Part of the appeal for me was knowing that this was taken despite losing camera gear to the electronics gremlins (I guess thats why we have back ups!). Things had also changed between setting up before the event and it starting, meaning it was taken pretty much on the fly. Instinct kicked in while setting up the lights (the room was pretty dark so this is lit by flash units from each side of the auditorium) and I was pleased that I was able to nail it first time.
The real reason I like the photo is emotional though. The person in the photo is Lord Laming of Tewin, and it was taken at a presentation for a local charity. They have been providing grants to help local people make the most of opportunities that come their way and I've done a number of jobs for the charity over the last year. It never fails to impress me the hard work and dedication that so many people have for making the world a better place, and how often these people are doing it for no financial reward.
It is hard when running your own busines (and indeed setting up a 2nd one to run alongside it) to remember that there is a world around you where life is not so easy. Not everything runs as smoothly as you'd want it to out there. It is a goal of the business though that I'm going to be putting something back. At the moment it is quite small things - freebie/reduced rates for charities, donating time and/or services to raise funds, that sort of thing but as things take off then I'm hoping to expand on this. Do I know what this will look like? Not yet. Is it good for people to think about it. Definately.
So why am I writing this? Is it because I want to look good? Nope. There are probably even some people out there that will be put off by it, but I'm writing it because it might make someone else think about starting small and because I firmly believe that what goes around comes around.
R.
