This time last year, well not exactly this time as it's Tuesday morning, but, last year in the evening I was sitting in my garden with my dog beside me sipping a nice cold glass of Sancerre in the evening sunshine.  Fast forward a year and it couldn't be more different, this weekend we've seen rain, more rain and then as the icing on the weather cake, some snow!

I rescheduled 20 outdoor photo shoots and to put that in to context, I've had more reschedules due to the weather this year than I had in the whole year last year, I think it's probably the worst weather I've ever seen as a portrait photographer in 12 years of business.

I'm not really sure what the answer is or even if there is an answer, I simply have to wait for the sun to come out so I can get back into the swing of things.  I'm lucky really, I booked 5 weddings last week for 2018, 2019 and even one for 2020, I'd decided that I wanted to increase the number of shorter bookings that I shoot and so the universe made it possible, maybe the rain was a large hint?  I also wonder if it's the rental lens I've hung onto since early January, I've even mused that it might be cursed, well it's going back later today and yesterday I went and picked up my very own Canon 24-70 f2.8L, here's hoping the curse doesn't spread.  My OH helpfully suggested that maybe it didn't want to be a portrait lens, maybe it preferred landscapes, I'm sure he's partially right because on Friday when it apocalyptically rained all day in Newcastle, me, my camera and the cursed lens went to the Lake District and took some beautiful photographs which are now buried deep in my editing pile, don't worry, they're worth waiting for.

I should have published my April roundup post today but it's been so dark and I really wanted light springlike photos, looks like I'm going to have to do them today and then just make them look light and bright and sunny, I think I might require a miracle as it's as equally grim today as it has been all weekend.

Tomorrow, I fly to the Emerald Isle, the land of Eire, a place I've never been before but somewhere I can't wait to visit, we have activities already planned, the Guiness factory with the amazing views of Dublin from the top floor, the Zoo because Looby loves the Zoo and the National museum of the Leprechaun because, well, Ireland, maybe I'll meet one who can lift the weather curse from Newcastle?

Whatever happens and however much it rains, I don't care, I am myself waterproof and I'm taking the big camera for epic shots of Ireland, on Friday Looby and I are going to try and go somewhere rural so we can get a real taste of the republic of Ireland, it's so lovely to be travelling again and I mused to Harriet that it's the first time I'll have flown to somewhere that isn't warmer than the UK, still a bit gutted that it's not a constant 22c and sunny in Dublin, hehe!

Having checked the flights much further ahead i've duly noted flights to Palma for £20 per person in a couple of weeks so the time has come to start a mega travel education with Looby I think although that does require an income and in my case, an income requires weather that isn't constantly flipping raining!  Wish me luck breaking the curse! 

I've had enough

Usually when it's been a few days since I've posted it's because I've been busy, work has been hectic and I've not had time to sit down and write.  I'll be honest and say this time I've had nothing to say because nothing has happened, I've sat indoors and pretty much done nothing other than shake my fist at the sky lamenting "Snow, I hate you, Winter, I hate your face"

I really am quite primal and ruled by the sun, the seasons and the phases of the moon so right now after nearly a week of snow and yellow darkness I've transformed back into a bear-like state of hibernation and I was only just starting to emerge from my long winter nap!

I've been dying to get back out there photographing small people and their families in the near springlike sunshine and instead I've been "putting an extra 50p in the gas meter" (old term, if you're not familiar, you were born after the 70's) huddled by every radiator in my house.  When you have Reynauds Phenomena, winter isn't your friend and foot deep snow is the kind of thing that nightmares are made of.

I'm off to Chaophraya today to review their new menu with Abigail and I'm also going out for lunch tomorrow, the outdoors should do me some good as long as I'm not actually out for too long!  Even Holly Bobbins hates the snow and cold,  when she's been out with human sister Looby she's wanted to come home not long after she's gotten out there and I can't say I blame her, I can't imagine wandering around in the snow barefoot can be fun for very long.

With skies full of snow it's understandable that the weather isn't inspiring anyone to book outdoor portraits, usually I would be resuming a full schedule of photography all day Saturday and Sunday's by now and instead I'm already looking at next weekends weather wondering if the planned Mother's Day sessions on Saturday will even go ahead. In the Northeast at least it looks like being a mix of snow, rain and very cloudy skies this week.  It's been the worst start to the year for outdoor bookings that I've ever known in over 11 years so forgive me if I sound a little low.

You know by now, I'm such a positive person and I continue to try and diversify my business so can do photography from home but that takes time, just getting the word out there and getting people to take a chance on you when your niche is completely different to the direction you want to go is a big ask but I have to say, I know photography inside and out, I've probably taken photos every single day in one form or another for at least the last 12 or 13 years, I have this crazy creative brain and I know that I can achieve anything if I put my mind to it.

One month from now we will be finally in spring, it will be Easter and the sun will shine and the glorious spring flowers will be in full bloom, I mean surely, spring cannot be as bad as winter.  I'm so excited for daffodils and tulips and ranunculus and cherry blossom.  I'm excited to do more travel, go on more adventures and yes, I'm glad Looby and I didn't go to Scotland last week, it was an option at one point but blimey, the universe stopped that idea.

The photos on my blog today were actually taken just over a week ago on my way home from work, the sun was shining, the crocuses were in bloom on the way into Heaton Park and I skipped home after a lovely photo shoot thinking, that's it, spring is nearly here, work is on the upturn, I'd seen the reports of incoming weather but I don't think anyone believed just how bad the weather was going to get.

I can say in all certainty though that spring will soon arrive and so book your mini photo shoots, prepare yourself to make some memories together or maybe your wedding is just around the corner, come speak to me about photographing it for you, especially if you just want a couple of hours, let's all look forward together to a year which promises sunshine, it's almost a given that after cold, cold winters, you get gloriously hot summers and I for one will be out in the sunshine enjoying every single minute.

Rainy Saturday.

I woke up this morning dear reader to find that all of the lovely autumn weather had been replaced by weather suitable only for ducks (actually that is a myth, they really don't like getting wet) and moisture starved flowers and plants.  This weather does not happy photographs make and for the first time in forever I have had to reschedule 10 photo shoots and let me tell you that rescheduling 10 photo shoots isn't the easiest thing in the world but hey ho, they're all done and fitted into new places over the coming weeks.

This of course now leaves me with a very rainy Saturday in my schedule, a Saturday I have to spend on my own, Abigail and Petunia are at their dads, Looby is partying again with friends and Iain, well he doesn't count as he's usually found in the same small corner of his bedroom plugged into something, he's definitely not one for embracing the rain with red wellington boots.

My mood today is a little like the weather, I find that even though I am a positive person some days it's just a big fight up a very steep hill to maintain the positivity, today is definitely one of those days. You see I think if it's going to be rainy and you need to batten down the hatches you should do it with chocolate cake and friends and family around all snuggled under blankets while you watch movies and drink hot chocolate, it's not a place for single alone people who have no plans or places to go.

I may go out for a walk in the rain, I think it's probably not safe to take my camera with me, waterlogged technology was never a good idea, apparently my camera is waterproof but I have no urge to check if that's actually true.  I may actually just stay in bed although I did that on Monday when I was ill and it's really not that exciting, maybe if you are 4 it's a wonderful thing but not so much when you're 40 and all you can see out of the corner of your eye is My Little Pony and Lucy the scary Welsh doll.

Whatever you do today dear reader don't spend it alone like me, get your friends and family around and bake huge chocolate cakes for them or maybe all cook together to make a huge pot of chilli, that is exactly what I would be doing right now if I could fix the broken pieces back together with family superglue.