Like loads of other photographers, I had an interest in photography since I was young but I always saw it as a hobby. I never thought of photography as a career at that time. My aim was to become an architect or an interior designer but gosh I was wrong!
I moved to Wrexham in 2015 from Malta to study Fine Art at Glyndwr University. No idea what my medium was going to be but it turned out after experimenting with different media, my work was drawn towards photography. It was based on self-portraiture and also a bit of filming. Just to give you an idea, my work was inspired by artists like Francesca Woodman and Cindy Sherman.
At this point, I still didn't think I'd have a career in photography (basically I didn't know what I wanted to do as a job after graduation like most students that study an art degree).
That same year I finished my degree, I saw some newborn photography work from other photographers and I was really impressed with their skills (composition, creativity and editing). That really inspired me and thought to myself, why not try something like that. At the end of the day, you only know if it will work by giving it a try. So I started asking friends and my in-laws to take portraits of them and also their kids for free.
This happened in 2019 but then of course 2020 hit and that definitely didn't help anyone with their business. In the meantime, I still kept trying by offering free shoots to get more experience especially with newborn babies. During lockdowns, I did experiment a bit more with self-portraits and also used my time to do research and get ideas about portrait photography (newborn photography, family portraits, weddings, etc.).
Three years have passed since that time I did those free shoots but the past year has been my first successful year. I still work a part time job on the side while I'm working as a photographer. There's still so much to learn but everything comes through experience and by pushing yourself to try your best especially when you're passionate about something you love doing.
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