Had sometime to sit back and reflect on my last 35 years in photography today so here are a few rambling thoughts. I’ve been very fortunate to make a living doing what I love for all these years. Can’t say it’s always been easy but it has always been rewarding. I’ve seen the days of shooting 8×10 film and 8×10 Polaroids disappear. I was able to install in my studio one of the first totally digital systems back in 1993 when the biggest battle we had was trying to convince clients that digital could work for their products (BTW, once convinced they never went back to film), Now I’ve seen the world of digital photography grow to the point that many of the people we used to work for think they can do it themselves with a camera they bought for a few hundred dollars. The truth be told they can’t do it as well as a good commercial shooter but it seems that the need for quality is now taking a back seat to the need to get it done cheap. So today I look at the state of photography as if I’m sitting on a double edged sword, not a comfortable place to be. I could be bitter because of the rapid change in the world of commercial photography but I find that to be very unproductive. In the world of busines it means trying harder and still teaching people the value of good word. Then there is the other side of the sword. Because of the advancement of digital photography the number of people who are now geting into photography has grown beyond belief. This brings a smile to my face! I’ve always looked for ways to give back and I’ve found the perfect way! Photowalks have exploded around the country and i’m happy that we’ve been able to start them right here in the Akron area. We’ve had one and we have another scheduled in April and already it is 3/4 full! I’ve had people contact me who want to take part but are afraid they don’t have enough experience. I’ve assured them that experience is one thing that is uneccesary to join a photowalk! Just a love for shooting and meeting others who feel the same. This is where I really feel blessed. I met some amazing people as a result of our first walk, some who are rapidly becoming good friends. You always hear people who teach photograph say they get a lot more out of it then they give and that’s very true. I feel honored to walk with other photographers and if I can, share some of my years of experience. We have some exciting things in the works for this year, even beyond our next walk in April.
Hope to see you there! If not I suggest at least sending me a message so you can be on our list for other events that will be happening. BTW, if you haven’t had a chance to see the exhibit going on at the Lockview Restaurant, check it out. It will be there through March 13th.