Giving Thanks And Praise

On Saturday I had the great pleasure of photographing the Xterra race for a second year in a row. I enjoy shooting that gig for a few reasons. One, I don’t often get a chance to shoot sports events, so it’s great to get the practice and experience under my belt. Two, the event is outdoors, the kind of outdoors I like, the kind where at the end of the day I go home in wet shoes, scratches and bruises all over my body and dirt under my fingernails. Three, and perhaps the best reason of all, is that I get to shoot pictures with big pro photographers.

It’s extremely intimidating to work around men who fly all around the world to shoot pictures for well-known magazines and have the best photography gear to do it with. But the nervousness and insecurity eventually melt away when I focus on the job I’m there to do. What’s really great about observing and listening to someone who is so much better and more experienced at my job than I am is that when it’s over I always come away from the experience feeling inspired and hopefully a little better at my craft than I was the day before.

There are a few people to whom I owe a great debt of gratitude for helping shape my career (whether they know it or not). Design and photography started out as a hobby of mine over ten years ago. I never imagined then that I’d be able to earn a living doing the things I love to do (mostly because I didn’t think I’d ever be good at it). I consider myself very, VERY fortunate to have befriended some amazingly talented people who set the wheels in motion just by teaching me a few things and rooting for me. I really hope you also have those kinds of people in your life. People who inspire you to greatness.
So thank you Mike Santos, Ron Estevez, Erik Stone, Gail Jennings, John Mafnas, Kathy Raiford and Roel Santiago. If it weren’t for you, who knows what I’d be doing today. Probably something not nearly as fun or challenging. I hope one day I can be for someone what you were for me.