Yes, it’s been a very long time since I have had both the time and inclination to enter anything into my Musings. I have of course had many thoughts and events happen since my last entry, but have only formulated my thoughts into words others may understand over the past week.
Last night Tracy and I joined Bob and Diane Varner for dinner. Those of you who are familiar with Diane’s work know that with three photographers at a table, the conversation will gradually move to photography. And last night was no exception. We began to speak about a blog that is compiling a book of photographers who want to participate. I made a comment that ‘no one gets discovered off blogging.’ Diane disagreed and told me that she recommends to all of her clients that they start their own blogs in order to become more well known.
So as I normally do, I thought about my conversation and specifically my statement to Diane that ‘no one gets discovered off blogging.’ I was of course stating my opinion in the context of becoming ‘famous’ in the world of photography. I still believe that ‘fame’ is not gained though web logs (blogs), since other photo bloggers are the ones who view the sites of others. But as I gave Diane’s conversation more thought something occurred to me that made me change my mind.
Putting aside fame or the hope of being ‘discovered’ in light of a much more important facet of one’s life, each of us has the ability to be truly discovered through blogging. I have written on these pages numerous times how happy I have been to come in contact with so many people. I have certainly come to know in a virtual way hundreds of individuals who share a common passion. Some I have written to regularly, others I simply know by their ‘handles’ on various blogs. Then there are countless individuals who I meet on the street while photographing whose names I may not know or who I only know by first name or by face.
And then there are those people who I have met face to face and in almost every case have become what I consider to be close friends. Long before my pursuit of photography, I met via the web Gary Bradburn of Bradburn Knives. He and his wife Carol traveled from Kansas several years ago and we shared time together. Friends who I have met face to face through photography include Leigh and Francis Toldi, Jarrett Gorin, George and Gina Illes, King and Paula Douglas, Bob and Diane Varner, Vernon Trent, Mal Smart, Brant Slomovic, Craig Martin, Kyla Martin, Judy Farrow, Rob Applebee, Luis Bravo, Juan Pedro Gaffney, Brad Freedman and of course Tracy.
On our recent trip to London, Tracy and I were having lunch at a local pub before catching our flight to Paris. The pub was crowded and a man asked if he could share our table. After a bit of conversation Hastead introduced himself from Iceland and we began to talk. He was about to travel to the Bay Area to visit his daughter who lives in Los Gatos, an area close to where we live. We began to talk and I eventually asked if he cared to share a ride to Heathrow with us. I may never again see Hastead, but will always be pleased that our paths crossed even if only for a moment.
When I hear others in my age range speak of their worlds becoming smaller, I feel fortunate that my own world continues to become larger and more importantly much richer. So I am wrong when I say that ‘no one gets discovered off blogging.’ I was simply focusing on the much less important facet of being discovered. Those individuals have led me down a path of self-discovery.
