[Leica] ONCE IN A WHILE! :-)

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

Hi crew,
We as photographers and showing our pictures to people, students, friends, 
published and whomever? We never really know how we may or may not be 
influencing people how they may or maynot see the world.

So having just completed a rather long drive of about 800 KLMS to get home 
and what one might say tired and not in a great mood, only to find your 
contract of the past 8 months had been cancelled because?

 "You don't shoot video with your still photographs!" An unfortunate move of 
the modern day media world. "You shoot both, or you don't shoot for us! 
Thank you very much for an incredible series of features....
BUT! No video, No contract!" :-(

Then while at the bottom of the bucket in feelings you open an e-mail as 
shown below from an unknown mother and it doesn't matter about the contract 
because your heart sings and you can fly! :-)

Here is the letter: They don't come any better than this from a complete 
unknown !
=====================
Dear Mr Grant,
     I hope to be able to come to your lecture at the Art Gallery this Sept. 
This is just a short letter to give you some feedback on your inspiration to 
others, particularly beginning photographers and journalists.  Our son, 
Philip, started shooting with a manual camera in grade 11 at Oak Bay High. 
He shot 100's of photos and started developing his own in a homemade 
darkroom downstairs in our home. He eventually went on to SAIT for a diploma 
in Journalism, but kept working on his photography. At one point he had 
discovered your work and did a paper on it. Afterwards he gave Women in 
Medicine to his sister who is going through nursing.
     His other hero in the photography world is Karsh. We live down the 
street from Ernie Fedorak's home, a former Tc sports writer (he just passed 
away last fall) who encouraged Philip's passion.
     He is presently an intern at Whitecourt Star.
     I just wanted to let you know how your black and whites inspired him. 
He loves to interview people and learn their stories but he also loves to 
tell the story about someone with his photos.
     This is to thank you for your unaware of  mentoring and example to 
starting out photographers such as our son. Thank you. He may never be well 
known but he loves his work.
     If you are curious, these are his sites. My favourite or the sepia 
photos of the pow wow.
     Thank you for taking the time to listen. I look forward to hearing you 
speak.

http://philstrom25.blogspot.com/2011_06_01_archive.html

https://sites.google.com/site/photosbyphilrushton/

     Sincerely yours,
        Louise Rushton
====================================
So I thought this might also make some of you feel good about your own 
photography without knowing how others are affected by your photo talents 
and wisdom.

cheers,
ted.