The dreams of a photographer, big and small

The cool thing about photography is that once you obtain the skill to photograph in pretty much any setting, and you know what to look for and how to tell a story... then there are so many exciting possibilities. Photography is an expression, a form of art, a way to channel the way you see people, things, and places.

I love carrying my camera with me. When I'm in a new place or setting, I'm totally inspired. Color, lines, light... it all adds up to great possibilities in my mind. Once you have a photographer's mind, you can't really undo it. I often think of angles and settings and how I would take a picture of objects or a setting. You can't unsee what life looks like from behind your camera!

So yeah, there's a lot of imagining going on in the day to day life, and it's fun to dream about some of those photography jobs that would just be amazing to be a part of. I've listed a few below!

Lifestyle coffee table book

This one is at the top of my list. This is a dream I might actually chase and try to accomplish in my lifetime before I die. I think it would be amazing to see my photographs printed in book form. I've always loved the dance of text and photos on the printed page. If you've been following me for awhile you know that I make big family yearbooks every year, and they're one of my greatest joys and treasures.

I would love to take this to another level and work with a designer, recipe blogger, gardener, or artist to create a beautiful coffee table book of their work or life. This type of project has purpose and soul and a beautiful result.

Then I would drive to the store and take a selfie next to my book on the shelf and then buy a copy. And find my name next to "photography by" on the copyright page. Cool.

editorial work or photojournalism

Along those same lines (pun unintended?) I think it would be equally satisfying to see my work printed in a magazine. I'm not looking for a covershot or glamorous fashion shoot, but more of a humble feature story tucked into the pages, covering something like a third generation farm in the highlands of Montanta and how they've created a wildly successful sustainable clothing business raising Merino sheep. I would get some awesome emotive shots of the farmhands, the cute little sheep, the sprawling green hills, the equipment, and mom's dinner on the table after a long day of hard work.

Photos like that alongside some well written words. Really has me dreaming.

commissioned travel

This is anyone's dream right? Pay me to travel two weeks through Europe photographing anything and everything along the way. Are you kidding me? A backpacking trip through Banff National Park, taking pictures of the crew and the beautiful scenery. Take a couple weeks and do a special piece photographing the best of local pizza restaurants. Woah.

Experiences, travel, food, culture. Capture it all in my own special way and get paid to do it. Sounds pretty dreamy.

UNIQUE PHOTOGRAPHY PROJECTS

And those are my top dream jobs! Personally I love when I'm asked to shoot an event or project that doesn't fit perfectly into the parameters of family photos. That's when the creativity really comes alive and I feel like my photography is making an impact, providing images that are meaningful and long lasting. It's a lot of fun!

You can see a few special projects I've photographed HERE.