DISCLAIMER: THIS PHOTOSHOOT WAS PRODUCED WITH SOCIAL DISTANCING IN PLACE THROUGHOUT TO ENSURE MINE & MATT’S SAFETY.
Kicking off the first photoshoot for 2021, the first subject I’ve photographed for the series this year is Matt Luke Spike Taylor.
Being the first photoshoot this year before the end of the third (and hopefully final) lockdown, which comes seven months since the last ever photoshoot I did in October 2020 before the beginning of Lockdown 2, and then eventually Lockdown 3 after we went into Tier 4 which saw last year end in tiers, this was the best form of fresh air I needed to make up for the lost time of 2020.
It was so lovely to catch up with Matt after almost a year since the first photoshoot.
What Does The Future Hold? 
There Must Be Something I Can Do! 
What Was It He Said For Me To Question What I’m Now Thinking & Feeling? 
I’m Feeling Good! 
I’ve Got a Good Feeling About This! I Can Feel It! 
It Feels So Good To Embrace My Fun Side!
Because the pandemic has changed how we all feel mentally, it’s been an emotional rollercoaster for all of us.
There’s no denying we’ve all been so protective of our health and well-being more now than we all used to.
For this photoshoot, Matt’s genuine, unseen emotions came to the surface as his expressions reflect how he genuinely feels, and with the pandemic affecting all of us, both physically and mentally, it’s vital we must show our genuine emotions more.
I’m Having Second Thoughts. Was That Really a Good Idea? 
What is Life’s Purpose? 
Just Give Me a Moment to Think. 
What Do You Want Me To Do? 
I’m Sure There’s Something I Can Do. 
Wait? Who Said That About Me? Why?
His genuine emotions uncover the vulnerabilities we all face in our mental health daily; it’s so refreshing to see Matt showing his vulnerabilities as we all are allowed to feel vulnerable where our mental health comes in.
Looking at Life’s Purpose is Giving Me a New Perspective On Everything. 
I Could Explore The Options Available To Me. 
I’m Trying to Figure Out If This Will All Pay Off In The End. 
I’m Hopeful This Will Work. This is Something That Could Work For Me. 
I’m Cringing At What I Just Witnessed! 
Slowly But Surely I’m Feeling A Sense of Positivity From All Of This!
In the space of the pandemic and now, for myself, Matt and every one of us, mental health has become more widely recognised; it’s so refreshing that more and more of us are opening up about how the pandemic has made us feel.
This is My Vibe Right Now & I’m Loving It! 
It Feels So Good To Be Me! 
I Feel So Relaxed & It Feels So Good To Know I Can Achieve Anything! 
Will This Work For Me? I Want To Break Out of My Comfort Zone. 
I Believe This Will Work; I Need to Believe in Myself More.
His genuine emotions from the facial expressions speak volumes instantly; he’s uncovered a side of his mental health that I hadn’t seen previously, and it’s inspiring that he’s shown this side of his mental health where he knows that like him, he’s not the only one who has been courageous enough to reveal his genuine emotions, and it’s genuinely refreshing to see.
With these photoshoots, I always aim to inspire all of you, as it’s so important that we share the wisdom and positive energy that uplifts us during these testing times.
We must talk about mental health more because as life slowly returns to normal, everything now and in the future will be different post-pandemic compared to life pre-Covid as opposed to how life is now.
I’ve noticed, before the pandemic began, mental health awareness was slowly beginning to gain traction.
Slowly but surely, people started to open up about their mental health and the daily struggles they face.
Now, mental health is being talked about more widely than it was before the coronavirus pandemic, and what I’ve noticed is that everyone is slowly becoming more aware that their mental health takes top priority over everything else.
It’s so essential that we prioritise our mental health, always!
If you enjoyed this photoshoot I did with Matt, please feel free to get in touch as it’s so essential that we open up more, and I would love to hear from you.
Alex Smithson
Mother Nature 
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