2022 in Review - Looking back at a crazy year!

2022 in Review - Looking back at a crazy year!

To say that 2022 has been an odd year would be a bit of understatement. Everybody knows that the last few years have been a challenge. The 2020 Pandemic ruined lives, businesses and the economy and things were not too much rosier in 2021! So I think we were all hoping that 2022 might finally be the year where things felt a bit more normal.

Well, if financial uncertainty, global events and a sense of impending doom were the overarching feelings of the previous couple of years, 2022 was pretty much standard in that case. However, I don’t want to look back on a year and just complain about the doom and gloom. I just think it’s important to acknowledge that this has been a very testing time for everyone and 2023 is likely to be just as difficult!

Slow Beginnings 

Being self employed has taught me one thing and that is that it’s a very unpredictable lifestyle. One week you can be run off your feet and the next it's Crickets and you start panicking that you’ll be out of business by the weekend! Well that is how January felt for me. Although there were a few interesting little jobs, there is always a bit of a delay as clients and business get back into their own rhythm. 

By February and March, things were getting much more into a steady routine and work was coming through from regular clients again. Two in particular were Aston Villa Football Club who were updating some of their hospitality offerings and Tom White Waste, who need to rebrand their website and took the chance to capture new imagery.

Both clients required multiple day shoots and as with every late Winter/early Spring shoot - the weather would have a big impact on both jobs. Planning is essential but also being completely up front and honest with clients is strongly advised. Having a ‘Plan B’ if the weather is too bad to shoot is pretty much essential at that time of year.

Interestingly, a lot of my clients throughout 2022 required a lot more video in addition to traditional photography and this allowed me to really stretch myself both in terms of learning new techniques and in the gear I use. Throughout the Spring I had to update my main camera, I plumped for the Canon R5C for those that are interested - as well as buying a lot of additional lighting and sound recording gear.

The additional investment was fully justified as the work continued to come in and having the peace-of-mind knowing that the equipment could handle all of the clients requirements was worth the outlay alone. 

Things were heating up!

Going into the Summer, I was more than aware that it was going to be a big one as Birmingham was due to host the Commonwealth Games. This was massive for the city when I was asked to help capture certain events, I was completely over-the-moon. I’ll be writing a post in more detail about the experience but it was two weeks of utter madness with long days, huge amounts of editing and physical exhaustion by the end of it! I loved every second though and our amazing city completely smashed it! 

By this point, the weather was also going into overdrive with the UK recording record breaking temperatures and for the first time ever, I had to adjust a shooting schedule because it was too hot to work! I’m used to dragging myself out in the depths of Winter but I couldn’t quite believe we had to reschedule shoots because of the risk of heatstroke and worse - a wise decision though and one that I’m glad the clients agreed with!

Birmingham’s incredible Summer continued as Unboxxed brought their ‘Polinations’ event to Victoria Square. In the space just a couple of weeks, the square had been transformed from the hub of the Commonwealth Games (outside of Alexandra Stadium!) and into a mystical forest complete with evening light shows. It was a complete spectacle and one that I was once again, very proud to be part of. 

I went on to shoot several more events with Unboxxed which involved exploring a converted oil rig in Weston Super-Mare, complete with plants, a huge cascading waterfall and eyes! However, that was just the tip of the iceberg they also had me photograph the solar system! No telescope needed though, this was a scale model laid out across Liverpool! Though it spanned some 10km so after walking to Pluto multiple times, I was ready for some time off! 

That wasn’t a possibility though as between regular clients and huge events, I was having my busiest year ever! It’s not uncommon to work seven days a week when you’re self-employed and this was certainly the case for me. Regular shoots and huge amounts of editing were slowly but surely taking their toll. I never complain about being busy, it’s a privilege to be in this position - but self-care is equally, if not more important than work! 

Finding a balance…

By the late Summer/early Autumn, I need to reset a little and find a bit of time to decompress after a very hectic few months. I don’t have too many means of escape, I like a drink but have to stay level headed, I like football but I’m commonly working on match-days. So I turned to the one thing that gives me a huge amount of pleasure and that is film photography.

I had purchased a new camera in particular that I was really excited to use and set about finding time wherever I could to get out with it. The camera in question was a Bronica GS-1. It’s a medium format beast that is commonly overlooked in favour of the Mamiya RB/Z67 or the Pentax 67 systems. 

