I’ve been wanting to write this blog post for a long time but it was one of those posts that I had to wait for the right time to write. When I started down the path of photography I knew that it would be a difficult and that it would take lots of time, patience and hard work in order to succeed. Over the last four years I have worked a part time job in order to take care of myself while at the same time pursued my career in photography. It is with great joy and pride that I can say that today is my last day at that part time job, as I am now a full time photographer!
Everything in life requires paying your dues. There is an order to making great strides in achievement but it comes at a cost. When you are young you don’t really understand that truth to life. It’s only when you grow up that realize how much you have to do in order to follow your passion. Over the years I have had a lot of help from friends and family creating opportunities for me to push my photography forward. I owe a lot to those people.
The one element that makes a great photographer is not something that can be learned but a discipline that has each person has to create. Every photographer has to have the discipline to keep shooting. While there is always a joy in shooting, when the realities of having to create content for multiple sources every day becomes routine, some of the joy can be lost. It is only after realizing that there is nothing else you’d rather be doing, that you can then push forward. For those of you that still work a regular job then you know that feeling of always wanting to be behind the camera but not always able to.
I have always been a fortunate person in life and that’s probably why I am now able to be a full time photographer at 27 years of age. I have had the privilege of working with many wonderful people and on many assignments, both hired for and self assigned. But it is my latest project with the Texas Flying Legends Museum that has helped push me over the edge and made it possible for me to carry on full time. My most sincere thanks goes out to them. The goal of the museum has always been to help others. To bring the aviation history and heritage to everyone, and with every stop throughout the country to honor the heroes and inspire the young. I can honestly say they have lived up to that moto by helping me. I now look forward to what the future holds in store as I carry on down my own path.