January felt like it was an entire year. 

Everyday it seemed, something new hit the newswires and we'd forget about everything that happened the day before. Impeachment, Iran, Caronavirus, Kobe-- everything just seemed to happen in the first thirty-one days of the new decade.

For me personally, busy sounds like a vacation.

Between two part-time jobs-- one of which is going away and the other is becoming full-time-- trying to break into the local photography game, writing stories that actually matter, and keeping up with what people call a "social life," it's a wonder I know that January is over.

But there are moments that make all the running around and stress worth every minute.

I had a meeting with a professional real estate photographer who was looking for some part-time photographers. Essentially, he wants some stock photos for local developers and apartment complexes for their marketing materials.

During the conversation he looked at some of my work and explained what he wanted in terms of shots, locations, etc. As we were starting to wrap up he said, "I think you have a great eye." He said some other stuff too but I clung to that particular statement.

I've heard friends and family say they enjoy my photos or they think I have some skill and talent with a camera but it's not very often I hear other professional photographers tell me they like my stuff. It's one of those validating statements that means a lot more coming from someone you respect. It's akin to Gary Gulman telling me he liked my set or Ray Bradbury (RIP) positively reviewing something I've written.

That was ONE of the best compliments I’ve received and made me feel ten feet tall and bulletproof.

Surprisingly, it wasn’t the only one.

I love mucking stalls… okay, I love the ranch where I muck stalls, honestly, horses are pretty gross animals. I can't tell you how many times I've had to wash horse piss out of a grain bucket or giant horse turds out of a water trough. I've watched a horse take a dump in its hay, take a drink of water, and then eat the hay in which they just shat.

Anyway, since I started working there, I've chatted with a couple of the boarders and found out one of them has a small business making turkey calls. He, like me, is just starting out and getting himself established and monetizing what had been a hobby.

Seeing an opportunity to build my portfolio for commercial photographs, I offered to take some photos of his calls and some advertisement-style photos for his Facebook page. I was excited about the project as it gave me an opportunity to really dial in my pitch, figure out the mechanics of product photos, and it was something different.

Despite his objections, I told him I wouldn't charge him.

We did the shoot and I processed all the photos and determined which ones were the best and which ones needed to be reshot. I saved a couple to my phone so I could show him when I saw him at the ranch.

When I did show him, he seemed blown away and on the edge of tears.

His reaction was payment enough.

It's funny, I was watching a YouTube video about the "gift of photography." It's the emotional reactions, the ones that elicit a certain intended response that makes photography done well so much fun. It's why I prefer candids over posed portraits and raw moments over staged events, there's something emotionally vulnerable and empathetic no matter the subject.

It's reactions and compliments like these that make the long hours and busy weeks all worth the stress. Having to grind out the weeks while being physically and mentally exhausted are tempered by the small validations from those with whom we interact.

So here's to grinding out another busy month and making the grind worth it.

Keep Your Feet Moving