Although 2020 was a really shitty year I’m sure some good came out of it for some people. I’ve got friends who have had babies during lockdowns; I’ve known people to focus on their studies and achieved new qualifications. For me, I had one of my photos published by my favourite photographer Rankin.
Rankin had started a project called ‘Rankin’s 2020’ where he wanted photographers of all ages and experience to submit a photo that summed up their 2020. The categories were Beauty, Self, Nature, Empathy, Fun and my chosen category Family.
I was told about the project by my sister-in-law and subsequently heard it advertised on the radio, TV and online. I had a quick think and look through some of my lockdown images that I had taken while still living in Dubai, none of them really spoke to me. It was when I noticed my son and my father together chatting in the shed, I think dad was showing Fin how to fix something? I quickly took a few photos on my iPhone 6S. When I had a look through them I selected one and did a little edit right there on the phone. I normally used a Canon 5Dmk3 and Lightroom or Photoshop. I decided to keep the edit quite simple and turn it black and white.
The rest they say is history as the image was shortlisted and then selected to be televised on Sky Arts and included in the book. Fantastic.
It was a brilliant end to what was a stressful year.
