I’m sure I’m not the only photographer who has seen his or her work on Facebook, Instagram, or social media in general and not have their photograph credited to them. Even when it comes to just touching up photos we still like the credit. Credit is a way of spreading our name and business to future clients so they can see what our work is like and help us to get hired. In this day and age social media is so Important. It’s rapidly connecting all parts of the world together and its power can’t be underestimated. That’s why it’s important to give any credit and support to us as much as possible. Social media’s presence has become an important factor for entrepreneurs’ success or sadly their failure. According to socialmediaimpact.com, “The evidence is in favor of having social media profiles across multiple platforms as a business. Social media platforms are fundamentally essential for the success of a business given that around 46% of web visitors look toward social media when making purchases.” Another pet peeve is we work on an image and have edited it to what we envisioned it to be. We hand it off to clients, friends, or family. When we see it posted on social media and see filters , cropped images, and some crappy fonts on top of the image, etc. it can be very frustrating. It makes us think that there was no point in editing photos or taking the time to come up with an idea if our creative vision is disregarded. I guess it’s not their fault. No one understands the time and the effort that goes into thinking of an idea and making it come to life. They don’t understand lighting and composition. They don’t know what its like to edit a picture and to make subtle transformations . Yes, it’s child play to take a picture, but it takes vision and an idea to bring the art out of a photo and that’s what great photographers do every day. Then there’s the other topic of stealing someone’s work, but now I’m just rambling and I’ll save that topic for another day. Maybe it’s just me making a big deal out of it. This has been on my mind for sometime now and just wanted to get it off my chest. In a way I feel photography is one of the most disrespected arts because any dummy can pick up a camera and call themselves a photographer. Our name, vision, and work is part of us and as we grow as an artist we want our art to grow as well. So the next time you like a image think about what the process behind it was and I guarantee you’ll appreciate it more. A great photographer once said “You don’t take a photograph, you make it.” Ansel Adams Good Night and Good Luck

When I look back on this past year, I can’t believe how many magazines have published my work. The thought of something I took and created was good enough to be put in a magazine is baffling at times. Honestly it’s true what they say, hard work and dedication to your craft eventually pays off. In this stage of my photography career I’m at the point where I have to submit my work to publications, and there’s nothing wrong with that. It took me a while to get comfortable sending my work out there. I used to be scared of what people would think. Would they like it? Was it any good? These thoughts always haunted mind, so I kept my work to myself. Now keeping my work to myself doesn’t do me any real good. Nobody gets to see it and I can’t learn from anyone’s feedback. So, I took baby steps and joined a few photography communities, until I felt comfortable with the idea of sending pictures to different publications. I believe the tough part of this process is rejection and I’m not a fan of it at all - who is? It hurts when you put everything you have into an image and you don’t receive a return email from a company. It still happens to me today but it doesn’t affect me as much. I used to feel real shitty about it and wondered if I’m wasting my time, what do I have to offer in photography. A few things helped me get out of those slumps - I watched motivational videos on YouTube; studied other photographers’ works to figure out how they created an image I wanted to attempt; lastly, my family was there supporting me through some of those hard times. If it weren’t for them I wouldn’t be where I am in photography and also mentally probably. There’s a quote from the movie “Balboa” I like to repeat in my head now and then, “You, me, or nobody is gonna hit as hard as life. But it ain’t about how hard ya hit. It’s about how hard you can get hit and keep moving forward.” I believe this to be true in life and everything we pursue in life as well.

During my 365 project as my photography became stronger, I started to get more views and followers. So what did I do once that started happening? I started knocking on doors I could until one finally opened. A small online magazine wanted to publish my photograph “Transformation.” I couldn’t believe it, all that hard work that I had done so far cracked the door open for me. Taking photos everyday and building on my technique helped open more doors to several magazines for me.

