No more Doom and Gloom Please

For months now we have all been hearing how the economy has tanked and that we are in the midst of a deep recession.  The 24 hour news vultures, always on the hunt for something to "crisis" about, were given a gift this year with the housing crash and subsequent economic downturn.  The media has capitalized on the news and along with doom and gloom politicians eager to portray themselves as heroes to their duped constituents, have accentuated the situation to an all out meltdown.  Talking heads and opportunistic politicians aside, I choose to see the other side of the coin.  

Of course the economy is deeply troubled right now.  But the collective psyche of the country has a huge effect on where the economy goes from here.  Now that we have a political change in Washington - one in which the media has a vested interest in having succeed - it will be interesting to see if the news changes and a more positive spin on events becomes the norm.   

I'm a photographer, not an economist, but as a business owner in an industry that is affected by trickle down economies, I am still optimistic for the future.  The fact is that while unemployment is sadly up, we still have 94% employment, far better than our near socialist neighbors across the Atlantic.  Companies are still making products and selling services, and those companies still need to advertise to gain market share and sell their products.  Greed, selfishness and corruption have caused this blip.  Mismanaged companies need to fail and then re-emerge healthier.  Greedy executives need to feel the humiliation of a soup line and be replaced by execs that know how to roll up their sleeves and think more about their company's health than their own portfolios.  

I'm optimistic about the future of American industry and advertising.  We need to continue to work hard, take our lumps, pick ourselves up again and find new ways to achieve our goals.  I don't mean to be overly "pollyannic" about our situation, but personally, I've had enough doom and gloom from the pundits and politicians.  If there's anything we should have learned through this it's that the so called "experts" don't know much more than we do.  I believe that better than bailouts, rescue plans and ivy league advice is hard work, tenacity and common sense.  

Do What You Love

I think a lot of people that know me would say that I'm one of the lucky ones.  They might say that because I have the fortune of having a career that I love.  Ever since I was a little kid, I had a thing for photography.  I used to borrow my dad's old Argus range finder that he bought in Germany in the late 50's, and shoot slide film of nature stuff, pets, and friends, whenever I could.  I didn't know why at the time, but all of that goofing around was actually an part of an innate journey down a hidden path toward my eventual destiny of becoming a commercial photographer.  It has been an incredible journey so far and there still is a long way to go.  I think a person's passion for their career fades away if there's no longer a desire to learn.  Professional Photography is a perfect example of this.  I have been doing this in various capacities for the past 28 years and I still have so much to learn.  On this site, I intend on sharing some of my insights, experiences and images and maybe it will be helpful to others who might have an interest in photography, or might even be considering taking their hobby to the next level.