The first and most important task of the new year was to shortlist the very best from the last few seasons of work to create my 2012 portfolio. I always aim to update my portfolio every four to six months which makes the process less draining but inevitably, it's still one of the largest edits of the year with over 50% of the images being replaced.

I find this edit and cull process invaluable, it not only reminds me of all the fantastic events I've had the privilege of documenting but I also get to reevaluate and sharpen my approach and style, check it's on course, remove images that just don't represent it well enough and get a clear sense of where I am and where I want to be in a further year.

Your portfolio is your bread and butter, it's your substance too, a photographer is nothing without a strong, fluid and comprehensive body of work to prove their pedigree. I've chosen to have quite a heavy portfolio this year, perhaps 25% up on last years. I want the diversity of my work to shine through; the customers, locations, faiths and cultures. This variation is by far my favourite element of the job.

2012 is set to be a busy year and will see us travelling throughout the UK and oversees for commissions. Regardless of these commitments, we're making time for causes that we feel particularly strongly about. This year will see us raising as much money as we can for children living in poverty. We want to make a difference to children without a voice, children who do not know what it's like to have security in their lives or even know when their next meal is coming. We're in the final stages of preparing a section of the blog to promote our efforts, so keep posted.

I urge you to press play on the music bar before you visit my 2012 portfolio, it's a beautiful track from one of the best movies ever made. Take five minutes out, adjust your volume and when you return to switch the music off, it'd be great to hear what you think of them.