best in my class but I pushed and pushed myself at the subject because I really did enjoy creating, I was incredibly proud of my artwork, in fact I still have pieces now that I painted back in school and college that I’ve held onto. The whole class had been working for weeks on huge A2 size self-portrait paintings of ourselves, the class had come to an end and I headed over to the sink to wash up my brushes. Next I know this class mate (I don’t think “mate” is the best terminology but hey ho) was stood over my work sniggering; now you can imagine how painful that was; not just for me but to anyone in my position, already struggling with confidence in every single way possible…I think back and just really wish I had the confidence at the time to go over and say something, but me being me I just let it slide, it’s funny how small things like that get engraved into your mind, but I do think this had a small inkling into how my story played out.

Photography I found I was instantly drawn to, I was good at it, it got me out, I didn’t need to be sat in one spot in order to create, and I LOVED being in the dark room, away from people, away from the bitchy-ness.

My grades weren’t as good as I’d hoped in order to stay at sixth form for another year so I left, I ventured out to an art college 20 miles from my home town. It was at this art college where I was made. It was this City, those tutors and other likeminded people who really truly believed in me, and pushed and helped me to achieve the best I could achieve at that time. I will always be thankful for this. I went on to receive a further education award and I stayed at that college to complete my photography degree.