NEWS: PDNedu – Interview

I was recently interviewed by PDNedu to talk about my use of industry networks and social media to stay in touch with colleagues and glean industry information. I was interviewed along with Joe McNally, Doug Menuez, Chase Jarvis, Lacey Ann Johnson, Steve Simon, Darcy Padilla and Ami Vitale. Please see below for the full text of my contribution.

"My photography friends are my most valuable resource network (these include college buddies, past instructors, colleagues, mentors and even clients). I guess you could call me a little old-fashioned, but when I really need an answer to a pressing photo-related question, I still pick up my iPhone and begin dialing. One of the beauties of this job, being a professional photographer, is that our lives and our work blend seamlessly together, so I feel comfortable calling any of the members of my "photo family" any day of the week, day or night; and I expect the same from them.

I also rely heavily on my agency as a resource network. I am both a contributing photographer and principal at Aurora Photos, and one of the things that we pride ourselves on at Aurora is that we are a family of photographers. We are a small company and have a very close-knit group of contributors and staff. Many of us are connected through the typical social networking tools: LinkedIn, Facebook, Lightstalkers, Sportsshooter, and of course we exchange regular email. Aurora Photos hosts an Annual Photographers Meeting in Maine each fall for our contributors and staff. It is an extraordinary event because the attendees are all working professionals (both photographers and editors, plus the Aurora staff) and this event always serves as an incredible motivational gathering and a live social networking event. It is sort of an Eddie Adams Workshop exclusively for pros."