2012 Blackbox

So, it's that time of year again, when I can close the "Blackbox" for 2012, and look back on the year of photography.  I've talked about what they are before, so go back and read that post if none of this makes any sense.  Here's the collection, and some number crunching:

• 150 shoots in total.  Officially my busiest year ever, although from the state of my exhaustion by late Autumn I could have told you that without any sums.
• 8 Shoots that were almost all video, with only a handful of stills, and 34 shoots where I shot video alongside stills.
• Paris, French Alps, Berlin, Arizona, Barcelona (twice), Abu Dhabi, and of course, all over the UK
• 9 Members of Team GB
• 12 European Tour players
• 7 Personal shoots
• 21 Different clients

 Of course, none of these numbers tell any of the interesting stories - getting to play with dogs for 2 days on a book shoot, riding horses through the Arizona desert, shooting on beaches in Northumberland and Penthouses in London, meeting ultra marathon runners, premiership footballers, organisers of the Olympics, paralympians, and 3 2012 gold medallists, having a nearly personal fly past by the Red Arrows, going trail running in the French Alps, appearing in a reality TV show, shooting from the back of a very fast moving motorbike, and getting as muddy and as knackered as always at the annual Men's Health Survival Series.

Next year I reckon I'll be seeing even more video, possibly more Women's sport and fitness stuff, and of course, quite a bit more travel.  On a personal note, 150 shoots in a year is very nearly my physical limit, so perhaps a bit of "charge more, shoot less" might be called for.  Any of my clients want to volunteer to up my fees?

All the best for 2013, I promise I'll try and blog more next year, and there may even be another lecture tour or similar on the cards.