When I first picked it up, I knew it was the right choice for me though. It is slightly smaller than its competition (but in no way a small camera!) but still produces a huge 6x7 negative and had a beautiful waist-level viewfinder that makes everything look amazing. It was a pleasure to be out shooting film but the work kept coming in.

By mid-Autumn, I’d already worked with around 15 new clients in addition to my regulars. This was quite mind blowing to me as I was already passing work over to fellow photographers - something I love to do if I get the opportunity. This did mean that there wasn’t going to be any big holidays or adventures this year - not too much of a problem in a cost of living crisis! 

Gearing up for Christmas…

Going into the final few months of the year, I was very conscious that I would start getting enquiries about prints etc. for presents. This is brilliant as it’s always special for me to see my work in print. I decided not to push this too much as I am really aware that lot’s of people have been struggling financially this year. 

Being completely honest, this year has been a struggle for me as well, regardless of being incredibly busy. Personal situations and living conditions have been a huge strain and being financially conscientious is a must! This all lead me to think that this really isn’t the year to be encouraging any unnecessary ‘gifting’ for gifts sake - though I always appreciate anyone who likes my work enough to hang it on their walls!

Throughout the year another issue cropped up that I had never seen coming. I was working more & more in other cities from Brighton to Edinburgh and many place in between! However, rail strikes had a big impact on getting too and from many of those jobs and having good ‘Plan B’s’ were essential. 

Looking ahead…

I often have to pinch myself and I still find it amazing that people pay me to do something that I get so much pleasure from. I’ve already start booking jobs for January & February and can’t wait to get stuck into next year. 

I have a few more personal plans next year and need to take a bit of personal time out to make sure I’m in a good place mentally & physically. 2022 threw up and few nasty surprises and more than ever, I’m realising that taking care of myself is a huge priority! 

I’m also looking forward to getting out with the film camera more and actually sharing some of the results! I pretty much didn’t post to any social media for the entirety of 2022! Again, I will be writing a post sharing a bit more detail about this but all-in-all, I feel ready to start engaging a little more next year.

Finally, I am always looking forward to working with existing clients and get very excited about working with new people. I love meeting new people and can’t wait to see who I get to meet in 2023 and what experiences that might lead too! 

A huge thank you…

More importantly than anything, I want to say a huge ‘thank you’ to anyone that I’ve worked with, anyone that has asked me to do more than one job! Anyone who has been on a 1-2-1 with me or purchased a print! Also, anyone that has simply dropped me a message or left a comment on social media - I’m truly thankful for any kind of support that I receive! 

I can’t wait to get stuck into 2023 and wish you all an amazing Christmas and New Year! :)

About the Author - Ross Jukes is a professional Photographer and Videographer with over a decade of experience. Working in both Digital and Analogue formats, Ross has worked with international clients, had his worked published numerous times and exhibited his work extensively. With a passion for all things photographic, Ross combines his experience, enthusiasm and dedication to his art form to create engaging and educational content for the photographic community.

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INSIDE JOB: Autocab Event Manchester

Client: AutoCab via Square Fish Events

Location: Manchester

Website: https://www.autocab.com // https://www.squarefishevents.co.uk

So, in a new series of blog posts, I have decided to share some info about commissions that I am either currently working on or recent completed. The hope is that this will give you a little insight in to how I operate, how to overcome certain challenges and if you’re considering hiring me, a look at some of my commercial work. With that said, let’s get into it!

Taxi!

I’m always happy working with new clients and Square Fish Events are one of the latest added to my list. The job itself was a ‘Summer Festival’ for AutoCab - one of the leading Taxi booking and dispatch systems. The client required a short, minute-and-a-half video showcase the event and the day itself. So I hoped on a train, made my way to Manchester and waited for the rain! Well, it is Manchester after all…

The event was great and well organised by Square Fish - which made my life a whole lot easier. There were lot’s of fun activities and a live band etc. which made getting engaging action shots fairly straightforward. More importantly, the attendees were all in high spirits and everyone seemed to be having a great time.

After dodging the occasional thunderstorm, it was time to pack up and head home. Despite the travelling, I got home and was still full of energy so managed to get the bulk of the editing done that night, ready for the client to view the next morning - which, I think was probably a welcome surprise!

After a few minor alterations, the video was signed off by all parties and another job was ticked off. More importantly, a new client was brought on-board and seemed happy with the output - onwards and upwards to the next job!

