As some of you may know, I now co-host a podcast called Photo Mama Podcast.
I will speak more about it later on in the new year.
The reason I bring it up is because, my co-host and I were reflecting on how fast 2023 felt â listen to the episode here. When I did my review for 2022, I also mentioned how fast 2021 felt. Is it me or does time seem to be going fast these days?
Anyway, we are back with another review for my blog and looking at the stats compared to last year, I somewhat dropped the ball abit. However, I am glad that I found new ways of challenging myself with my blogging beyond the 30 Day Photo Project. Which I am actually surprised by how I have somehow managed to keep it going. The urge to quit was strong, but I relented.
Letâs not make this blog post longer than it should be, but before I go, I would like to thank you for reading this review, subscribing to my blog (if you havenât, why not?) and just being your awesome self.
Happy New Year and my it bring with it good fortunes and prosperity we all deserve.
Now to the number crunching for my blog for 2023 đđŸ
Video version with music đ
What would you like to see more of in 2024? Please let me know by leaving a comment below.
Thank you for reading this to the end and I wish you all the best in the year to come.
Just when I though 2021 flew right by, here come 2022 to prove me wrong. I guess it has something to do with the world going back to some sort of normalcy. I mean, Covid is still with us, but as a whole we are all adjusting to the new norm, right?
Looking back at my highs and lows of the previous year, I can only be grateful. I also have to remind myself that all wins, big or small, are worth celebrating and all losses are lessons to live by and learn from.
I just hope that 2023 brings with it the good fortunes and prosperity we all deserve.
Anyway, I did some number crunching for my blog and here are my stats for 2022.
Blogging-wise, 2022 was not bad and I know I can do better, but I am happy that I stuck with my plan to blog at least once a week, with the exception of the months with 30 Days where I blog on a daily basis and August & December where I took a break for summer and Christmas.
I am really looking forward to 2023 as I cannot wait to share more of my work here and continue with the 30 Day Photo Projects.
What would you like to see more of in 2023? Please let me know by leaving a comment below.
Thank you for reading this to the end and I wish you all the best in the year to come.
Is it me or did 2021 just fly by? Looking back at the previous year (2020), last year didnât seem that bad and I am so hopeful for what is in store for 2022. After all, we now just have to learn to live with the new global changes that are happening all around us. As long as we support and take care of each other, we will be good, right?
Of course, the year was not all that bad for some with a few achievements here and there. I certainly can find one or two things to celebrate and I am sure you will agree with me that one positive should be enough to motivate us to keep fighting for better outcomes in dire situations.
I just hope that 2022 brings with it the good fortunes and prosperity we all deserve.
Anyway, I did some number crunching for my blog and here are my stats for 2021.
Blogging-wise, 2021 was not bad and I know I can do better, but I am happy that I stuck with my plan to blog at least once a week, with the exception of the months with 30 Days where I blog on a daily basis.
I am really looking forward to 2022 as I cannot wait to share more of my work here and continue with the 30 Day Photo Projects.
What would you like to see more of in 2022? Please let me know by leaving a comment below.
Thank you for reading this to the end and I wish you all the best in the year to come.
What a year 2020 was? For most of us it started with loads of hope and then it went downhill from there. As in, what was that year even? I am sure for a lot of us, it was a year we would like to forget.
Of course the year was not all that bad for some with a few achievements here and there. I certainly can find one or two things to celebrate, but the negatives of the year can easily erase those good memories. On reflection though, that one positive should be enough though to motivate you to keep fighting for better outcomes in dire situations. Right?
I just hope that 2021 brings with it good fortune and prosperity we all deserve.
Anyway, I did some number crunching for my blog and here are my stats for 2020.
Blogging-wise, 2020 was a good year for me as I stuck to my plan to blog at least once a week, with the exception of August as I was in the middle of finishing my Postgrad and it needed my attention.
I am really looking forward to 2021 as I cannot wait to share more of my work here and continue with the 30 Day Photo Challenges.
What would you like to see more of in 2021? Please let me know by leaving a comment below.
Thank you for reading this to the end and I wish you all the best in the year to come.
What a year 2016 has been. I bet most of you would like to see the back of it and hope that 2017 will be much much better.
Well, the last time I did this review, I was under the assumption that I would attempt to blog as much as I would. I guess I should stop talking typing about it and just get on with it.
I know, I know. You are supposed to review what you have blogged about in 2016. Truth be told, I have only put up like 9 posts in 2016 and I will be including some if it in my review. So I thought I just put up what I have actually been up to in 2016 with a few insights here and there.
With that said, I have actually had a busy 2016, much of which I have shared on my Instagram feed, but I will share some of those highlights here with a few new images.
It is kind of a long blog post as I will be covering all 12 months of 2016 (even if I did nothing photographically that month).
So here goesâŠ
January 2016
Whilst in the studio working on a project that never saw the light of day, I got a chance to photograph Aster, who is also a photographer. You can follow her on Instagram or check out her work here.
Aster, 2016
It was whilst working on the project I mentioned above that I made a conscious decision to spend a lot of time in the studio just getting to learn more about lighting, what works and what doesnât. Basically, I and a few friends were on a mission to build our studio lighting confidence in a way, like this image of myself taken with the help of my photographer friend, Michael Tubi.
Elsie, 2016
Also, this gave me a chance to work on my people skills whilst taking their picture. It is not an easy fete, making someone feel comfortable in front of a lens. It also made me learn a few things about myself as a photographer and what I enjoy doing.
