If you want to leap forward, do not look behind. Once you jump, there is no turning back.

Settling down for the evening, I can finally find some quiet time and share my thoughts. Well, the thoughts that I deem shareable anyhow. This week has been all about photography. Getting published in the Toronto Star has definitely added fuel to my already raging passion for photojournalism.

Writer who photographs or photographer who writes?

With my eventual goal being to shoot for an agency like Magnum or VII, I am starting to wonder if I should be a photographer who can write, or a writer who can take great pictures. As I look at some opportunities that have come my way, I am beginning to lean towards the latter. Definitely being able to see a story and write it in your head as you shoot is an advantage as you’re telling a story with pictures after all.

Be wary about the terms of photograph sales!

According to this article, Frommers is taking advantage of would be travel bloggers. I think many publications don’t really care about good photography anymore. Simple photography is all that they require. As a result, they are able to put such ridiculous terms on a photographer. If the terms are not accepted, they simply move on to the next victim who has pictures.

It is no wonder that nowadays, politics trumps skill in the photography world. Just look at Craigslist postings. Many people want photography done for next to nothing. People are happy to just “be published” and thus will take on the assignments for next to nothing. On the other hand, many non-professionals over value their work which also causes buyers to devalue the industry if they paid too much for shoddy work.

Travel clothing

In preparation for my trip out east, I have been looking at various travel items and discovered a whole new possible wardrobe that could live in my backpack. From waterproof, super light, hiking boots, to shirts that are repellent. The first question would be what would they repel? From stains, to water and even harmful ultraviolet rays, these shirts are great for backpacking as they wash easily.

Design Engineering

If engineering is the science of problem solving, then design is the art of solving problems. It seems that design is the new buzz these days. Long the realm of engineers, design is a form of applied arts that, for lack of a better phrase, allows artists to have a hand in the creation of useful, tangible, “things”.

I’ve always embraced design, even if not in its academic form. My life has always been about knowing a little bit about everything and figuring out just how it can fit in my life, with a purposeful outcome. That’s a life design.