Nearly 20 years in, and I’m still figuring out how this industry works. That’s not a complaint. It’s just the reality of being independent — there’s no HR department, no clear career ladder, no one tapping you on the shoulder telling you what comes next. You work it out as you go.

What Does It Actually Mean to Be a Documentary Filmmaker?

People ask me this more than you'd think. Usually at events, usually after I've explained what I do for the third time in a row. "So you make documentaries? Like the ones on Netflix?"

Sort of. Not exactly. Let me explain.

It's a fair question. Weddings dominate the photography market in South Yorkshire, and I'd be lying if I said the money wasn't tempting. But the honest answer is that I've never been drawn to it — not because there's anything wrong with wedding photography, but because it's simply not where my instincts live.  My instincts live in documentary. In real moments. In the kind of image that doesn't ask permission.