For the past 18 months,
I’ve been self teaching web development.
It hasn’t always been easy. I’ve studied across dozens of platforms, built project after project, and sent out more applications than I can count. Most of those efforts didn’t lead anywhere. And most of the projects? They were good practice — but none of them really felt like me.
Everyone keeps telling me sympathetically "it’s a rough time to break into tech". yeah.
Some days I kick myself for not starting this journey sooner some friends and family we're trying to lead me to a career in tech years ago. Now I’m here, trying to stand out in an industry that feels tighter than ever. AI is shifting workflows, companies are shrinking teams, and while there are many roles out there, there seem to be many more developers chasing them. Most of the applications I send out fall on deaf ears often even without a rejection. I'm at the point where I am second guessing myself, is this a good idea, is it a waste of time?
Time you enjoy wasting is not wasted time.
Passion and drive is so difficult to put across on a CV in a sea of CVs. 🤷♂️
I’ve always loved photography and I’d spend hours online trying to find camera settings, Lightroom presets, or just inspiration — usually jumping between forums, Pinterest boards, YouTube videos and Subreddits. It's so hard to find a decent source and somehow that made it more addictive.
During my daughter’s ballet class, it hit me:
What if I could combine my two obsessions?
So I spent the whole class brainstorming with ChatGPT.
So I started planning a platform that brings those things together — a place I wished existed, the place I was looking for when I would scroll late at night, designed for people like me who care about film sims, editing styles, and the craft behind the image.
I'm currently calling it VISOR (but I've fairly certain that name is taken for some immersion goggles, damn).
VISOR is a creative hub for photographers — a space to explore and share Fujifilm film simulations, Lightroom presets, camera setups, chat in forums, share ideas and is laid out in an pleasingly addictive “scroll-until-the-end-of-the-world” format, and I’m shaping the design to feel more like a visual journal than just another preset archive.
It’s clean, dark, and editorial, made for people who care about the details and want to scroll pretty pictures. Whether they're interested in the basics or deep diving into the dark tucked away settings of an XMP.
This already feels like the most personal and purposeful thing I’ve created so far. It’s helped me grow not just as a developer, but as a designer and a problem solver.
I’m building it with what I’ve learned so far:
React, TypeScript, GraphQL, MongoDB and picking up new skills as I go. I’ve started structuring the backend with a modular GraphQL API, working with file uploads, and designing a custom image gallery layout that supports before/after previews, film sim tags, and camera profiles.
There’s still a lot to build and a lot more ideas flying around my brain.
If you’re into street photography, film-like edits, or just want a place to explore visual styles with more heart and less noise. Alternatively, if you're into full stack development, or into watching a junior struggle through life, I’d love to share this with you as it grows.
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