Most people wonder how I got into photography.
I picked up a camera as a kid, starting with film, shooting portraits of friends and random elements around town. It was just a hobby until a trip to Hawaii. That is where I started taking it seriously. Hard not to when every frame looks like a postcard.
Over the years I turned it into a business. Portraits, weddings, corporate work. That was my first real business. Passion and energy into cold hard cash. Most of it went to eating out with friends, buying new gear, and travel.
That is what this is about. Travel.
I have been sifting through hard drives lately, revisiting places I have been. You can see some of them on my photography portfolio, though I have not updated it as much as I should. Or head over to Unsplash, where my photos have over 300 million views and counting.
In business, travel has been a huge energizer.
Do not get me wrong. The logistics, the gear, the expense. It hits the bottom line. But when you pack in an extra few days or an extra week, depending on the destination, you get value you cannot buy. Here is why travel matters to our business at Chasing Creative:
1. Clients need us to travel. They are busy. We get paid to show up. We create content, shoot video, attend events, do speaking engagements. It drives value. When we post on LinkedIn that we are traveling, it gets attention. It shows authority. Continuity. We get paid to do a service, and we do it often.
2. It is great for networking. New York, Portland, Hawaii, Miami, Luxembourg and so many more places in the last several years. I am constantly telling people who I am and what I do. Part of why I started this blog. To talk about the ideas behind the business, not just the business itself. I love Chasing Creative. It is something I have poured myself into. So has my wife Jasmine, our co-founder.
3. Traveling for work is hard. But over the years I have brought my family on amazing trips. Given them experiences. Shown them what working hard looks like firsthand. I reflect on those opportunities often. New locations always lift my spirits.
The Photo (in the header)
You might be wondering about the image for this post. It is a perfect example.
Several years ago Jasmine and I traveled to Portland, Oregon, for a conference with Our Daily Bread Ministries. It was a creativity and theology conference. We were representing a youth-driven magazine called My Utmost For His Highest, spreading the word to attendees.
Afterward we explored wine country. Dundee Hills. Vineyards everywhere. Entrepreneurs going from farm to glass. It was a cool experience.
A few years later I went back to Portland to shoot video for one of our data center clients at their downtown property. An amazing location I will share on another post, or you can see some of our video work here.
I stayed at The Vintages campground. Glamping in retro campers right outside the vineyards.
The photo is from a quiet morning after the shoot. Coffee in hand, remembering the trips before, the family time, doing some self-portraits on the property.
Make Space
No matter what you do, you have to make space for creativity. Make space for the things you want to do. I know budgets do not always allow it. But you have to prioritize it.
There are plenty of times I could have saved money or done quick in-and-out trips. But every time I extended a few days, brought my family, engaged deeper, added more experiences. It has always been a benefit. Never a negative.
Life experiences need to happen now. Not as some projection of what you might get in the future.
Looking back, I am reminded how these decisions have shaped my success and my experience with the world.
Most people wonder how I got into photography.
I picked up a camera as a kid, starting with film, shooting portraits of friends and random elements around town. It was just a hobby until a trip to Hawaii. That is where I started taking it seriously. Hard not to when every frame looks like a postcard.
Over the years I turned it into a business. Portraits, weddings, corporate work. That was my first real business. Passion and energy into cold hard cash. Most of it went to eating out with friends, buying new gear, and travel.
That is what this is about. Travel.
I have been sifting through hard drives lately, revisiting places I have been. You can see some of them on my photography portfolio, though I have not updated it as much as I should. Or head over to Unsplash, where my photos have over 300 million views and counting.
In business, travel has been a huge energizer.
Do not get me wrong. The logistics, the gear, the expense. It hits the bottom line. But when you pack in an extra few days or an extra week, depending on the destination, you get value you cannot buy. Here is why travel matters to our business at Chasing Creative:
1. Clients need us to travel. They are busy. We get paid to show up. We create content, shoot video, attend events, do speaking engagements. It drives value. When we post on LinkedIn that we are traveling, it gets attention. It shows authority. Continuity. We get paid to do a service, and we do it often.
2. It is great for networking. New York, Portland, Hawaii, Miami, Luxembourg and so many more places in the last several years. I am constantly telling people who I am and what I do. Part of why I started this blog. To talk about the ideas behind the business, not just the business itself. I love Chasing Creative. It is something I have poured myself into. So has my wife Jasmine, our co-founder.
3. Traveling for work is hard. But over the years I have brought my family on amazing trips. Given them experiences. Shown them what working hard looks like firsthand. I reflect on those opportunities often. New locations always lift my spirits.
The Photo (in the header)
You might be wondering about the image for this post. It is a perfect example.
Several years ago Jasmine and I traveled to Portland, Oregon, for a conference with Our Daily Bread Ministries. It was a creativity and theology conference. We were representing a youth-driven magazine called My Utmost For His Highest, spreading the word to attendees.
Afterward we explored wine country. Dundee Hills. Vineyards everywhere. Entrepreneurs going from farm to glass. It was a cool experience.
A few years later I went back to Portland to shoot video for one of our data center clients at their downtown property. An amazing location I will share on another post, or you can see some of our video work here.
I stayed at The Vintages campground. Glamping in retro campers right outside the vineyards.
The photo is from a quiet morning after the shoot. Coffee in hand, remembering the trips before, the family time, doing some self-portraits on the property.
Make Space
No matter what you do, you have to make space for creativity. Make space for the things you want to do. I know budgets do not always allow it. But you have to prioritize it.
There are plenty of times I could have saved money or done quick in-and-out trips. But every time I extended a few days, brought my family, engaged deeper, added more experiences. It has always been a benefit. Never a negative.
Life experiences need to happen now. Not as some projection of what you might get in the future.
Looking back, I am reminded how these decisions have shaped my success and my experience with the world.
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