Jim Butler

Day 94 of Project Portrait. It’s been a fair old wait - sorry about that - life has just been getting in the way and it’s becoming a bit tougher to organise my time to match someone else’s. But, saying that here is my shot of Jim Butler. Jim is a freelance journalist whom I first met while working on the development of ShortList.com way back when in 2010. Like any freelancer will tell you it can be a fairly precarious existence when it comes to who you work for, for how long and whether you can pay your bills, raise a family and go out from time to time. Jim moved out of London a while ago due to cost and has found a lovely home in Hastings. But, he still works in London so it’s a fair old slog each and everyday. As a result I wanted to capture Jim in a way that reflects that. For many, freelancing seems like a dream - you’re your own boss, you can pick and choose who you work for and you can avoid (most of the time) the politics of the workplace. But the reality is much tougher - so this photo tries to depict Jim in a steely, more gritty light. There’s almost something heroic about this shot. Hope you approve Jim!
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