Falling in love with photography again

I knew photography was going to be part of my life forever after shooting my first roll of film. Don’t ask me how I knew, I just did. Showing up at a poignant time in my life, photography quickly became my obsession and it was in my bloodstream before I could do anything about it. 

Those early days of making photographs coincided with the infancy of YouTube. Before influencers and sponsored videos, there were just knowledgeable people with the capacity to share, and I lapped it up. Absorbing all the information I could, and spending what little money I had on equipment, I took a camera everywhere. Fast forward over a decade and that passion for making photographs turned into a wide-ranging career with its fair share of highs, lows, twists and turns.

One consistent theme throughout my career has been shooting images ‘just’ for fun. My journals and notebooks are littered with personal project titles and accompanying storyboards, buzz words and ideas aplenty. More recently I’ve been going back through that list and digitising them in Notion. [Not sponsored, it’s just a great app for that sort of thing.] Now I have a space where those projects are stored, edited and eventually turned into images.

I revisit these project ideas whenever there’s a quiet period. Of course, excuses can be made: “that’ll cost too much money” or “I don’t have time for personal work right now” or simply, “I’m tired.” But pushing oneself to work on a personal project can really help get you out of the house, camera in hand and reinvigorate you as a photographer. It comes back to a simple state of doing it just for fun, exploring themes and stories via the medium you love most, seeing the world like you did when you first picked up a camera.

In the spring of 2022 a dream project took hold in my mind. I spent countless hours scheming, picturing just how incredible it would be. The idea was a simple one: a two-month solo road trip around Europe in my old campervan. With a couple of modifications to make on the vehicle and some diligent saving, I figured I’d hit the road in a year’s time. 

Skip ahead to the following winter and I found myself in a valley. Not the beautiful scenic type in Wales, more a metaphorical and emotional one. I’d lost passion and purpose in my photographic journey and was at a serious crossroads. Turning my passion into a career had seemed so natural and obvious, free from plight in the early days and now it all hung in the balance. Simply put, the spark was gone.

I knew I had to make some difficult decisions to be able to move forward; the biggest of which was parting ways with my photography agent of six years. Whilst being on their roster I’d learnt and seen a lot and been commissioned to do some great work, but I knew in my heart that I was unhappy and in need of a change. Making that decision, as difficult as it was, freed my mind, soul [and calendar] in ways I can’t explain. No longer was I producing work because I was told to, in order to please the right potential clients. I could pick up a camera when I wanted to, or leave it behind without guilt or shame.

This freedom was the fuel I needed to make my road trip dream come true. The trip was all about surfing and travel, with photography merely an afterthought. Little did I know that with this new found freedom I’d be picking up my camera almost every day of those two months; photographing new places, friendly people and incredible scenery. I was also writing every day and slowly, the creative flame started to burn again. This circuit break in my life; being somewhere new, seeing and soaking in so many different experiences helped me find my voice again.

It was truly a eureka moment. After such a long time I’d finally fallen back in love with photography. Over those weeks travelling Europe I felt my eagerness and excitement return. My brain kicked back into gear and I recognised the man in the mirror – the one with a decade-long obsession with photography. I was back in the flow state.

The trip ultimately changed the trajectory of my whole life. I moved away from the town I grew up in near London down to Cornwall and with it I’ve gained a new perspective on life. I hold my photography career more lightly now, though I absolutely love creating images, personally and commercially. I have more grace for myself in having a secondary source of income to keep the bills paid. Coaching surfing all summer and labouring in the winter has taught me things that taking photos never would and those new skills and experiences have a beautiful, positive impact on my photography career.

The photography journey is expansive, varied, unique and sometimes downright difficult and lonely. One day you can be shooting a dream job, only to be met by existential dread days after the shoot finishes [just me?] But it doesn’t need to be lonely or hopeless amidst the challenges. There are other creative souls out there going through the same ups and downs, forging their own paths and experiencing a lot of the same hurdles. I’d encourage anyone to reach out to their peers in the same field. There’s so much catharsis, joy and kinship to be found by simply meeting up for a coffee, going on a photo walk, joining an online forum or community and engaging with your fellow artists. Our journeys may look different, but we’re all in this together, and there is comfort and freedom in sharing your story.

I spent some time talking with fellow photographer Naomi Wood recently about the ebb and flow of a creative career, the impact of personal work and she shared some wonderful insights about her creative process.

Take a listen here 👇🏼

My work

www.davidwren.co

www.instagram.com/davidwren_