What I've learned since Bambi Cantrell

I've been thinking about doing this blog for some time now, but never knew how to begin, or if I was even ready to tackle it, but I figure I'll never be ready to do it, so why wait. I have always thought of myself as a photographer since my wife gave me her old Sony a350....when I got her another camera that is. Man I loved that camera, and I still do actually. If I had to go back to that camera again, it really wouldn't phase me. Anyway, as I said, I thought I could take good pictures, and there was one point when I thought I took excellent pictures. But see, the thing is, one great picture out off 100 doesn't make you excellent, it makes you lucky, with no reason to brag. Nowadays I can pull off 5 or 6 great shots, until I go back and look at them again, and they all look like trash. It will never be good enough.

I never looked at other photographers and envied their work, or got all giddy about meeting someone. I didn't even know other photographers in my areas names. Donna could spout them off like a machine gun, I just shrugged them off. See, I refused to put anyone up on a pedestal. I thought that they weren't any better than me, I could do whatever they could, and I can, but I will get to that in a few. So one day Donna gets all in a rave about some CreativeLive thing, this online classes, with Bambi Cantrell. My first thought was, anyone named Bambi I definitely wasn't going to put too much stock in, and watching something online for hours wasn't going to help me. Let me tell you, I was so wrong that I will say right now, I owe Bambi an apology just THINKING something like that. I mean, WOW, who was I kidding. Well, I didn't watch the first day at all. Come day 2, I was straightening Donna's hair in front of the computer where she could watch it, and I was mesmerized. I remember the first thing I saw was a pan over of John asking a question, not sure what it was, that doesn't matter, but he caught my eye. He actually asked a question, and she answered it. Bang, there it is. Nothing so great you say, but to me, that moment changed everything. It wasn't just someone spouting off about how great she was, it was someone trying to help someone else learn something. I stood there watching that video feed until my feet hurt, my arms were tired, and her hair was straightened.

Now it gets interesting.....I kept seeing Twitter messages flying around, and I thought, hey, if I actually used my Twitter account, then I will be heading in the right direction, so I did. Then I started looking around at people to follow, but not to learn, but to find followers of my own. See, I thought that would make me good too. Then I figured, wait, I'm going around this the wrong way. Instead of following a certain person, I will find a photographer, then go to their list and see who they follow, then see who that person follows, then follow that person. I thought that if someone is great already, and THEY have people who they think are great, then I will be right up there too. But once again the unexpected happened. I stopped caring about who was following who because I started reading blogs and watching videos, anything that I could to learn everything I could about photography. The greatest thing that I learned was that I didn't know ANYTHING. Sure, I knew what an fstop was, I knew about shutter speed, all that good stuff, but I didn't know how they all came together fluidly.

And then, in one moment, everything came together for me, and it is due to a few select people that I am going to name right now because they need naming. First is my wife. Had it not had been for her, I never would have started on this crazy, awesome ride. She pushes me, asks me questions, keeps me on the right path. Bambi Cantrell I appreciate for opening my eyes to what I thought I knew. Until her I was walking in the dark. John for asking that question, along with Annemie Tonken because she asked questions that I would have loved to ask. I definitely cannot forget Susan and Kenna from BehindtheLive. I can't say anything else but that they are completely awesome and an inspiration to me. The last 2 I will mention together because they are both possibly the greatest photographic catalysts in my life currently. On is Andy and Mikey of Lightenupshoot and Casie of RebelBellePhoto. I do not even know where to start for either one of them. I joined Andy and Mikey's website and entered a picture in a contest, my first contest ever, and lost, but who cares about that, seriously. The huge thing for me was that I had an issue, and I emailed Lightenupshoot, but I didn't really think I would get an answer back. I was answered, promptly, and the problem was fixed. Since then I have talked to them on a few occasions and every time has been a learning experience for me.

I recently spent the greatest $15 bucks of my life when I bought their V-Book. If you haven't gotten a copy for yourself then you are insane and I am telling you now to get one. It is on my phone, so I can always refer to it. It is a source of inspiration to me, and also reminds me that anything is possible. Now Casie......seriously, you crack me up. I read your tweets before and thought you were very upbeat, a bit more than everyone else in our community. Then I read a blog of yours about your sister and it hit me hard. I didn't have a family member pass, it was my closest friend when I was in the Army. After he got back home and out of the Army, he moved back to Orlando, actually I think it was Sanford? Anyway, he had some personal demons and he took his own life in 2006. Yet you were still just as upbeat. Then I started following her other blogs, checked out some pictures, which are awesome ya'll, seriously. And let me tell you, when it comes to Mini Coopers, this girl is hilarious.

Anyway, there is just something about these people I have named, and others that I have not named, that make what we do worth a lot more than the money we get or the places we are at. We see what others don't through the lens of a camera, and I think that seeing makes us who and what we are. We create our own cages in life, but when I grab my camera, everything goes away for a time, and it's just joy in what I do. I love being in a community of people who share the same love and joy that I do. I'm glad I have married someone with this same joy, because honestly, I don't think I could do without it anymore. We are starting to plan an extended trip within the next 18 to 24 months, and I hope to meet all of you, and anyone else we can find, along the way. The only cage I am going to allow for myself is going to be when my gas runs out, then I will just take a picture of an RV on the side of the road.