Two years ago, my poor overworked smartphone gave me an obscene gesture and yelled “nooooooo, gimme a rest!”.

Then it died.

Here’s how I fared, and why I’m scared of the slippery slope.

When to stop photographing a child is not always apparent right away. Beware the signs of belligerance! Why I always stop photographing a client’s child if he’s really not in the mood. And why I sometimes push it a little with my own …!

Find out why I insist on pre-session consultations with my clients and why they love them so much! It’s an information exchange, and it’s something my clients really, really value. They get the measure of me and can really imagine what our session is going to be like, and they tell me this gives them so much more confidence on the day – they’ve met me, and they know what to expect. So they feel much more comfortable and relaxed in front of my camera and know I’m not scary. (Much!)

This time last year, Donna Green Photography was just a notion. Oh I knew I loved taking photographs, had done for years, and I knew I often got some good ones, but I didn’t really know what to do with it all. Facing the fear whilst crapping it anyway took some doing, but I managed – here’s how!

7 things I’ve learned this year – good, and not so good! How did YOUR year go? What did you learn from it, and what’s the best and worst things that happened?

Find out how to navigate the line between being the Party Pest because your phone’s constantly in front of your face, and documenting it just enough so you can look back later and value the memories you’ve caught. And yes, share them on Facebook! (But later. Don’t “post and party”!)