Now I am back from Afghanistan I am hungry to work.. I have for the first time got a notebook to record ideas and concepts for personal projects.  I am amazed that this is something I have not done before because I get a lot of ideas that I then forget about.  So I have a book that I can write down ideas and concepts and include inspirational images that may have given me an idea.

An Afghan commander on a proud day as hundreds of soldier complete their basic training

I am not too sure where my Afghanistan experiences will take me.  Part of me feels that as an alien in that land I could not help but see images everywhere (sometimes I think we can get a bit blase about what we see around us every day).  Certainly the characters were plentiful.  My personal work at home is more geared towards the studio setting.  I like having the control but I now see that am able to control more in location work.  I am now the proud owner of a fairly comprehensive studio setup and I have new ideas coming out of my ears.  I just want to shoot.

A young soldier commands a vantage point as he scopes the area for signs of insurgency.

I think there is a part of me that wants to keep busy in line with the tempo I have been working for so long.  At the same time I am trying to fit back into my family that have got into their routine without me.  I have leave, too much leave but I have to take it.  This should give me the opportunity to work while keeping my feet grounded.  As my wife will agree, I do have a habit of being too focused on some things while neglecting others, something I am now aware of and do try to overcome.

Getting to know my children again is a hard reality as I have missed a huge part of their lives.

So, where do I go from here?  Photography has been a major part of my life for coming up to ten years and I just don’t see an end to that right now.  I am however fortunate to get paid for doing something I enjoy so much and find so rewarding.  I don’t have to find paying clients yet, however now is the best time to look at systems I can employ when I do.  I am fortunate that I can make business mistakes with the comfort that, for the time being at least, won’t have a negative impact on my families welfare.

Still seeing opportunity, it’s what drew me to this career.

So as I approach my photographic future, I am excited to see where I can go and just need to be bold and make the most of my situation.  I still look back at some of my Afghanistan portraits and think some of them will look good in a book as a printed record where they can be arranged as a representation of the tour.

A local Afghan watches over as his home is searched by British soldiers.

All in all there is plenty to keep me occupied for a little while but I need to make sure I push myself more creatively too.  So keep an eye out as I am sure I will be posting the odd thing on here.

A mass of faces, the new generation of the security of Afghanistan