2021 so far…

So here we are, literally 8 months through the year and I have had the blessing of a renewed opportunity and growth. I had two emails back in January, while still in lock-down so to speak. One was a small job, for an engineering firm in the Dallas/Fort Worth area, wanting me to shoot a paving project for them at a warehouse facility near me. So of course I jumped on the opportunity for work! I mean I had one job ALL of 2020 - shooting paper products (yes you guessed it - toilet paper, paper towels, and napkins). And the second was one that would take some time. The projects had been completed back in April of 2020 but the firm was hesitant in hiring a photographer during the pandemic. But once the snow melted and the green came back in the spring (that’s what took so long), I was out in Pittsburgh shooting three hospitals for PhiloWilke Architects by way of Houston, TX!

I mean I couldn’t believe my luck - two firms. In the same week!?!?!? If I can be honest, I wasn’t really sure how this year was going to go? Was I not going to see any work this year? How fast would it come back? Would it come back? Would I have to close shop for good? I was nervous as most all of us were. But I held out hope for, better, brighter days.

Since then I’ve seen some projects come my way - real estate, commercial work, architecture, etc.. Companies like Nexii, and Little Leaf Farms have put their faith in me and my work. And have become long term clients of mine because of it. All of this has not happened by chance. But by me putting myself out there. Making things happen, making phone calls, sending messages and emails, making connections. Getting myself in front of the people that make decisions, and in front of the companies I want to work with and have as clients.

And as fate would have it, things have kind of progressed, and have come back to almost normal. As part of my businesses growth I am no where near where I want to be. But if I’m being honest again - I very optimistic! I have my one year, two year, and five year goals. So we will keep going at it everyday - making phone calls, sending emails, making connections, getting myself in front of the people and companies I want as clients in the future. It’s slowly happening, but it’s happening. And I’m so very grateful for every opportunity that’s coming my way.

Film and Digital Photography Coexist

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Well years ago, back when film photography was king and digital was just a twinkle in some engineers eye at Eastman/Kodak. I was introduced to photography. Simple as that, I learned, trained, developed (my skills and film), and became one with the 35 mm world. For me medium and large format photography was for the studio houses, the serious professionals! I was just a young guy learning it all. And to top it all off, it was EXPENSIVE! Again, a young guy, just out of art school.

So I took my 35 mm camera (an old Pentax), bought a second camera (the Canon Elan 7) and started on my road to wedding photography. As time moved on, so did my interests and from that I finally made the transition to digital buying my first digital camera Canon T2. Both served me well. Both taught me lessons. But it wasn’t until I made the move a few years ago into the world of Sony cameras that it really took off for me. With Sony there were so many options, so much more learning from their platforms. But in the end something was missing. Something felt unfinished, incomplete… I wanted more.

I wanted to be able to experience what I did when I shot film. But I wanted what the big guys and girls had. So last month, I know only a month ago, I made my first big purchase. I went back to film!

I understand its film, and with all of the technology out there I could have had my pick of some pretty amazing cameras from some spectacular platforms. But what I wanted they didn’t have. I wanted the romance, the richness, the consistent inconsistency of film photography. Working that much harder, taking my time to meter the light, composing the frame for the right shot, and getting only one or two chances to get it right.

Some may argue that I made a bad choice. But that’s where their opinion and mine differ. I feel that for me while technology is beautiful and amazing and almost endless, it leaves something out of the frame. It makes great images, but when the point of the task is to get as may as possible and pick the best out of 100 options (of the same thing). Then I feel that what you gain in pixels you loose in true image quality. Now I won’t be putting down and packing up my Sony anytime soon, I will be picking up my Canon FD and Mamiya RB67 a lot more.

But those are the lessons we learn through life and photography, to slow down, create and live in the moment.