As the end of 2021 approaches, and things are quietening down in the run up to Christmas, it is a good time to sit and reflect on our photographic journeys. It is always useful to look back on a years worth of images and see how far we have come. As we develop as photographers our images get better and our styles inevitably change. We find subjects that we prefer to shoot and find ourselves drawn to these more regularly. Our post processing develops and over time our portfolio changes. This is how we all grow and develop as photographers but generally we don’t notice the process until we sit and look back at a years worth off images. It is a really worthwhile exercise and will show you how far you have come, even if you don’t think you have!

2021 has been a difficult year for many, with an uncertain start and a lockdown that seemed to go on forever. And 2022 is looking like it might start in a similar vein. However there is no point wasting energy on things we cannot change so the best thing is to look back, take stock and then move forward with renewed enthusiasm.

For me photography in 2021 has been a lot of fun and really rewarding. I ran many different workshops over the course of the year in many different Suffolk locations and will be carrying these forward into 2022. I have also planned and booked my first two weekend workshops which will take place in May, one in Norfolk and one on the Somerset / Devon border.

2021 has also been an amazing year for recognition. My image of mist over the reedbeds at Ramsholt was awarded runner up in the Classic View category of LPOTY 2021. It has been fantastic to see this printed in the annual Landscape Photography book alongside all the other amazing photographs from this years competition. It is also part of the mobile exhibition which started at London Bridge station as is soon due to tour the country.

As well as LPOTY I was thrilled to be recognised by the RHS for my Staverton images which were awarded a Silver – Gilt medal at the annual Art and Photography show which took place at the Saatchi Gallery in London in September. My panel of six images form an integral part of my new book ‘Rooted’ which I published in December. This had been a labour of love for two years and the resulting book features 50 images from a very special ancient oak woodland.

Moving forward I have an exciting new project which will be starting at the beginning of the new year. ‘Planet Suffolk – love letters from a changing world’ is a collaborative visual storytelling project which I am running. It is all about global issues seen from a Suffolk perspective and will culminated in a book and online exhibition in 2022. If you would like to take part please get in touch.

Finally I would just like to thank everyone who has supported my work in 2021, by attending workshops, buying books, cards and calendars and interacting with my pages on social media. You have all been amazing and it has been a privilege to get to know so many of you.

I am going to finish this blog with a gallery of my favourite images from 2021. Happy Christmas and I hope to see some of you in 2022.