The weather tends to be a hot topic of conversation here in the UK; some even suggest the nation is obsessed with it, and I think they're probably right. And to feed this insatiable desire with weather-related news, I've often been tasked by a picture editor to head out (sometimes literal into the storm) and get some weather photos.

And it was on one such editorial photo assignment I was dispatched to Southsea near Portsmouth in Hampshire to photograph the windy weather. So off I headed, eager to get some fantastic photos of waves crashing onto the seafront.

Unfortunately for me, the sea was as flat as a pancake due to the wind direction! And to make matters worse, the sun was out, and although it was very windy (at times, you could hardly stand up on the prom), it looked like a lovely sunny day in all my photos. But as luck had it, I spotted a man walking an Afghan Hound along the prom, and as you can imagine, due to the wind, the dog's fur was blowing everywhere.

So I asked to take a photo, and here it is - Twiggy, a 22-month-old Afghan hound, standing on Southsea Prom on a very windy day.

And the moral of this story for any photographers out there starting their career, be prepared for the unexpected. I can safely say every photography assignment, however well planned, does not go to plan.

As a photographer, you need to be flexible, think on your feet and still get the job done whatever challenges you face. And this is how you build a good reputation, keep your clients happy and have a long career as a Professional Photographer.