Wanna Know More About Me? (Part 3)

Let’s get into the final section of getting to know me.  If this is your first post you’re seeing about me, here’s Part 1 and Part 2.  But be sure to check the About Me page first, as this gives you an overview of who I am.  Now, let’s get into some remaining facts.

Random facts about me:  I’m super creative!  I’ve already mentioned in a previous post about my love for music, and my long lists of jobs and experiences.  Beyond that, I’ve done everything from wood carving to jewelry making, macramé, cross-stitching, quilting, sewing, scrapbooking, gem making, pottery, beading, leather work, and the list goes on.  I shoot a blowgun (as in the ancient weapon of the South American tribes); I make my own professional darts for it that I’ve used to take down several small game animals.  (I don’t shoot for sport; I clean and cook them and use as much of them as I can).  I enjoy hunting and fishing sometimes, but the problem is I don’t have much patience for it; I’d rather hunt animals in a cage; or fish in a stocked pond!  I’m just a multitasker, and I’d rather be reading a book while fishing or so; … so, I don’t go much.  I like reading, and I like movies.  Not so much TV shows (except for the show “LOST”, Big Bang Theory, and sometimes Family Guy).  Favorite movies are action adventure, dramas, and comedies.  Top 10?  Here’s my favorite movies in order:

1. Lord of the Rings (trilogy) (including the Hobbit movies, since it’s one continuous plot),
2. The Butterfly Effect
3. Identity
4. The Matrix
5. Romeo + Juliet
6. V For Vendetta
7. Pirates of the Caribbean (all of them as one)
8. The Prestige
9. LOST (the TV series as a whole)
10. Super Troopers

Back to random facts:  I like movies with a good twist!   Books?  Classical ones (anything NOT from this era).  I have a very wild heart!  I feel like a caged lion when I can’t go explore the world and see/experience new things.  It’s hard having to give up all the things I enjoy in life to make a different future that I didn’t want.  (that’s a LONG story).  I trust people… completely!  It is mostly what others refer to as a weakness, but I myself see it as a blessing that I see the world for what it can be, not for what it is.  I like hot tea more than coffee, and hot cider more than hot chocolate!  Not that I don’t like the others, but just my preference.  Favorite food is beef jerky, and favorite drink is sweet tea (as made in the south where I’m from, not by taking unsweet tea and adding sugar packets to it).  There are five MAJOR things to learn about me:  One, I am a “0% or 110%” kinda guy.  If I do something, I give it every ounce of passion I have in me.  If I don’t feel like I can do it successfully the very best, I don’t typically attempt it at all.  I find something other that I can do with fullness of heart and success.  The second thing to know about me, I like variety more than any one thing.  I would rather have a “so-so” meal every day for a week rather than a single amazing meal every day for a week.  It’s not just food though; I’m that way about EVERYTHING in life!  Variety is truly the spice of life!  It’s for that reason that I’m always trying weird food (list WAY too long to type out).  Favorite music is anything that moves the soul!  I don’t classify one type of music better than another, but I just like anything that you can really “experience” the song.  My playlist is SO random!  I do have my favorite ‘type’ of music, but I’ll let you figure that one out! ;-).  Maybe I’ll find a way to link some of it to the website.  Number three is that I have a reason “why” for EVERYTHING I do in life.  There is no exception.  From the way I open the door of my car to the reason I use the brand of Blistex that I do to the way I put mustard on my hotdog.  I am VERY intentional about EVERYTHING I do.  Four is that I’m a lot like a rubber band.  When left to myself, I have my own shape (definition), but I’m VERY flexible to fitting other’s needs or desires.  And lastly, number five is that I will always do things in the preservation of control.  This may sound to some like a great thing, and to others a scary thing, but to me it is both.  Nevertheless, I will always make decisions that keep me in control of my own life (yielding only to God).

About me, business wise: I enjoy owning my own photography company! I plan on taking my business to a global position (when the time comes), but really, it’s not it’s own end.  What I mean is, I could care less if the business fails… as long as what it’s being built for comes to pass (the answer is freedom!).  I might make a separate post on that sometime.  My ‘vision’ for my company, I guess you could say, would be something like “I want some super rich guy to hire me to take photos for him; he thinks my photos are absolutely phenomenal, and so he’d pay me to travel around the world for him, because he’s disabled (or whatever his reason is), so I’d travel for him to places he wants to go, but can’t because of his disability (or whatever reason), taking photos of all the places he wants to see; I would give him an experience through my photography of what the place is like (the culture, the people, the scenery, the restaurants, the hotels, the events, etc.); and of course he’d pay me lots of money, buy all my photos, and pay for all my equipment and so on.”  ….Something like that.  But the key comes to narrowing down 2 things: 1) being able to be good enough for a super-rich guy to hire me, and 2) finding a rich guy!  Could be a well-off organization, could be a music band, or it could be any number of things… it could even be an actual “rich guy” who is in a wheelchair.  Who knows!  Until then, I’m pursuing photography as creative and custom advertising.   What I do is sit down with a business owner, get a feel for what their company is all about (their values and morals, who their target audience is, what their vision is, etc.).  I ask a bunch of very specific questions, and get a feel for the company and owners as a whole.  Then, I go home and think about several ideas to help them capture the essence of the company in a few photographs.  In the end, I create and produce a photo (or photos) that someone can look at and say “I know EXACTLY what this company is all about!”  It’s the difference between a snap-shot of a pitcher of beer, and a photo of a foaming over brew in a semi-frosty mug, as it sits on an old oak table, barley stalks and other ingredients crumpled around it.  I take thought to the lighting, the angles, the colors, the setting, the post-production, and so on.  I think of EVERY detail and psychology that goes into that one shot, which may take several hours to create, just to make sure the “feeling” is exactly what the owner is wanting to convey.  It’s not just products, but employees, work-stations, environments, and even completely fake worlds.  Anything to create an image for the company that represents who they are!  These photos would be used for everything from Facebook pages to billboards, business cards to flyers and beyond.  I help companies by making their vision come to life in a photo (or a series of photos).  Businesses are able to make more money because of great advertising, and that’s honestly how I justify my prices.  I help them make more money!  In a nutshell, my company creates dynamic conceptual images to enhance their professional vision.  I enjoy the work that I do!

So there’s a bit (okay, a lot) about me.  But I assure you, I’m so much more than words can describe.  I’d love to tell you whatever you want to know; in turn, I want to know all about you.  How does that happen?  Leave a comment below!  I would love to get to know you!   I hope to hear from you soon my friend.

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