The goal was to photograph 30 people. Initially in 30 days.

That part changed. Quickly.

Some back story: In September 2016 I was in a rut, blocked, slow on work. So I decided to shoot, edit and share a photo a day for the month. It was, for me, an overwhelming success. I met some wonderful people and ended up in some cool places. Most importantly I made some work I was really proud of at the time.

So... a success. Easy.

Here’s a wee selection of those 30 photos

Back here in 2023, around late Spring, I was quietly venting to a friend about feeling unfulfilled with a lot of the client work I was doing.

It wasn't hitting the same as the self instigated work I've loved in the past (love you, clients).

It's a forever battle in the creative world, at every level as far as I can tell, that the work we love to make isn't always the work that pays the bills.

My friend I was moaning to, in his unfiltered wisdom told me

"Stop talking about doing it,
Just fucking do it "
Euan’s Pal 2023

Which I think was actually the original, but doomed Nike campaign.

So away I went, full of beans ready to repeat my astonishing success of 7 years younger me.

Here is where it feels natural to start offering up excuses. Because, as you night have guessed, no I did not shoot 30 portraits in 30 days.

2020 me was different in many ways. I am now up one 5 year old and a daily school run. Business is much busier. And crucially, why the duck did it seem like a good idea to do it at the very busiest time of year, and this year my first time dealing with school summer holidays no less. Madness.

Anyway, some time in late July I realised it was doomed. I fudged and extended. I shot more than I posted, because I felt embarrassed that I had failed. Only now am I questioning myself. Did I fail?

Well, yes. I did.

But, don't I get to pick the measuring stick for what means success to me? Last time felt successful because of the people and the work. By that same metric, this has been a truly great experience. I might have fallen short of the volume. The goal of 30 in 30. But the intent was bigger than the goal.

The intention? To make work I was happy with, that was some kind of challenge to me. And in that regard, smashed it mate!

I've been working as a photographer for a long time now and I'm in the lovely position of people often asking for advice or solutions to problems.

So all this is to say, you get to define your own success in this life. Don't be bound by what others choose for you. Or even by an older version of yourself. We're growing and learning every day. Hopefully we are anyway.

Find a goal, shoot for it.

Do it with intent and don't dare stop moving if you miss, this time.

Here are a lot of the images I shot this Summer with this project in mind. I’m very happy with a lot of them. In some of them I see elements of ideas I want to explore and in some of them I see a day when I really wasn’t pushing myself. Which in itself is a lesson. They’re all serving the purpose of making me better at what I do. So I’m glad to already be working on the next silly idea.

30 Days of Summer // A lesson in Failing