My time in the studio also gave me ideas on how to work towards my final project my degree and future projects moving forward. 2016 was definitely looking up.
February 2016
The sporting calendar or should I say, my sporting photography calendar for the year started in February with the Rugby Six Nations tournaments kicking it off.
I managed to get access to a few of the England Womenâs matches that happened at The Twickenham Stoop and Twickenham Stadium.
London, UK. 27th February 2016. A lineout during the Womenâs Six Nations match between England and Ireland at Twickenham. England won the match 13 â 9. Credit: Elsie Kibue
On top of this, I was busy researching, planning and working out my final year project (FMP) for my degree. So anything I did henceforth formed as part of my research.
March 2016
By now it was already settled that I would be focusing my FMP on âWomen in Sportsâ and I was experimenting with different concepts. This image I took of some of the University of Westminster netball team before they got ready for a match at the campus sports hall.
UniWest Netball Team, 2016.
At the same time, when the opportunity arose, I was back in the studio building my portraits portfolio. I got to work with a singer, songwriter, Vicky Sola in collaboration again with Michael Tubi.
Vicky Sola, 2016.
April 2016
London Marathon month was here and I again got access to cover the press events leading up to marathon day itself. I always enjoy myself when I am out and about photographing sports athletes. This year, one of my images ended up being used on the front cover of a newspaper in Scotland. My first ever FRONT PAGE.âșïžÂ One of the highlights of the year.
ACTUAL IMAGE â London, UK. 24th April 2016. Callum Hawkins first of the British men elite runners to cross the finish line during Sundayâs Virgin Money London Marathon. Callum Hawkins crossing the finish line first with a time of 02:10:52 coming 8th overall. Credit: Elsie Kibue
Newspaper Usage / Tearsheet
May 2016
May is always a busy one for me as it is my birthday month and the London Rugby Sevens Series comes into town for its final leg. A weekend of rugby sevens usually takes its toll on me that it takes me a few days to recover after the tournament. I thought I do something different from the norm and I ended up taking the Kenya 7s team photos with my Instax Mini 8 camera and they got featured in the Instax UK HQ Instagram account.
I suppose this is where it all started, my ongoing project of getting instant portraits of athletes and they get to sign the image as soon as it is printed.
Also, a few of my images were turned into illustrations by an artist based in Kenya, Dennis Muiruri.
Willy Ambaka â Actual Image & Illustration
Biko Adema â Actual Image & Illustration
June 2016
This month was one hectic month. It was the month that was full of mixed emotions. It was the month that the Degree Show happened. It came and went by so fast, that the months leading up to this felt like a weird blurry past.
My âWomen in Sportsâ project was complete.
I was actually gutted by one thing thoughâŠthe prints refused to stay up on the wall. It was a good and bad thing. No one foresees such circumstances, but you just have to roll with the punches and exhibit the best way that you can. So, they ended up on the floor.
And this is how when the Travers Smith staff came by to see our work, found them and something about my project made them pick it for the CRS Art Programme their firm started in 2015. Boy was I beside myself when I got the news that my work was selected. It had been an emotional few months leading up to the exhibition as I was really struggling to come up with a concept/project that I would be on going beyond my degree.
My continued collaboration with Frenglish (French & English) Artist & Producer, Man Like Nells happened. We went back to the studio to shoot some more images for promotional work.
Nells EP Photoshoot
Nells EP Photoshoot
The second image ended up being used in an interview Man Like Nells had with MOBO later in the year in December. You can read the whole interview here.
July 2016
With the rollercoaster that June was, I just decided to enter a photo competition, enjoy the summer, my kids, prepare my prints for Travers Smith and wait for the Olympic games to begin really. I unconsciously âput awayâ my camera.
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August 2016
This is the month that literally was taken over by the Olympic Games and dissertation planning/writing strategies.
September 2016
The academic year in the UK starts and I am basically planning my next few months of writing schedules and what I can also do in-between to keep my photography mojo going. So I organised a few photo shoots with the Menâs Basketball team from University, but this ended up happening in October once all the freshers were settled and teams finalised. So, I didnât do much photography wise other than a store opening in my areaâŠ
Visited the 1:54 Contemporary African Art Fairin Somerset House, saw some artwork and also researched for my dissertation as I would be writing on African Photography. I also managed to attend the official launch of the England Womenâs Rugby Team, aptly named the RED ROSES.
It was also the month the winners for the MyAfrica Photo Competition were announced. Unfortunately, I did not win, but my submitted image was one of the few selected to be featured in the Mo Ibrahim Foundation competition gallery.
October 2016
Other than the pressure of writing a 10k paper, I managed to squeeze in a few days of photo shoots. As planned, the Universityâs photo shoot went ahead as the UK continued to bask in an extended summer of sorts.
November 2016
The month the World Rugby Awards came into town as well as the World Rugby ConfEx.
I took the opportunity at the WR Awards to continue on with my Instax project. This time shot using the Fujifilm Instax Mini 70 that I bought so I could gift the Mini 8 to my son.
December 2016
Not much happened in December as this was and still is my current moodâŠ(throwing in parenting into the mix).
I decided to âchill outâ and plan for the new year. So I will end this review with the gem I created with my heartbeats. After all, I do consider myself a mumtog (a mother and photographer).
2016 has certainly been interesting, but I am really looking forward to what 2017 has in store.
What would they like to see more of in 2017? Please let me know by leaving a comment below.
Thank you for reading this to the end and I wish you all the best in the year to come.
