Mastering the Universe

Here is what I learned from being a photojournalist: deal with it.

It didn't matter if it was cold and rainy, bright and sunny or dark and whatever, I still needed to create images that changed people's lives. There is no way you could look at a photo editor and say, "I can't shoot this person outside in 12 o'clock light." Well, I probably could have. Once.

Being a photojournalist is the greatest thing on the planet. You get to meet all kinds of people and you are forced to deal with all kinds of situations (good and bad). There is no way you can go back to the newsroom with a pocket full of excuses and expect to be popular. You just had to deal with the situation. Darkness and tight deadlines are a way of life.

Because a photojournalist doesn't get the luxury of planning everything, I had to think on my feet and consider all options to be used in a timely fashion.

Being a photojournalist causes a photographer...or at least me to be a problem solver.

While shooting a job for Agilent Technologies, I was talking to Ken, my assistant. We were photographing a three-million dollar microscope and I asked Ken what he would do and then I asked what others he had worked with would do. He launched into how some photographers he worked with would take all day to light and shoot one picture where I was able to get the same picture in an hour.

I probably could have slowed down and taken longer but honestly, the microscope task was dropped into my lap while we were shooting their CEO. I didn't have time to plan.

Because of where I've been and what I've done, I don't get rattled too easily and because of that, I'm able to deal with it. And what's nice is: My clients are very happy.