My previous blog post started with an apology for having been a while in the making, and here we are again; two and a half months since I wrote that post!
Well not many people are around in August, so when I do post during the Summer holidays I often feel like I’m talking to myself. In addition to this I did what I almost never do in August, I took a holiday! West Wales, Cardigan Bay in a camper van since you ask. And yes, it was fantastic and much-needed. I hope you all managed some kind of escape too, if only from the incessant heat!
Twists and Turns
But it’s not just that. It’s fair to say, life has been taking some slightly unexpected twists and turns of late. Let’s use this post to touch on some of those twisty turny things.
To be fair, June and July were absolutely insane with work. I had conferences, events, Summer Graduations for University of Bath (stepping in at the very last minute to cover for sickness, which was mildly stressful to put it mildly) and the usual smattering of corporate headshot sessions sprinkled amongst all that. It’s astonishing to think I had time to eat, sleep or breathe during that period, and yet…
And yet in amongst all that I spent more time as a swim teacher than I have previously and I spent a week training as a pool lifeguard. You read that correctly; I spent a week at Melksham Community Campus pool (a gorgeous swimming pool, by the way) in a class of 16, 17 and 18-year-olds learning first aid, CPR, the full range of pool rescue techniques and performing timed rescues, which believe me are not for the faint-hearted!
It was interesting to test myself against swimmers who are a third of my age and to see I wasn’t the slowest. I’d even gone into the week with a sinus infection, feeling rough and having not trained as much as I’d wanted to, so I’m particularly pleased and proud that I did the course and passed the written and practical exams (including the horrific timed rescues). So yes, I’m now a Royal Life Saving Society qualified pool lifeguard.
It’s also good to know that even as a photographer when I’m out on jobs, or just out generally, I have the skills to help if I encounter a medical emergency. For years I’d meant to do a first aid course, and now I have that skill too.
What Does This Mean?
Does any of this mean I’m turning away from photography? A question you’d be forgiven for asking, and the answer is ‘not by a long chalk’.
I’m about to turn 60 (!!!) so it’s reasonable to start thinking in terms of what the rest of my working life will look like. I’m obviously still fairly fit, but I have to ask myself how many more years I can be hefting kit about. City centres have become increasingly inaccessible to vehicles, most clients don’t have their own car parks and those that do often have a plethora of obstacles to negotiate between car park and office which, when you’re laden with equipment, suddenly become a right bore.
By contrast, although swim teaching isn’t always cushy (sometimes multiple hours neck deep in cool water), it’s not as impactful on the physique and I have found it to be incredibly rewarding. Not to say that photography isn’t, but knowing I’m helping children and adults learn new skills and making them much safer around water definitely has its rewards.
Decisions Decisions?
You might say I’m at a crossroads. I’d say the junction is visible, but still a way off in the distance. Even taking into account factors like my age and the rapid advance of AI imagery (pewk), my skills as a photographer will continue to be in demand for a while yet. It might seem foolish to put this post out now since some clients might take it as a signal that I’m hanging my cameras up. However I cannot deny that swimming and swim teaching have become important to me, perhaps more quickly than I’d anticipated, but I’m still here for the clients who care about their corporate image and I will be here for them for the next few years.
I might just have a whiff of chlorine about me. Sorry about that!
