Onwards and upwards with The Princes’ Trust…

I’m happy to announce that my business is now officially supported through the work of the Princes’ Trust! Means a lot – since graduating from my university degree I’d been working on the side , while having a day job as an archivist but not quite sure sometimes – but now I’m happy to be able to move forwards!

Last Wednesday morning I had a meeting with the Business Launch Panel with the Princes Trust to present a business plan which had been worked on for the past year. The interview went very nicely -and they were extremely complimentary of my ideas – and the effort I’d put in to developing the plan . The successful outcome was confirmed in the afternoon –  being given approval for funding and further mentoring in the next two years.

A year with the Princes Trust…

Exactly a year ago I first joined being a little unsure of what to expect – but completing the Explore Enterprise introductory workshop gave me some optimism after stuggling for confidence. Within the next year I’ve benefited massively from having coaching from (Sindy Kaur) to bounce ideas off and gently challenge my thinking and beliefs in a safe space without fear of criticism or judgement , and gradually put together a working plan for my business.

I’ve also been able to let go of the belief that being in business would that I’d be doing things which would stifle my creativity. In fact I now believe the opposite – by understanding marketing and other aspects it would give me the space to thrive creatively and the tools to able to help others and leave a legacy through the results of my craft.

What’s next?

The most important thing as far as I’m concerned is the prospect of further mentoring and help as I make my next steps here as well as having an endorsement from a well known organisation which supports and helps change the life of young people.

Firstly , a technological update of sorts – the pair of Nikon D300 bodies I use for my work have served me very well for the last six years or so. However newer cameras have been made which are able to work under a much wider range of constraints. This is important so that I can continue to give my clients the results they need and expect and be relevant – even in challenging situations , and also save a bit of editing time. I’ll be looking at one which has a larger sensor , most likely a lightly used D4 , along with a couple of lenses to cover the larger sensor.

As part of my plans I’m hoping to develop a solo exhibition early next year in Nottingham featuring my best work around the city – for a long time much of this has only been seen online , so it would be excellent to give others the opportunity to see this in print and experience the magic of what I do.

I’m also looking at developing a series of workshops and experiences based around my specialisms in night-time and dusk photography for hobbyists looking to make their own discoveries and express themselves – as well as expanding my popular Nottingham Calendar to more retailers in 2018. I’ll be piecing the drafts together for those very shortly.

Finally I’m always looking to help my clients bring to life the things they make and do through the art and science of visual storytelling here – and look forward to doing more of this with new people as well as my existing stable of clients which  include Wolfgang Buttress , Row2k  and Nottingham City of Literature 🙂 . I’m always interested in finding new things to bring to life and I’m more than happy to have a talk and discover new way of portraying the things you do and make.