My photography journey began when I was aged 13, it was the year 2010 and I picked up a Canon EOS 450D, which was my fathers, with this camera, I began photographing anything and everything, learning different angles, lighting, composition and subjects, everywhere I went the camera came with. I was the bullied kid in school, I was never able to fit in, and had severe social anxiety, and experienced several very traumatic events during my time in High School. Nonetheless, I passed my GCSE’s and when I went to college, I decided to study creative media, which I was doing really well in, until my mother nearly died, 2 weeks after my 17th Birthday. Suddenly I had to grow up.

It was very difficult going from this phase of my life where I relied on mum, and I think, you don’t realise how much you rely on someone until you nearly don’t have them, or they can’t do the same as they used to, but that same Summer, mum allowed me to get my own puppy, something I had been dying for, for years, and I fell in love with Marley, who was my friends first litter of pups, and Marley was the only boy, and very much the Runt, but we were made for each other.

My focus in life in changed, and I didn’t end up finishing college with D, M, M (minimum) which I needed for my university course of film, in-fact, I only just about passed the course. I decided to begin my studies doing a HNC Film at Stafford College, under Staffordshire University, and 2 weeks into the course, I managed to find a gap in the system to get me onto the Bachelors Degree in Digital Film & Post Production Technology - It was a no brainer, so I managed to merge my way into this instead of finishing the foundation level - it was sheer luck, really. My dad then let me use his Canon EOS 60D, which was amazing, I began getting out in the Stafford countryside and experimenting with the camera again, but University took over my focus, and my Mental Health began to deteriorate, that in University, for the first two years, I isolated myself from peers because I really struggled to socialise, I didn’t have the essential social skills I needed to communicate with peers so conversations were very difficult to be had - Then Marley began getting Seizures, something wasn’t right.

I began taking Marley to the vets, and the tests came back that he has Syringomyelia, Epilepsy, and severe allergies which required monthly immunotherapy, that had to be made in Belgium every year, specially for him - Once he began his medications for his Syringomyelia and Epilepsy, and his monthly visits, I found myself getting more and more used to the prospect of going out, filling in paper work, and taking on the world of responsibility. At times, with mums health, I would go do the shopping for her, but only a little bit, as I didn’t drive at the time, then I began a summer job called NCS, which forced me out of my comfort zones because suddenly I am a person in position of trust overlooking a large group of young people, and again, forced me to get that social exposure and responsibility I needed. I became very goal oriented.

My final year of university, I began taking Marley with me occasionally, and everyone loved him. There wasn’t a person that didn’t approach him without a smile, he loved the attention and staff and students loved giving it to him, and just seeing him bring smile to peoples faces brought a smile to mine. I managed to push myself through my final year of university and get a degree of Second Class: First Division (With Hons) in Digital Film & Post Production Technology, something a year prior I never saw possible, but with the correct help through therapy and Marley, I was able to be contented with life.

The next few years after were calm, my parents moved homes near a Zoo, in which I still live with (at the house, not the zoo, fyi), and I began taking the Canon 60D to the zoo, from here my experience in photography expanded and my passion in the area took off, I found my niche, animals. I would go to the Zoo 2-3 times a week, and eventually, lockdown hit… but this gave me chance to save up on a camera and lenses, so I purchased a Canon EOS 90D, and a Canon 70-200 f/2.8 IS USM II, and it was a life changing decision that made me set up my own Pet Photography business, in 2021! Life was good, so I thought.

Suddenly, 2022 happened. I dipped again, things from the past were resurfacing, I was burnt out, and I was miserable. I felt like my business was failing and I felt like people didn’t like me, I began hating the person I was, I tried to distract myself with pets, and even MPB Loaned me a Canon R5, which prior I was so excited to use, but when it came, my Mental Health was so severe I found it so hard to get out as often as I usually would, I just wanted to disappear. Thankfully I managed to use the Canon R5 a few times, not as much as I wanted, but enough and the results made me so happy, but I still felt so flat, something was missing. By the end of February, prior to my 25th Birthday, I went under the Home Treatment Team, and got a diagnosis of Emotionally Unstable Personality Disorder - The name alone broke me. I’m not Emotionally Unstable, I would tell myself, and when you read up on EUPD, it makes you feel like a horrible, selfish human being, and is very dehumanising, then my previous workplace began treating me differently, and everything around me was collapsing. By the end of March, I spent 1 week in Hospital on an informal basis, as I came out, things around me were exacerbating, and I did what I could to try and get shoots but I just wasn’t getting anything, I felt like a failure again - Until I took a step back and began my Petographers series.

My Petographer series is a series of Magazines, and with each magazine is research, and by the end of 2022 I decided to start working alongside pets and get stories with how they have helped people’s mental health, from Maysie the Therapy Dog, and Biker-Dotty Tranter who have both been fantastic to their owners and those around them emotional support, and I got myself in a job within Mental Health, in our NHS, which I can enjoy - I get Thursdays & Weekends off, which allows me more flexibility for shoots than ever, and I am able to set a realistic time frame of things. Marley was always my protective factor throughout, knowing he adores me, having him run up to me and lick my face and go crazy when I get home, him spending almost every living hour of me being in the house, lying next to me, it is love, Marley never judged me, Marley just wanted me to be happy. That’s where my stance on photography has changed.

Pet’s are incredible to photograph, and it’s a bonus to get paid shoots as I plan on getting a puppy in the future, to get registered with Therapy Dogs Nationwide and take them to Schools, and predominantly registered with the trust I work for, to be able to have them in Mental Health Hospitals to help rehabilitate people to better health, and also support the Staff. That half hour of a day can make someone’s day, and one day made up is one happier day to health, and each paid booking that I get will go towards supporting making this dream a reality - There is a massive gap in the market for pets and mental health, and it’s a gap I hope to fix, using photography, pets, and me. You can always make more money, but you can’t make more time.