Always Carry A Camera

photo obsessions challenge us to look at a motif from all different angles

i’m a great believer in letting my obsessions steer my photography

my july obsessions were:
• budapest streets
• the colour yellow,
• bugs of all shapes and sizes,
• photographing austrian sign language signs with gorgeous Tomas Fellinger
• collaborating with other creatives like Moritz Mayr-Harting - an up and coming musician who is going to be a household name some day soon 🙃

i’ve learned not to question these obsessions

they’re usually pointing me towards the photos i need to take and the stories i want to tell

so instead of asking yourself what should i photograph?

ask yourself

what keeps catching my attention?

that’s where your next photo might be waiting

what was your photo obsession this month? 👇👇👇

the photos we almost don’t take are sometimes the ones we treasure most

a tiny moth
a little girl hiding under a table
ordinary moments that became memories

maybe that’s why i always carry a camera

what ordinary moment are you glad you captured?

sometimes the hardest part of starting over isn’t finding the time

it’s believing that *later* will somehow be easier

i hope this is the reminder you needed today

if this felt like it was written for you,
save it for the next time you catch yourself waiting

one of the easiest ways to lose the joy of photography is to start seeing every photo as content

will it fit Instagram?
is it the right crop?
will it perform?

this photo wasn’t taken with any of that in mind

i took it in my garden,
in my own time,
simply because i loved the moment

no client
no deadline
no strategy

just me, my camera
and a bee that stayed still long enough

ironically, these are often the photographs I’m proudest of

not because they’ll get the most likes (they don’t)

because they remind me why I picked up a camera in the first place

if you enjoy the photo too, that makes me smile

but I would have taken it anyway

wtf, 26 years ago today i got married

and this photo really does look like a fairytale

like the kind of moment you’re supposed to believe will last forever
happily ever after

plot twist, it didn’t

and today, i’m ok with that
because midlife has taught me something i wish i’d known earlier

life changes
we change

and sometimes the most honest thing you can do
is stop trying to make the story match the photo

and I still love that photo
it’s represents an importnat part of my life
a chapter that mattered, even if it didn’t last

and here’s the part i want to celebrate today

the reinvention
the way you can be fifty something and still start again

with a camera in your hand
with a new business you’re building one brave decision at a time

with a softer kind of confidence that doesn’t need a fairytale to feel real
so if you’re holding a photo that tells one story

and a life that took a different turn

maybe you don’t have to choose which one is true
maybe you just get to be proud that you kept going

today I’m celebrating:
change
imperfection
courage

that skinny girl who didn’t give up
and today’s older wiser version who still isn’t

what’s a life change you’re celebrating today?

you’ve been warned

this account isn’t trying to be for everyone

if you’re looking for perfect photos, polished success or someone pretending they’ve got it all figured out you’ll probably be disappointed

this is where i share the messy middle

the mistakes
the wins
the lessons
the scams i fell for
the jobs i should never have taken
the moments i almost gave up
and the photos that remind me why i keep going

because carrying a camera was never really the point

it was learning to see differently
to start over
and to prove that life doesn’t stop at 50

if that’s not your thing it’s completely okay to unfollow

but if you’re building a new chapter one imperfect step at a time you’re exactly where you belong

if you’re thinking “yep that’s me” — let’s be friends ♥️

right here right now

i’m so inspired by people in midlife,
doing our thing,
living absolutely in the moment,
living our weird and wonderful dreams,

and giving not a single f***

is this you? drop a 🔥

we are more connected than we think

sometimes it’s a stadium full of strangers cheering for the same team

sometimes it’s a family celebration

sometimes it’s a quiet moment with a pet

sometimes it’s a goodbye

this is part two of this month’s friday focus, where 20 photographers explore the moments, places and connections that bring people together

from weddings to beaches, flights to bars, screens to streets, these photos remind us that photography is really about one thing

people

because every photo is a story about who was there, what was felt, and why that moment mattered

that’s why i created friday focus — to give photographers a space to share their stories, find inspiration and connect with a global creative community

next month, your photo could be part of the story

what moment of connection would you never want to forget?



share your answer below and join the friday focus community

what brings people together?

a world cup final

a wedding

a flight

fireworks

a beach at sunset

a stage performance

even our (oh-so-evil) smartphones bring us together

this month’s friday focus challenged 20 photographers to explore one simple idea

bringing people together

and that’s exactly what photography does

it freezes the moments we’ll laugh about years from now

the people we’ll miss

the celebrations we’ll never forget

the ordinary moments that quietly become extraordinary

as the football world turns its attention to sunday’s final, millions of complete strangers will cheer, celebrate and experience the same emotions together

that’s worth noticing

because photography isn’t just about making beautiful pictures

it’s about documenting what connects us

if you’re looking for photography inspiration, creative photo challenges and a community that believes every photo tells a story, you’re in the right place

next month, we’d love you to join friday focus and show us your interpretation of the theme

until then...

which photograph brought you into the story today?

some things i’m OBSESSED with right now

and talking of midlife, who remembers dancing to this at a club?

drop a 💃 if you get me