[Leica] Making a living as a photographer LUCKIEST! :-)

[tedgrant at shaw.ca (tedgrant at shaw.ca)]

Marc Dufour offered:
Subject: Re: [Leica] Making a living as a photographer


>>>Hi Ted,
I've no doubt about your love to photography, and it's a pleasure to verify
the fact you still enjoy with it, with so many years of practice behind you.
But, mon ami, how many Dr. Ted do you know?
And how many hundreds of photographers, bored with weddings or social
events?
You're a privileged, Ted, and I'm glad for you.
I'm too, in my activity as graphic designer (which I try it never becomes a
job), and as amateur photographer. But I'm very conscious I'm very 
lucky.<<<<<

Hi Marc,
Oh my gosh I have to be the luckiest photographer in the world! :-) In so 
many cases I just happened to be in the right place at just the right time! 
Rarely was there ever any planning that went into my career evolving as it 
did and has. It just happened in many cases simply because I'd receive a 
phone call offering me an assignment. These usually came because the caller 
had seen some of my published photography or another satisfied client 
recommended my photography and person.

Example:
The film promotion assignment for the movie "URBAN COWBOY" came because the 
Paramount Studio people saw my book about cowboys, "Men of the Saddle! 
Working Cowboys of Canada."  And asked me to shoot the film promotion 
photography simply because of what they saw in the book.

Similarly so, a major assignment for promotion of a pharmaceutical 
corporation... The ad agency folks saw my photography in the first medical 
book, "This is Our Work. The Legacy of Sir William Osler." Called and asked 
if I were available? As it turned out, it was financially the best 
assignment of my career. Quite amazing really! Just got lucky, they called 
me.

As bad as I am technically, I'm worse as a business man! Even today after 
all these years knowing this, I still quietly stumble along not promoting, 
but relying on past published efforts quietly receiving calls and smaller 
assignments without asking.

I most humbly acknowledge I am a very lucky human being, certainly 
photographer! I've probably offered more details about my career to this 
group than at any other time in my life. Many Canadian's, also 
photographers, do not know of me, but they know my published photographs, 
but not that I shot them! :-) Usually interesting when folks say.. "Hey are 
you the guy that took that picture?" I humbly respond.. "That's what they 
tell me." smile pleasantly with a nice inner glow of recognition. :-)

But that comes from going quietly about assignments enjoying what has been 
an incredible career.  Simply because I got lucky and was in the right place 
at the right time.

And the Great Spirit had His hand on my shoulder!

cheers,
ted