Life in the day of a photographer

A Life in the Day of a Photographer — The Bourges Marathon

This morning started with a to-do list that looked suspiciously like a novel. Measuring, sorting, ticking things off before heading to Bourges. I live 45 minutes to an hour away (depending on traffic, roadworks, and whether I remember where I put my car keys), so if I go, it’s never just for one thing—it’s an all-day expedition.

First mission: drop off some paperwork.
Second mission: meet a client… who cancelled last minute.
Third mission: meet another client who absolutely made my day. We spent two glorious hours plotting her 40 Over 40 photo session—wardrobe chat, aesthetic inspo, the portraits she’s always dreamed of, and how she wants to feel in them.

Visiting her home was like peeking into the future—I could already see where her portraits would hang, which frames would suit, and exactly how the light would fall in her living room. Yes, I was mentally decorating her walls with her face.

Then it was off to Leroy Merlin (France’s answer to B&Q meets IKEA, but with more screw sizes than you ever wanted to know existed) to design my new kitchen. I can now bore you senseless with the difference between drawers and doors, why soft-close is the only way forward, and the shocking cost of a pull-out bin.

Next stop: delivering a wedding album. This couple took their time choosing their images—over a year!—but today they finally got their book of memories. Watching them turn the pages and relive the day… yep, that’s why I love what I do.

After that, the glamour levels plummeted: food shopping. Although I did treat myself to a new pair of running shoes, which makes it slightly more exciting.

By this point, the rain had gone full drama queen—biblical, sideways, and loud enough to drown out my thoughts. I sat in the car park, waiting for it to ease up, knowing that one step outside meant instant drowned rat.

Now it’s 7pm, and I’ve still got the drive home. Summer has clearly left the building.

And once again, today reminded me: being a photographer isn’t just about pressing the shutter. It’s about the before and after—the plotting, the imagining, the seeing someone exist in beautiful, printed photographs. Not just trapped forever in a phone’s camera roll.