There is something magical about snow. Growing up in Canada, winter wouldn’t be winter without months of snow. There were mounds of it, for months. The first snowfall often made children (both young and old) excited. Parks filled up with sledges and toboggans. 

Living for a number of years in London, winter mainly brought rain and dampness, along with copious amounts of tea to keep warm. The last few years, however, winter has brought snow – even for a few days. 

For nearly a week now, much of the UK has had significant amounts of snow. While it’s not as much as there would be in Canada, it has certainly brought memories of Canadian winters. There has certainly been some travel chaos, closed schools and quite a few children sledging. 

I managed to get to Woodbrooke Quaker Study Centre in Selly Oaks, near Birmingham last weekend for a course. Getting there and back was a journey in itself, but well worth it. The grounds at the Centre certainly offer an oasis, and with all of the snow a wintery one. 

I have been to Woodbrooke a couple of times before – in spring and autumn. The grounds (as well as the Centre) provide a tranquil space, but in the snow, there was a different kind of peacefulness. The grounds provided a certain stillness in the snow. Nature was in a deep slumber. 

Walking mindfully around the grounds, I enjoyed the stillness and quiet. It was a quiet meditation in the snow – allowing the freshness of the cold air to fill my lungs and to walk on the powdery blanket of snow. 

I was meeting a friend in Lambeth, south London over the weekend, and had a few minutes to wait. While it wasn’t much time, I took the opportunity to look around me. It was part of Lambeth I wasn’t familiar with, and I often try to have a good look round places I don’t know – trying to at least capture photos. 

Standing by a church, I was at a cross roads. What caught my eye was a sign saying ‘Making Space’. With the start of the New Year, many people make resolutions – although often abandoning them at some point during the year. However, with a very busy 2012 with various commissions, I was beginning to miss having time for my own personal photography. I enjoyed the commissions immensely, but it’s often a very different type of photography to what I would normally do. 

While I would like to still have commissions, the ‘Making Space’ sign symbolised how I felt towards my personal photography. Deep down, I want to have more space for it and to develop it. My creative juices have been flowing and have been feeling very strong recently. I want this to be the impetus to get on with some of my own photography. 

I find it is a fine balance between the photography I am asked to do and the photography I want to do. While the commissions do pay and there is some creativity involved, the photos are for the client and reflect what they want. I enjoy working with people to create something that is meaningful for them. 

However, my personal photography shows how I see the work – and how I reflect the world back at itself. I have been feeling a change, or perhaps a maturity, in my photography, and hope to explore this more in 2013. Perhaps this is my New Year’s resolution!