Your stories of insipration - Ginny Wren
This week’s dose of inspiration is from Ginny Wren, who first came on a workshop with me in 2020 when she was completely new to street photography (and I think fairly new to photography generally). Since then Ginny, who lives in Northern Ireland, has had a roller-coaster of a street photography journey and I asked her to share that journey with you.
What I love about this story, and my main reason for sharing it with you, is Ginny’s determination and hard work, particularly having bounced back from what seemed like a near-terminal meltdown and feelings of self doubt - not to mention her rapid progress in such a short space of time: a real ‘zero to hero’ example.
Here’s Ginny’s story . . .
“After an enjoyable inaugural two years of street photography, by Summer 2022 I was beginning to doubt my capabilities and found myself becoming quite overwhelmed by the process. I'll not go into details but I felt burnt-out and needed to take a break from photography so I put the camera away, came off all social media and gave myself a complete break from all things photography related. I didn't know if I'd return to it, certainly at the time it didn't seem likely.
A couple of months later I realised how much I missed it and decided to slowly return but something needed to change. So I needed to figure out what went wrong the first time around and I realised the issue was of my own doing. It was a mixture of having unrealistic expectations; feeling disadvantaged due to financial and travel constraints; and self-induced pressure to produce images that were good enough to want to share.
I restarted afresh on new terms that suited me and my lifestyle and have had an amazing ten months! I've had commissions, been head-hunted, taken part in exhibitions, produced a successful zine, been published in a photography magazine and met the most wonderful people along the way! So what changed? My mindset and a re-enforced belief in serendipity.
I removed the false belief that I needed to post daily on social media. Now I'll only post as and when with the understanding that the number of likes isn't directly linked to the quality of the image and is beyond my control anyway. What I do believe is that the right people will see it, those who 'get' it or whose opinion matters to me either way.
I couldn't enter competitions as I couldn't justify the submission charges so I felt I was missing out. Instead I entered competitions and open calls with free entry and had some success. I can't afford to pay to study for qualifications so I teach myself. There are no photography related letters after my name but my favourite photographers are also qualification-free so I'm in good company! Of course it would be nice, but not currently possible so I'll just get on with improving in my own way. Workshops are great but only if you practise what you have been shown and I was guilty in the past of enjoying the experience but not using what was taught. That had to change also! Buying all the books I would like isn't possible but I can find articles and photographs online. Online talks are good value for money.
Exhibitions: sometimes opportunities come at the wrong time and it's okay to say ‘no’ to preserve your integrity and finances for something more satisfying for the soul.
Trends: I’ve never followed them and it’s unlikely I ever will. Before, I felt that perhaps I was missing out by not engaging in trends in terms of colours, subjects or styles; that my photography would get more recognition if I participated but that just would've been an image 'in the style of' rather than my own influence. I'm okay with doing my own thing.
I thought I needed to travel outside Northern Ireland for street photography and I really didn't. I decided to stay closer to home and make the most of what is available here and I think my photography is better for it. I feel large cities are easier to capture as it's more possible to go unnoticed and blend in - and there are more street events to capture. By honing my skills in Belfast I feel more brave and accomplished.
Basically, I had wanted 'too much too soon' and lost my way. I thought I needed the same achievements of others to prove myself. I'd lost sight of what it was that made me fall in love with street photography in the first place and that is the joy of being out on the streets not knowing what I might discover but ready for whatever comes my way! I needed to start back out on the streets taking photos and let the rest grow naturally. By trying to hasten my development I had actually stunted it. It was important to fall back in love with the streets and the spontaneity of it all.
More self-belief and progressing at my own pace has really helped. I needed to acknowledge my limitations and accept what I couldn't change. More than listening to the crowd it is more beneficial for me to take on board the critique and opinions of trusted peers. Too many influences can be disruptive.
Changing my mindset was the best thing I could've done and if I can do it then believe me, anyone can. Sometimes it's not a case of doing more but doing differently and not trying to force anything. Serendipity is my greatest motivator. Random encounters, the right place at the right time and just going with the flow has worked for me. I still carry doubt and have so much to learn and I have no idea what lies ahead but I'm happy to just keep enjoying street photography and let fate take care of the rest! “
Ginny currently has several photographs on display as part of the 'Portrait of Belfast' exhibition at Belfast Exposed Gallery and has had work accepted for display at the Ballarat International Foto Biennial at the end of August. You can follower her on Instagram here and here (please do check out her images!).
