Brain Damage Designs

I appreciate the energy of local charities and always want to support it. Over the years I’ve learned how to do it in a way that’s sustainable for me as a creator.

Like every year, my local WOŚP (Great Orchestra of Christmas Charity) team reached out for a contribution. They started by asking if I’d do a free photo reportage of the event. I had to pass on that. I’m more than happy to show up as an extra pair of hands. Come early, move tables, or set up the sound system. However I don't want it to turn into a "regular workday" with deadlines and a shot list.

Think of it this way: if a venue hosts an event for free, they’re still not going to serve free drinks all night.

I also turned down the request for a photoshoot voucher, and not just for financial reasons (though studio rent and gear wear-and-tear are very real costs). The main issue is that auction winners often aren't my target audience. This usually leads to a mismatch in expectations and dissatisfaction on both sides. I’d rather spare both myself and the winner that experience.

Instead, I offered one of my prints: a black-and-white panoramic landscape featuring a stranger watching crashing waves. When choosing a photo for sale or auction, I follow three rules:

Kill your darlings. The photo shouldn't be too personal to the author. No one wants a photo of my dog or child on their wall, no matter how objectively "great" it is.

Timelessness. It should resonate regardless of age, gender, or beliefs. It should touch on the essence of being human. Longing, transience, or reflection.

Clarity. It needs to be "clean." No chaos or distractions. People love symmetry and leading lines because they bring peace to a space.

Is my photo all of those things? It’s not for me to judge. Art isn't a race with a clear winner; you can’t measure it with a stopwatch.

Stay tuned for more information ❤️

2025 is winding down. LinkedIn is flooded with 'look at my stats' graphs and people high-fiving themselves. Business as usual on Instagram and TikTok, too. Short-form videos are still wrecking kids' attention spans. Facebook is the only place that's a bit more chill. You can actually tune out the constant noise and join a few hobby groups instead. Sharing tips and meeting up in the real world is what social media should actually be about. Zuck wants us to trade reality for headsets fueled by AI brain-rot. But hey, as always, the choice is ours.

I pretty much opted out this year. I kept the social media drip going, but only to maintain basic life functions. I’ve been buried in my research for this final year of uni, analyzing not just my own business, but everything else around it too. It turns out there's a whole world outside the scroll.

I wrote a huge research paper on negative marketing. I analyzed how the pros from Silicon Valley manipulate our behavior just to keep us in a 'buy-more' trance. Their goal? Keep us in a consumerist bliss while we mentally spiral down the drain.

2026 is going to be different. Sure, making pretty visuals and taking photos of gorgeous women is great for the soul, but it's time to aim at some bigger targets. I’m shifting gears to higher-caliber stuff. I’ll be making some noise about it in January, so keep your eyes peeled.

Meanwhile, I’m leaving you with some highlights from my shoot with the beautiful Julia. Consider this my final curtain call for 2025. On another note, you'll be able to catch my work from a different session (with Camila) in Maxi Magazine soon. Not a bad way to end the year, right?

Both models were styled by Natalia.K makeup Doncaster, the most gifted makeup artist I’ve ever worked with. She never misses.

Oh, and the most important part: a huge shout-out to my tireless wife for putting up with me for another year. You're a saint! :)

Photographers have this habit of going back to their old, unedited photos in search of hidden gems. Why does it happen? We mature as artists and begin to look at the world through a different lens. Frames that once felt completely uninteresting can, years later, turn out to be fascinating. How could we have missed their potential before?
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Model: Jamie
2018

Another series of photos for a friendly sushi bar Taka Sushi Doncaster. Silver, Gold and Luxury sets. The photos finally landed on Just Eat. Everything you see was prepared in-house. No Photoshop tricks, no AI beautification. Maybe I'm a bit old-fashioned, but I guess that's the point?