"This is a Journey Without a Destination"
Tonight I got a shot in the arm of some much needed medicine. Not the kind of medicine you go to a doctor's office or clinic for but the kind that gives you a boost of purpose, intent, fortitude and tenacity! This weekend was the second annual Bedford Camera & Video (our great local camera chain) Photo Expo. Last year I had the privilege of speaking at the event and this year I just got to attend. It's great to see so many photographers and vendors come together and share knowledge and ideas. Having others in the photographic community ask for my opinion and continue to compliment me on the program I gave last year was a great feeling.
Sometimes in the daily grind of operating a business (photographing, marketing, blogging, social media, image editing, bookkeeping and scheduling), it's easy to get bogged down and lose your edge. Tonight we had the unbelievably amazing Joe McNally as the keynote speaker. Joe has had a career that has spanned over 30 years. He is a regular contributor to magazines like LIFE, TIME, Newsweek, National Geographic, and others. Not only is he an incredible photographer but he knows how to connect with people. Many of the folks in the room probably came hoping he'd tell us all how to make beautiful images like him. Instead, he took us on a journey. A journey through some of his work and how the photographs or assignments came about. Joe offered wisdom and insight to the business of being a photographer. My favorite quote from the evening was actually his final thought. "This is a journey without a destination." WOW! Nailed it! That's exactly how I feel in this crazy life I lead as a photographer. It's not that my business has no direction and it's not that I don't have plans. It's simply a moving target. It's the need to be ever changing and growing in the way I do business, in the way I approach making an image. Thank you Joe for the inspiration, and the kick in the pants to stick with. To keep pounding against that wall until it breaks!