Jane's journey to award winning photographer

My photography anchor has always been my family, but living in London, and spending 15 years working in the heart of Canary Wharf, I've always had a soft spot for street photography; all the lines, the shadows, the reflections. Soon after I had decided to take a sabbatical from my corporate job, I saw that Canary Wharf were running a photography competition, with submissions showcasing the beauty of Canary Wharf. Knowing the area well, I felt that this would be a great opportunity to challenge myself and try something new. Instead of focussing on the architecture, I set myself the challenge of capturing the area’s softer side – the flora, fauna and greenery. Wildlife, and macro photography in general, has never been my go to, but something I’ve always wanted to explore and this seemed like an interesting place to start.

The photo I ended up submitting was one of many I took that day. Initially, I was trying to capture the colour combinations of the butterfly and the flowers, and the shapes of the butterfly’s wings mirroring that of the petals. The bee coming into the frame, and its interaction with the butterfly, just added a whole other dimension. I remember feeling nervous/excited on the way home, not knowing for sure if the bee was in focus. When I saw that it was, I knew I had achieved what I envisioned – irrespective of the outcome of the awards.

Actually winning the competition was something beyond my wildest expectations, the other entries were INCREDIBLE and, I know it’s a cliché, but I was just so proud to be nominated alongside such inspiring creations. But what meant more than the result was what I learned on the way. From a technical perspective I learned how to use my knowledge and experience from my ‘anchors’ to push myself in new directions and find inspiration in different places – everywhere you look there are great photos to be taken. However, what was more surprising was what I learned about myself. I learned how much photography means to me and how it triggers the most unexpected emotions, from the squeal of delight when I saw the bee was in focus to the floods of tears when I was announced as the winner. I feel that the competition has confirmed to me something that I’ve never properly admitted to myself – that photography is my true passion, and it’s given me the confidence to go out and truly embrace that. Excited for 2023!

Written by Jane Nicholson who also won the latest challenge in The Full House Club. You can find her Instagram here - what an inspiration woman!