Sometimes you love your passion inside out. Sometimes you just want some sleep.

Once I was doing some exercise and someone said to me "you must really love doing your exercise." Loosely translated, that meant "you must really love doing [some] exercise [relative to my none]." I thought about that for a second. Apart from the occasional thought that people that don't exercise are actually the smart ones, did I really love exercising?

I can't say that I do. In fact, I can't remember the last time I started exercising with a smile.

But I do love the benefits that I get not just after exercise, but the benefits from the whole process of doing exercise.

This is kinda how I felt on Sunday morning, when I was driving around looking for a place to shoot. And when I say Sunday morning, I mean 03.30 on Sunday morning. The worst thing is I didn't even get to shoot what I had intended! I was out to do some test shots and the location was not at all suitable. The second location was more promising but the lighting was not correct. I almost felt like a landscape photographer who are known to wake up before the crack of dawn, and go to the same spot day after day waiting for the right conditions. To catch the crack of dawn involves being out around 04.00. Hence the time I was driving.

Believe me, I would rather have been in bed. I may love photography, but I don't love waking up for the summer sunrise in the summer. But then, what benefit would I get from sleeping instead of potentially taking a great image? You have to love potential.

A sunrise that I always remember in 2007 from my hotel in Greece.

"I really like Harry Potter..."

I was asked by someone who I previously did a portrait for, to do another one with a group. "Not a problem" I said.

"I really like Harry Potter..." she said.

This is the time that I would raise an eyebrow, crack a smile, and start getting really interested in what the person has in mind. It turns out she had been interested in a vision of her own Harry Potter style poster. We had spoken about it previously but it was more on her love for the movies. Maybe I should have picked up the signs! But, to be honest, it was great the way it happened. All players were in the same place at the same time (which is very rare), everyone was up for a laugh, and in no time at all, we had the basis of the final image. You should see the outtakes!

I was really proud to be asked. To trust someone to take your artistic idea, flesh it out, and transition it into reality is no small thing. In this industry, the real currency is not money, it's trust.

Angus

And so it begins...

A very warm welcome to my inaugural blog posting. It's really something that has been a long time coming. I'm sure many that know me will say "Angus?! Blog?!" Yes, it is I. Blogging it!

As I've been active but not sharing some of the work, I am going to try to be much more informative. Though to be honest, if I said this is going to be purely business, I'd be lying. I will be airing my various thoughts and musings on life and things in general.

I'll keep this post short and sweet. Things will no doubt change as ideas come and go. Flexibility is the key for progress. Even if I don't get quite as many followers as the superstars Britney Spears and Ashton Kutcher (who apparently have around 5 million Twitter followers each), it will be fun and therapeutic to see where this goes.

Stay tuned. See you soon.

ADP