If you have any questions or would like to hire me, please feel free to Contact Me

INSIDE JOB: Commission for Elevate Property Group

Client: Elevate Property Group

Location: Birmingham

Website: https://elevatepropertygroup.co.uk/

So, in a new series of blog posts, I have decided to share some info about commissions that I am either currently working on or recent completed. The hope is that this will give you a little insight in to how I operate, how to overcome certain challenges and if you’re considering hiring me, a look at some of my commercial work. With that said, let’s get into it!

Elevate Property Group are a well established developer with office based in the beautiful St Paul’s Square area of Birmingham. I was contacted by Z3 Design on behalf of Elevate to help with imagery for marketing materials.

Without giving away too many details of Elevate’s latest venture, the brief was a fairly broad one. It required a selection of ‘standard’ Birmingham shots, including some well documented areas. However, there was also room for a few details here & there with a focus on architecture - not surprising from a property developer!

Communication with the design company turned out to be the key to this shoot! My first venture out was not the most succesful, not fully nailing the brief! However, after a brief telephone conversation and a bit of clarification, I felt far more confident. The ensuing images were far more ‘on point’ for the clients needs.

The shoot itself was a pleasure. I felt i managed to cover a lot of the city in a relatively short space of time to show many various aspects of our vibrant city. When you take the time to look around and look at the details of buildings, the variety of architecture on offer in Birmingham is astounding - but I digress.

With the client happy to sign off on the images - the job was complete. Even though jobs like this feel well within my capabilities, it still goes to show that communication is key and I was more than happy to go out on multiple occasions to make sure the client was receiving images that fitted their needs. The only ‘dampener’ was the weather but again, with some persistence, we managed to make the most of the little but of good weather that we got!

If you have any questions or would like to hire me, please feel free to Contact Me

INSIDE JOB: Commission for Woodblocx Garden Design

Client: Woodblocx

Location: London

Website: https://www.woodblocx.co.uk/

So, in a new series of blog posts, I have decided to share some info about commissions that I am either currently working on or recent completed. The hope is that this will give you a little insight in to how I operate, how to overcome certain challenges and if you’re considering hiring me, a look at some of my commercial work. With that said, let’s get into it!

Woodblocx are a manufacturer of garden planters, retaining walls and other specialist items. I have worked with them previously but this was to be my first job following the lockdown. The client asked if I could travel from Birmingham to London to shoot an outdoor area that had made great use of their products.

The brief required me to photograph the are and also produce a short video with ‘fly through’ gimbal shots. and edit the video - However, the client did not require branding/music etc. as this was something they would add themselves. This was perfectly fine with me but I still wanted to make sure we got some great footage.

Planning was critical as I would have to travel from Birmingham to London and I didn’t want to make the journey, only for weather to ruin the shoot. The main concern was obviously rain. However, if it was a grey, uninspiring day, the products wouldn’t look their best, so it was critical that we planned for the clearest possible day - our planning certainly paid off as the weather was spectacular!

The day of the shoot felt so different. On arriving in London, the underground felt deserted and the usual bustling streets were remarkably quiet. I made my way from central London to Kew Gardens where the beautiful 3 bed apartment was with an amazing outdoor space - incredible to think this was still London!

After being greeted by the very friendly residents, I set about capturing the shots that I need. The plan was to photograph all planters/spaces and then move on to the video. However, it was important to check the are first to make sure everything looked spotless and move any distracting items.

I spent a little over 30 minutes, slowly walking around the space and photographing from various heights and distances from the items - to give the client as much potential as possible to use a variety of images. The weather made it a really enjoyable experience but the heat certainly was an issue!

After a quick breather and a chance to shelter from the midday sun, it was on to the gimbal work! Having already photographed almost every square inch of the space, I had built a pretty good mental image of how I wanted to move through the space. I set about capturing the necessary shots and once completed, reviewed the footage to tripple check that I hadn’t missed anything!

The job was done and after packing away and saying my goodbyes, it was time to head back to Birmingham. The train journey gave me the opportunity to do some editing and I was pleased to see that the images looked great - the weather had really made the shoot! The gimbal footage looked great too and I was satisfied with my days work! All that was left to do was to get home, disinfect everything and have a beer!

If you have any questions or would like to hire me, please feel free to Contact Me