Help Me Rebuild After Letting Go of My Studio

Hello Friends

For those that don't know me, my name is Michael Lau and I have been a professional photographer in Nottingham for the last 27 years. As well as being a fashion photographer, I have been teaching photography for over 12 years and I have supported local schools through their work experience programmes for over 20 years.

However, photography and life since Covid has been more than challenging and as hard as I have battled to keep it going, with costs going up and business spiralling down, I've had to make some hard decisions.

Photography has been such a huge part of my life for a long, long time, so it is with a heavy heart I have to announce that I will be vacating my beautiful studio in the Oldknows Factory at the end of this month.

The last two years have been a struggle both in business and personally. We all know that small businesses have been under pressure, and photography has not escaped this.

With many of my longstanding clients selling up or retiring, my little photography ship has been sailing on choppy waters for a little while now.

Those among you who know me personally will also know that my little family has been through a lot during this period. I don’t want to go into further detail but it has taken my energy away from the business. I’m big and ugly enough to have gotten through all this but it hasn’t helped, and quite honestly, I’ve just run out of steam.

And to top it all the rent is about to go up.

So after a lot of consideration I have decided to leave.

It’s the first time I will have been studio-less in 23 years and already I feel like a tortoise without a shell.

However I am not giving up. I am determined to continue working as a photographer and educator. I just need to pause for breath, reset, and go again. And with your help I am certain I can do this

My main issue is the immediate future. I need £2700 to move and put all my equipment, props and paraphernalia into storage. And £1500+ to keep things ticking over until I can get my ducks in a row to continue my work as a photographer.

Any funds to help me with all this would be greatly appreciated.

This is not the end of the road as far as my photography is concerned. I just need to regroup and go again. I aim to be working and putting on more photo events in the next few months and with your support, I'm confident that will happen.

Many thanks

Michael Lau