Photography

Learn from your mistakes and get on with the future

October 15, 2008 October 15, 2008 If I was to be sat down a year ago and told I was going to be in the position I am now, I would be running in the other direction. Just ten months ago I was anticipating my first day of the photography program at CDIA. Throughout the year I accomplished much and my photography improved drastically. I found my niche during our Event Photography modules when we were assigned to find events to shoot. I nervously thought about contacting the promoter of a local 18+ party, but worked the nerve up and found myself swaying into my first "indie-electro dance night." Getting home at 3am, I immediately uploaded the photos, then spent the next day editing to send to the promoter. I was surprised to get a response back from him asking me to become a resident photographer. I gained a lot of exposure as well as some very valuable contacts there. But after many promises of compensation but never receiving anything, I left. I continued on with small events that seemed few and far between. Two months after, wishing I never left, I was e-mailed by the on-premise Boston manager for Red Bull to become an on-staff event photographer. There I gained a few more resident positions with other parties and have been building up a great reputation as a Boston party photographer. In June a friend of mine and I conjured up a plan to start an online magazine. Chock full of nightlife photos, fashion, interviews with bands, and reviews, this seemed like a perfect creative outlet for us. A month later we parted ways but I continued on with the publication. I brought on three other people to work with me, and we released one issue. We were almost finishing the layout of the third when two of those new hires up and trademarked the magazine name, filing with the Department of Revenue before I could. The magazine that I had created was taken from right under my feet! The past few weeks have been very hectic with taking legal action and organizing evidence that I founded the magazine and created the name before their involvement. This battle is still going on, BUT I am now on to starting a new magazine that will be launched October 1, taking what I have learned and focusing on a brighter future.