You know… The thought crossed my mind today, that I really do love my “job!” I placed the word job in quotes, because unlike any other job I’ve ever had, this one doesn’t feel like a job at all!
Yes, I work very hard at it – I put in way more hours than a typical job…
There are no medical benefits, no vacations, no days off really…
And I’m not getting rich, not by a long shot…
But, I’m doing what I truly love to do – and that counts in ways that are immeasurable. I frequently get to meet new people, which always has the potential of opening other avenues to different prospects.
For years, I’ve shot local horse show events around the area. During this time, most of the people I’ve met, I now consider to be my friends. Knowing these people have allowed me to branch out in different directions with my photography. Outside the arena, some of the girls I’ve met there have modeled for me. Some, I have shot their senior portraits, and some I will be shooting their wedding photos. All of these things are like branches on a tree – they fork off into different directions, with different opportunities – but they can all be traced back to a common beginning.
That’s not to say that all of my work has originated from my horse show days. Some of it originated from a single Christmas time “mini-session” ad I ran on Facebook a couple of years ago. That ad prompted someone to inquire about a family session at their place, where once there, I met someone else in their family that later became my friend, and then became an “intern,” and then later still, became one of my models!
I met another young lady on ModelMayhem – which I doubt we would have met any other way – but now we’ve shot a few sessions together, and I’m friends with her and her parents.
I just recently interviewed a professional model in the Detroit area. I’m not sure what will become of this encounter – it’s hard to say. Continuing with the tree analogy, this is just a new sapling planted that may or may not grow – but who knows?!
These are all different trees with different branches – some are established trees, some are young and need attention, and some have just been planted and need to be nurtured and cared for – but they all branch out reaching into the unknown, some branches leading to nowhere, but some bearing hidden fruit.
I really do love my “job!”
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