Another time, around 2017 I think, I was at a high end Indian wedding in Dubai. Arguably maybe the pinnacle of my destination wedding career although I didn’t realise it at the time.

I’d just had a meeting with the bride and groom, planner, and the other 4 photographers who were a team from India. I was already annoyed because I didn’t want to work as part of a team… but during the meeting while jobs were being given out – all I was told was to “do my thing” so I was feeling smug after the ego stroke.

I headed back to the room they’d got for me at the five-star wedding hotel. The thread count of the sheets was so high you basically glided in and out of bed.

I thought I’d made it and this was it for me now. High end destination weddings with infinity thread count sheets, and being told to “do my thing”.

I then saw an enquiry I’d been chatting to, shared in a facebook referral group.

So guess what me and my ego did.

We emailed the couple to tell them I didn’t want to shoot their wedding because I’d seen they were still shopping around since speaking to me.

They replied to basically tell me they didn’t like my arrogance and to get lost. I now greatly approve of that response.

Embarrassing.

Anyway since that Dubai wedding I can count on two fingers the number of high end destination weddings I’ve shot.

I’ve definitely said it before but our careers don’t follow this linear path from nothing to world stardom, so you gotta appreciate the experiences you’re offered as if they’re one-offs, and realise lots of it probably comes from more than a little bit of being in the right place at the right time, with a splash of ‘who you know’.

That’ll do for this week. Very embarrassing.

Thanks for reading.

Adam

PS – I’ve started a superchARJ broadcast channel thing on my Instagram, to share shorter and more sporadic thoughts I have with you. It’s not a paid thing. Just means I can say stuff that’s (much much) shorter than a newsletter.