2025 My Year in Review

Welcome to my year in review.

2025 was an interesting and difficult year.

At the beginning of the year, I participated in a Photography workshop led by equine photographer Flo Knoyle. This was given to me as an early Christmas gift.

I was eager to join this workshop because it provided a chance to capture images of a magnificent horse and birds of prey set against the picturesque backdrop of a historic building and its surroundings.

The start of the year is typically a calm period for me, during which I conducted two model calls. One was for action shots featuring long-maned horses, and the other was a child shoot at a location that caught my interest before Christmas.

I photographed two Arabian horses when their owner answered my equine model call. One of the images I captured received a Bronze award after I submitted it to the Pet Photography Awards in the Action category.

Many photographers experienced a challenging year. Opportunities for work were scarce as people couldn't afford professional photography, which is often viewed as a luxury.

I spent much of my time working at my other job to maintain a steady income, while also dedicating time to my own photography projects in between.

One such project was my trip to the Brecon Beacons, which I combined with a family visit, to photograph the Wild Gelligaer ponies. A friend who worked for World Horse Welfare had shown me some photos she took on her phone during a project there, which sparked my interest. I had always wanted to photograph wild stallions.

I finally encountered the stallions I was looking for just as I was about to head home, feeling disappointed.

I captured so many images of the ponies that I asked my friend if I could create a calendar to help raise funds for World Horse Welfare. This led to the creation of my Wild Ponies Calendar 2026.

So far, I have raised approximately £350 for the charity, with a few calendars still available for purchase from my shop.

In 2025, I fulfilled my dream of conducting an equine photo shoot at a castle. For years, I had been reaching out to the National Trust and English Heritage about using some of their sites, but the costs were prohibitive.

Then I contacted Herstmonceux Castle, expecting similar disappointment, but to my delight, the contact there was incredibly enthusiastic.

We reached an agreement, and in the autumn, I conducted a beautiful styled shoot at the castle with the same horse I had photographed at the Flo Knoyle workshop. I am still working on the images from this castle shoot.

In 2024 (I believe), I met a young woman who had a horse that could rear on command. After a few potential shoots that didn't materialize, I finally had the opportunity to work with her on a more simplified styled shoot. It was intended to be a Halloween shoot but ended up taking place in mid-November.

This shoot was somewhat experimental for me, as I was working in very low light conditions and using some new equipment. I'm not entirely satisfied with the images produced, but one of the reasons I organize these shoots is to challenge myself. It's better to make mistakes during these sessions than on those where I'm being paid!

Amidst everything, I showcased my work at the Iberian Performance Horse Show and the Ardingly Autumn Show and Horse Trials, which was a weekend of contrasts, with Sunday being much more crowded.

I decided to create my own garland for equine Christmas Photo Shoots because I couldn't find what I wanted to buy. It turned out to be more economical, and I really enjoyed the project.

Even though the year was generally quiet, it became quite busy as Christmas approached, and I didn't have the time to fully embrace the festive spirit as I usually would. Not that I'm complaining!

However, towards the year's end, I experienced a bit of writer's block. I didn't feel happy, fulfilled, or motivated by my photography, which was a clear sign that I needed a break! I realized I had to completely disconnect from it for a couple of weeks.

Now I'm back and eager to finish the projects left from last year and see what 2026 brings. Hopefully, a more balanced workload!

Please take a moment to watch a little video I made about my year.

Wishing everyone a very Happy New Year!