Photography is My Thing

Model Faerie, © 2012 Terrell Neasley

"Do what you love. Know your own bone; gnaw at it, bury it, unearth it, and gnaw it still."

~ Henry David Thoreau

People have all sorts of reasons why they do photography. Some are professionals at it and some do it for the fun of it. The skill levels vary tremendously, although I would assume a bell curve would favor a left-ward distribution. WHY people do photography is just as varied. Its a job for some. These pick up a camera only because they are being paid by an employer to do so. On their down time, the last thing they want to look at is a camera. Some people are enthusiasts at whatever skill level and they do what they do for the love of it, but only after the get done with the day-time job. Probably the most prolific are they that simply want to document the time of passage for the family, vacations, holidays, and special events. I was viewing a video podcast recently on how many pictures have been taken by everyone since the first image was every captured. An estimation concluded that 10% of all images ever captured were taken in only the last 12 months and 20% of them wind up on Facebook. [I decided to add the video at the bottom]

Model Faerie, © 2012 Terrell Neasley

I'm sure we've all heard it said, "Do what you love and you'll never work a day in your life". This is my thing. Its my gig. Its not a job for me. I'm not a pretender, poser, faker, or wanna-be. I'm in business for myself. I do it for people to make a profit, but I don't do it for money. Does that make sense? For me it does. There would be absolutely no change in my game if I wasn't getting paid. And trust me, the clients and the money can get scarce at times. I still go shoot. I may not have a gig lined up, but I still buy the gear. What do I get? I buy what I feel like is going to get me the best results in my images. From a business sense, I justify my fees because of my time, my skill, my equipment, and the expenses I incur to produce a desired result for a client. I probably won't ever get the gig because I was the cheapest or lowest bidder, but my job is to get the shot and produce deliverables with no excuses or settling.

"Do what you love; you'll be better at it. It sounds pretty simple, but you'd be surprised how many people don't get this one right away."

~ LL Cool J 

Model Faerie, © 2012 Terrell Neasley

Photography is my thing. Yes, nudes are a passion for me, but photography is my thing. "Working with a camera to produce a creatively exposed image with the desired focus using a preferred technique of editing and presentation." THAT is my definition of photography. When you talk to me, you get a sense of my passion for it and I've always shared my passion. I teach photo. And when I say I teach, I'm not talking about just lecture. No, I take you on a two week boot camp program. I used to do monthly workshops with a group of photogs. My workshops were cheap and some of these guys when you'd run into them 3 months later had't picked up a camera since you last saw them. The investment was one-sided with little to no ROI. Now when I teach, I get you for a good 2 weeks that might start out at 5am for a sunrise at Death Valley. Or we might be out at 11pm in the middle of the desert doing extended exposures or learning the stroboscopic features on your flash with a model. We'll be visiting interesting locations and learning everything to the limits of your camera's capabilities. Why? Because first, this is what I love and I want to share it with people who love it like I do. Second, because I want to have fun. As you might expect, I don't get many takers. Most don't have the time to commit and others balk at the money. And that's cool. I understand. Most people are not into photo like I am. I'm in it when I'm by myself and I do it when I'm not making money on it. This is my thing.

Model Faerie, © 2012 Terrell Neasley

Do what you love. Easier said than done, right. Maybe. I ain't judging nobody. If my kids were still little, this might not be the case. Those little knuckle-head like to eat and the older they get, the better shoes they want. But on my own, I've slept on a inflatable mattress (but a good one!) for almost 3 years. I found it difficult to justify the expense for a bed, when I could put that money on a new lens. This past January, I had my daughter and her husband come stay with me for a bit during the first part of my recovery. I know they are partial to "real" beds. So I bought a nice one. Then I bought a couch and some living room furniture. Two months ago, I got a TV! I haven't needed a TV. I spend too much time on a big monitor as it is editing photos, doing online tutorials, or catching up on the latest news about photography from my favorite bloggers.

This is my thing. Wanna go shoot?