Community

It's a rat race... dog eat dog... early bird gets the worm... and a slew of other weird animal metaphors define the way that so many industries work these days. That's why I'm glad to be part of a profession where there is an incredible sense of community.

I expected a willingness to share in the online groups that I've visited. I mean, why not when most of us are not even competing in the same market? I've learned a lot via the net from real photographers around the world who take time to share what they've learned with each other. It is very cool, and I try to give back as much as I can to those online communities.

What I might not have expected is the truly awesome sense of community among people who live and work (and yes, compete) in very geographically close markets. I have had nearby photographers lend me gear when mine was unavailable, give me heaps of pointers, offer me a ripping good deal on used equipment to help me get my business off the ground, and even let me tag along to learn all their "secrets" up close and personally.

I'm sure that like any other walk of life, there are all sorts in the world of photography, but I'm extremely grateful for those open-minded forward-thinking individuals that make it fun to be part of this. All else aside, it is just really nice to have fellow shooters to chat with sometimes!

Locally, I admire and respect those photographers that have established themselves, like Howard and Gayle at Photogenics who are fantastic photographers and great people, and Christin Dennis who has brought a cool new facet of fine art photography to North Perth. I also know a handful of fellow up-and-comers on the local scene and I wish them the absolute best for their endeavours and would feel privileged to work with any one of them.

I guess this is just my little grateful journal entry for the day. Sometimes I hear people talking about the fierce competition in their fields, or the cattiness at their office, and it just makes me love and appreciate this photography thing even more (and I already did both quite a bit!)