The Road Gets Longer and Longer….

While my updates on this site may be sporadic and not always on the topic of photography there is always more going on in the background.  More reading, more studying, more list making, and more planning, all in the name of my future in photography.  There is also a lot of frustration, confusion, worry, and me generally wondering “WTF!?”

I previously wrote about a great book called the Photographer’s Market Guide to Building Your Photography Business. I liked the book the first time I wrote about it and I like it even more now.

What I most definitely do NOT like is how the more I learn the longer this path feels. This isn’t a yellow brick road I’m walking down, this sucker is lined with cash. Cash that I do not have. Whereas so many people my age spent all their credit buying random electronics and clothes while not worrying about the consequences I spent mine on camera gear, paper, film, and tuition. Sounds pretty reasonable doesn’t it? Well, it wasn’t. “What’s this? More film for one class and memory cards for another? SURE! WHY NOT!? I don’t really need to print all 300 of these photos but I’m going to do it anyways because I want to see how pretty they are! YAY ME!!!” Little by little my wasteful spending built up, hidden behind the thin veil of necessity.  And now here it is, biting me in the ass. To get this photo venture off the ground in a real way I need money. To get this money I need to be out of debt. A debt that I really dug myself into finishing the photo degree which I wanted so I could make money from my images. Hell of a circle isn’t it?

I’m not giving up; this post isn’t about that at all. I just want to look back on these words in the future and know that without a doubt this was when one of the big realities of what I’m trying to do hit me. Here, in debt, with the national economy falling apart, with everyone I know hurting for cash, I was spending hours researching, reading, planning for and working towards something which will never get where I want without funding. It sounds a bit stupid, I’ll admit. But where’s the joy in life if you don’t do something stupid every now and then?

The more you know…

It isn’t just a line burned into my brain thanks to television. The more you, or I, know, the better informed we become and the more options we have. And options are something you really want when asking for advice, looking for inspiration, or just taking stock of good things in your life. One of the things I know is that I met a lot of amazing people while in college. Perhaps I didn’t fully realize the greatness of those around me but I’d like to think somewhere in my subconscious I knew. How else could I explain that those who stick out in my mind are still an email away years after graduation?

One of these amazing people is named Andri Tambunan. When I was happily bouncing from photography class to photography class in school Andri was amazingly focused. I remember being somewhat intimidated by how far along he was in his own personal photography journey, and I still am. While I was learning about different kinds of photography for the first time he was doing professional level work living the life of an established photographer. In fact, my first memory of him wasn’t even from a class he was taking. We took a class trip to a local collaborative photography studio and while there I noticed someone quietly hanging framed images. That person was Andri setting up for a solo show. I did my best to help him with grunt labor and was blown away by his portraits. That was the first photography show I ever went to and it left a permanent impression on me.

Perhaps, if you’ve made it this far, you’re wondering why I’m even writing about this. Well, good reader, I have two reasons:

1. This is my blog, about my journey, and it’s going to be filled with stories about fantastic photographers from my past and present.

2. He has a new photography show which will amaze you!

His new photography exhibit kicked off a few nights ago at Beatnik Studios (more on them later) and has a different sort of kick off this Saturday when he’ll be meeting and greeting visitors during the Second Saturday Art Walk. In his own words:

“I am really excited to display this new body of works. I have printed 40 images from my trip last year that embodied many experiences and several documentaries such as Mumbai terrorist attack, HIV/AIDS in Papua, China’s Modernization, Pilgrimage to Tibet, Nepal’s Annapurna Sanctuary, etc. In a way, this exhibition is my debut into documentary and photojournalistic photography.”

Please, if you love photography, art, or just meeting fantastic new people who will change your life, go to this show. Artists who are truly talented enough to find beauty in the face of tragedy are few and far between. I’m happy to call one of them my friend.

http://www.andritambunanphotography.com/index2.php

http://www.newsreview.com/sacramento/content?oid=1294045