Have camera, will travel
So often these words plague the bio section of blossoming photo and videographers. Sure, as a 20-something-year-old it sounds pretty cool to take your passion to the road. See and capture amazing things that may only be possible at the end of a long flight or road trip. The wanderlust seems appealing as you see successful peers showing their life highlights in social media stories.
In the past three weeks, a good friend and one of the main reasons I became self-employed started texting me with some disturbing news. For the first time, he was considering going back to a “regular” job. Because of the mentally draining toll that self-employment wreaks on him, his confidence is shaken. This news couldn’t have come at a worse time as I was prepping to depart for The SEMA Show in Las Vegas to direct a team of cinematographers. Probably not the largest scale but definitely one of the craziest projects I’ve worked on. The work is stressful in itself; shooting and editing cinema-quality video in nearly real-time for a 50 billion dollar company at the largest automotive trade show in the world. I loathe long trips and had a pretty gnarly panic attack on the first night after the long day of travel and not physically feeling well. Now the weight of having one my best friends in such a struggle had me doubting if I would be cut out for this after a few years of the hustle.
My heart tells me:
I’m independent, I have no boss micromanaging or undervaluing me. Culture is everything and I’m creating it for myself and my brand. I WILL be the nicest and most helpful person in the room. People WILL love working with us. Clients WILL see the value in our skills.
I’m across the country and the desert and sights are breathtaking.
I’m staying in a ridiculously nice hotel, for free.
I flew here, for free.
I have all the gear I need.
I’m literally hanging out and shooting with celebrities.
There are millions of people who would do anything just to be at this show, let alone getting paid to do what I do. The odds of this situation happening are so slim.
But my brain keeps telling me:
I wish someone would just tell me where to go and what to do. Mediocrity is comfort and comfort is happiness.
I hate being on the west coast, my body hates this time zone and there is sand and hookers EVERYWHERE.
Hotel life sucks. I miss my family, cat, house, and reasonably priced coffee. In that order.
I hate long flights, especially with camera gear.
I wish I had better gear, I was shown up by another production company with nicer cameras and lenses. To be fair, it was Left Field Productions which produces for The Science, Discovery, and History channels. Still made me feel like a I brought a BB gun to a tank fight.
Most celebrities are douchebags. Rightfully so, they have zero privacy, they get mobbed everywhere they go, everyone wants something from them. They travel and make appearances constantly which is why they’re all on drugs. I feel for them…still, not very fun to be around.
This realization is offensive for car people but I don’t give a rip about all the shiny things here. Show cars live their lives under a cover in a garage only to be taken out a few times a year for detailing and to be trailered to a show. I appreciate the artistry, time, and effort but I’m far too practical. Give me a car that goes fast but I don’t mind fingerprint smudges on the paint.
As the show closed down for the day I was enveloped by the masses as we herded toward the hotels and casinos. I stopped to take a photo of three cranes and a new hotel obstructing the iconic Vegas sunset. I was in the way of traffic, I was self-aware and a bit uncomfortable. I was also going to get that shot. I had an epiphany at that moment, you have to make your own way.
Naysayers tell you that they’ve been there, done that. This is how to win, this is why you will fail. I’m here to tell you, they’re wrong and here’s why. There are probably no new industries to be developed, no new products that will change the world overnight, what you’re doing or trying to do has been done countless times by people more capable than you. Whether your path lies in the corporate ladder or working for yourself the formula has a variable that will always change the outcome. Your ambition, your attitude.
I don’t want to discourage anyone from drinking lattes in Italy before your Mediterranean coast engagement shoot or gearing up for your on-location project in the LA desert. Just know that it is what you make of it, not what you’re told it’s going to be. It’s a long and lonely road and you are the one who has to choose what direction to go.