It’s funny how things work out.  I didn’t start out with a plan to be an Event Photographer or wedding photographer or any kind of photographic profession. In fact, I kind of just fell into it head first whilst chasing my passion – to take better travel photos.

It all started, with that first message I received back in August 2014 from my closest friend who lives in NZ.  He messaged me telling me how he was heading over to London and that we should plan a trip, Nice!!  Messages were going back and forth and then finally he dropped the bombshell… “I can get you a camera with my staff discount”!! BOOM!  – It’s probably worth mentioning at this point that this friend works for a large well know camera manufacturer.  by then end of our conversation and planning, we;d planned a trip to 4 greek islands and I had a DSLR coming with some lenses!!

Why does time always seem to take ages when you’re waiting for something exciting to happen?!! I felt like a kid waiting for Christmas…  I was so looking forward to it that much!

Anyway, putting my eagerness aside, I realised that it has been a while since intimately knowing the inner workings SLR cameras, let alone a DSLR – Other than a few drunken nights using my friends camera bodies with their 50mm lens and despite often switch off from the ‘goings on’ to take pictures, I still, in my opinion, had nowhere near the right amount of knowledge to utilise (or even justify having) such a piece of equipment – I needed to learn and I needed to learn fast.  Now the wait time didn’t seem so long, but at least I had a deadline to work with.

I can’t tell you how many late nights I lost to countless youtube tutorials and articles swatting up on the basics of photography, but it was a lot.  Have you ever started to learn something and realised that the more you’re learning, the more you want to know?  …Like a thirst has been awoken. I remember one night I was still going when my morning alarm sounded to wake me up for work!!  I could not wait to get that camera in my hands – the was piling up!

I’m not going to going into teaching here, but if you’re a budding photographer you need to know these topics inside out

• How cameras and SLRs work
• The Exposure Triangle – Aperture vs ISO vs Shutter Speed
• Correct vs Creative Exposure
• Composition – the rule of thirds.

Fast forwarding a little, my friend arrived and headed to the greek isles for some rest, relaxation and photography.

Here are my highlight images from that mission.

Shortly after this holiday, a friend asked me to partner with him doing wedding photography and, at the beginning of this year, I fell into the events world.

Fast forwarding to present day, Both are moving along their start-up phases, I’m doing what I love more and When I travel I see the world in a different way.  I considered myself a global citizen before but my love of it has increased with my passion for travel photography.

Smith & Wollensky London – ILEA UK Canapés

The first official event: ILEA Panel at Dinerama

The most recent: ILEA @ Smith & Wollensky

I’ve really gone full steam and taken every opportunity to learnt more, share my goals with other and expose myself to the work by helping others – it’s been a great and priceless experience. I’m saying you should pimp yourself out but by putting yourself in the right places for networking and building a brand on quality that is exciting to clients takes time and effort and even though I’ve thrown a lot at it this summer, it never seems like work when you’re lovin’ it!!

I hope this has been a useful illustration of how, if you want something and you’re passion about doing it, you can learn it and excel (and if you’re thinking about photography, you have a few starting points).  Also, you never know, this endeavor could even be a game changer – you just have to start at the beginning and see where it takes you

Please feel free to share your successes –  I would love to hear what you’re learning or any new skill you’ve picked up – don’t be shy…!!

join me on instagram: @dbp_uk, @arohaphotoz, @exquisitelocations

Enjoy.