Discoveries & Revelations
It occurred to me the other day that I am not what I tell people I am. Or, More accurately I do not do what I think I do.
If that sounds confusing. You are not alone. It took me years to realize this.
Quite obviously, I am a photographer. A creative, an artist. It is what is written on the box when you visit my site. Or receive my business card. It is written in my email signature. This title is one I have given myself and has been bestowed on me by others countless times. They and I are not wrong. But in a way. They and I are wrong.
I am not simply a photographer. I am a problem solver, a solutions finder. Except, unlike others, my tools are not mathematics, or geometry, or psychological thinking. My tools are creativity and a camera. Or, at times, in my workshop and hobbies, an angle grinder and pieces of steel. But that’s another story altogether.
So why am I bringing this up? Why write about this now? 20 years into my photography career, why am I relabeling myself?
For a few years now I have been in a creative slump. Not having the drive to make things. Seeing newer talent rise around me. And wondering where I fit into all this. This crowded creative space. It has been a startling departure from what I used to feel. Ideas popping up all the time. Excitement over the possibility of the next project. No matter how mundane it might sound.
As a result I became disillusioned with the idea of the career I created for myself out of nothing.
Please do not misunderstand. When I look back on my career as a photographer I am impressed with what I have done. I taught myself along with the help of a lot of internet reading. And an unhealthy obsession with photography, to turn a hobby into a career. I take pride in knowing that I deliver photographs and videos that my clients have used for years. I know I create timeless photography. I don’t follow trends in photography, I create what I find beautiful. And I know my clients respond to that.
What I never learned though was the business side of photography. Likely because I fell into photography work. When I started my career in Vietnam there wasn’t much competition. The magazine I worked for also helped. Jobs were plentiful and I was everywhere. Magazine work took me all over the city and the country. Covering events, making portraits, architecture, food, everything! As a result, people saw me everyday. The business took care of itself me by “being out there”.
Along the way I learned from others and they learned from me. The circle of ideas flowed regularly.
In 2014 I left my position as Photo Editor at AsiaLIFE magazine. Deciding to move out on my own with my career. And for a few years work did not slow down. The clients were still there. I was shooting regularly without much effort put into marketing myself.
The larger shift came in 2017 when I moved to HoiAn. It was a welcome break from the bustle of Ho Chi Minh City life. It was nice to move to the countryside and take a breath of fresh air. Both literally and figuratively.
I learned something at this time though. At least in Vietnam. If clients do not see you, then tend to forget you exist. At least in the way I had built my business.
Then, like the rest of the world, Covid was a thing. Work dried up, but I didn’t notice because no one else had work either. After covid was over the work didn’t really come back.
I tried to figure out why. I still offered the same level of quality. I know there are now a lot of other newer, younger, hungrier creatives out there. But still.
Then one day, very recently it dawned on me. While trying to figure out new ideas on how to market myself to potential clients. I am not only a creative. I am not only a photographer. If I was purely an artist I would be making different work. I would be creating what I want. Not taking commissions.
I have known for a long time that I work better in collaboration. Whether it’s with a client, or another creative person. I like blending ideas. I truly believe that everyone has creativity in them. Not all of us get to or know how to express it. I also came to the realization the first thing that comes to mind when I am in a meeting or on a call with a client. For me it isn’t the creative ideas. It’s how to. How do I make this idea work? In a practical sense. How will all the pieces physically fit together to make the creative idea come to life?
This was a lightning bolt moment for me. One I had not had since discovering photography 20 years ago.
I looked back at my older work. With the magazine, advertising shoots, architectural photography, even weddings!
I remember my first thought with each of them. HOW am I going to make this happen? What adjacent building do I get to climb to get the shot? How much lighting am I going to use, or not use? How am I going to get the model up onto that 20 tonne ship’s anchor without killing anyone? How am I going to get the angle? How can I get a unique and different view of this pool? Will someone let me hang off the side of this 40 floor building to create a shot? How am I going to do that? How am I going to light this so I don’t have to use photoshop?
None of my thoughts were about camera settings or out there creative ideas. They were all logistics problems I was SOLVING PROBLEMS. Every day. Even to the point of figuring out the fastest route across the city to get to the next shoot.
The best part about this is I have been doing it my whole life. It’s FUN!
A few years back I met a close friend. He worked for international advertising agencies for decades. And invited me to his new office. He had started his own creative firm called S10.
He told me he wanted to create a place where he gets to solve problems. Figure out what clients need and offer the best solutions. It didn’t dawn on me at that time but this is what I do as well.
The entire idea finally clicked. This is what I am good at. Yes, I am a talented photographer. I am an artist. I am creative. I have ideas. But what good are ideas if they aren’t used or implemented for people to use.
So what now? What does this all mean? Moving into 2026 now seems like a world of opportunities has opened up again. For the first time in years I know I can put my ideas forward again. With confidence.
Instead of thinking of myself as a photographer. I am now a problem solver, and creativity is my tool of choice. It is a powerful tool. One that can help my clients achieve their visions for their brands. Or, in my own personal projects. I can solve my own problems with new found confidence.
