I have always thought how money is just paper made by man, given value by man but yet it has so much control over how people live their life, what they decide to do for a living and even the people they want to end up in their life as a spouse.
As I have aged, it's really hard to continuously remind myself to make my life decisions as if though money does not exist. Keeping true to my heart is what helps me know who I truly am. I don't want money to change how I shoot or how I feel about something.
I notice that photography fads come in waves, like rush hour in Atlanta. What starts out as a small handful of innovative photographers, it doesn't take long for the market to become top heavy, with similar presets, approaches and concepts.
How must the today's photographer keep relevant, you may ask? It really is simple.. Stop following the trends and start following your heart as if money didn't matter. This way, you can be the trend setter instead of the trend follower.
This concept has really helped influence me and direct me with my style of shooting. I realize my work isn't mainstream, colorful, or pretty portrait styled work. It is conversational, it is thought provoking, it is oftentimes somber and realistic.
There is nothing cookie cut about it honestly and that is what I have grown to love about it, it doesn't blend in.