The magazines that were publishing and or featuring my work were all online. For a long time I wondered what It would be like to see a photo of mine in a print magazine. Most publications these days publish work online and rarely on print. For a publication to publish a photo in print, that’s pretty serious. That means they actually took the time to decide which pictures are worthy of spending money on to send to production, print those images on paper to put them in a book that someone will be able to keep on their coffee table, book shelf, or just to keep as a collectors item. A couple of weeks ago I finally had the honor of being published in a print magazine. The first magazine to accept my work for print took three of my pictures and that is awesome. I would like to thank the CameraPixo team for allowing me to reach one of my goals. Thank you guys!

This post is not about how many magazines I’ve been in, it’s about the steps and dedication to my craft that have helped me to reach my goals. Everybody has a different way they accomplish their goals and dreams, I just wanted to share how I achieved one of mine. Oh yea if you’re curious to see the issue I’m in you can check it out for free on the camerpixo.com website. The issue is Hot shots 08: Being Published Matters volume 2 Good night and Good luck

The Idea of writing my first blog… It’s a bit weird for me. I’ve never been the type to write down my experiences or my thoughts. Let me tell you a little about myself. I was born and Raised in New York city and moved to Philadelphia when I was 19. Went to college and found the love my life. In the past six years a lot has happened to me. I’m a father, Fiancee (but we treat each other like Husband and wife anyway), and a photographer. All these experiences have pushed and saved my life one way or another. I’m not sure what this Blog will eventually be about but in the mean time it will consist of life and photography. P2250210
It’s funny, ever since I can remember I’ve always been a creative person. Always looking for a way to express myself. For a while it used to be music. I used to say music is my Mistress but it seems photography has taken that place. Don’t get me wrong I love music but the music of today honestly, it’s mostly horse shit with no substance and meaningless lyrics. Six years ago you would find me in a studio for hours engineering, producing, mixing, etc. I even have a degree in Digital Audio Production. When I bought my first SLR it was just going to be hobby and nothing more. It got to a point I did less music and more shooting with a camera. Around this time life turned me into father and I put everything on pause. Now and then I would take pictures but the photos would be mostly of my daughter because she is my world. I did what most parents do, put your goals and dreams on pause and hope to get back to them someday. Tap into the Subconscious of the Universe
Fast forward to a year and half later; my family and I are now living in sunny Florida. I’m still not sure how I feel about it but I do know this is only a pit stop during this journey. I believe this was the change that I needed, shortly after moving here I picked up my camera again. Even got a mirrorless camera so I could take it everywhere I went. A couple of days of having a mirrorless I decided to embark on a 365 challenge. I’ve heard people who finished a 365 project say it changed their life. At first I thought it was a load of bullshit, but I was wrong. My Legacy/ My Strength
My 365 project made me a better photographer dramatically and even saved me on certain days from my depression. In the beginning I was just taking photos just to take them. As I got further into the project my technique got better and my ideas for photos and how I wanted to take them changed. My fiancé even suggested I use my photography to express how I would feel some days and I did. There were days I thought I wasn’t going to be able to complete the 365. Taking a picture everyday is maddening and stressful at times. I just wanted to give up and say FUCK IT! But that never happened, I wound up finishing my 365 project which was an amazing feeling. Not every picture is perfect or a masterpiece but they’re mine and part of my journey. Whats crazy is some of the pictures in my 365 have been published in print and online magazines as well as received awards and honorable mentions. P2106630
I would have never thought in my first year back in photography that those awards and accolades would happen. Here we are in the now, with a recently finished 365 project and now I have moved on to a 52 week project. I know I know another year project. You’re probably thinking am I crazy. It’s another challenge that will be another journey that will help me grow as a photographer. I see it as obstacles and challenges that are there to make us stronger and the people who we are meant to be. If it comes easy what’s the point? There’s no personal growth or development of your character. I’m about taking in new experiences and using them to develop my skills professionally and personally. Anyway if you made it this far thank you for reading and I hope you come along in this journey with me - it could be interesting. Good night and Good luck Keith