12 months have flown by since my last update, in fact exactly to the date. 12 MONTHS! That's a whole year! Time to  take another reflection, and make (yet another) resolution to update these posts more regularly so it's not seen as being taken half-seriously. In fairness, the demands of my "9-5" job - "the job" have been all consuming. This October makes it my first year anniversary on "the job" and I've been striving to establish a foothold to make my mark. Not easy in a huge multi-national company with a firmly established working culture. It is "the job" that is still paying most of the bills and therefore needs to be embraced with some dedication.

That notwithstanding, what's one to do without indulging in your passion outside of your core job? When I hold my favourite kit in my hands, look down through the lens at whatever the subject is, the transformation is almost total - feeling at one with my D3s or D800, on whichever I happen to have fitted the appropriate lens for my subject, and going through the process of creating something of beauty from which nothing previously existed - art merging with science (or is it the other way round?). It is hard work, but at the same time, almost cathartic - a much welcome escape from the near drudgery of "the job". Shame, it doesn't pay anywhere as much - yet.

In retrospect over the past 12 months, it's been surprisingly busy, considering it's not a full time occupation. QlitePhotography seems to have gravitated towards covering lifestyle events and such like. Let's face it - still life subjects won't directly come back to admire your photos or pay you because you've made them come out beautiful..!

We've covered the relatively big birthdays: 

http://www.qlitephotography.com/ojuri

http://www.qlitephotography.com/tayo

http://www.qlitephotography.com/michelles

The intimate ones: 

http://www.qlitephotography.com/yinkao

http://www.qlitephotography.com/yemisi

Children’s ones:

http://www.qlitephotography.com/eliezer10

http://www.qlitephotography.com/naomi12

And even overseas ones:

http://www.qlitephotography.com/winnipeg2014

We've also covered Uni graduation ceremonies:

http://www.qlitephotography.com/fikayo

Baby naming ceremonies:

http://www.qlitephotography.com/jamal

http://www.qlitephotography.com/abisola

and a smattering of sessions in QliteStudio(many subjects have requested to be kept private):

http://www.qlitephotography.com/p516048645

All these commissions would not have been possible without the diligence and persistence of my "Marketing Manager", who incidentally has been responsible for taking a reasonable proportion of the social events photos. So, looking back, it's not been a bad 12 months at all. You would expect the bank balance to be bulging a bit, right? Yeah, right! Therein lies the conundrum facing the creative artist. Your work is only worth what another is willing to pay for it and you risk permanently undermining your worth if you're desperate to just get whatever you're offered irrespective of the effort you know has gone into producing your creative work, especially when you have contemporaries willing to accept literally pennies to hand over their work. Perhaps I am lucky to still be in a position where I can afford to charge "non-professional fees" for our engagements. However, nothing - absolutely nothing, beats handing over the finished product and the client expresses unabashed delight in what they are looking through. It kind of makes all the hard work worth it, but still makes me wonder why I have given it away for almost a pittance - not that the client ever thinks it is a pittance though!

I'm looking forward to the future and growth of QlitePhotography - as a creative outlet for me, and as a money-spinning enterprise to support me and the family. For now, it is mainly a hobby - one I take absolute pleasure in partaking in, albeit an expensive one. Take advantage now while you can...!