Carry Your Camera … Everywhere

He lingered outside the theater chatting with a few people, the sunset casting light from his tousled hair. He smiled when we saw each other and said hello. Gregory remembered me. We met at the Shoshana Bean concert I attended a couple months ago. My best friend, Melanie, sang back up for Shoshana, so I brought my camera along and snagged a few pictures.

Just before I left the concert, Gregory asked for my card and introduced himself as Shoshana's manager. I'd love to see some of your pictures, he said with a slight nod toward my camera. A few days later, I sent him five pictures from the show.

I attended Shoshana's play “Dear John Meyer” in Los Angeles a couple weeks ago and that's where I saw Gregory again. It was a quick hello, but quite warm and the following day I received an email from him with the following picture:

Gregory wrote: I'm putting together a demo package for Shoshana to present to music executives. Before I start printing them in limited quantities, I'd like to get your okay to use your picture with a photo credit. This is not for commercial use, it won't be accessible online — this is strictly a physical copy I can leave behind with the people I meet at labels, publishers, etc. …

I was shocked. What I assumed was a snapshot actually meant something…to Gregory…to Shoshana…to me. We somehow created a small web of artists helping artists in the name of following our dreams.

To those of you who carry your cameras everywhere you go…bravo. Keep them close, shoot what you love, and maybe your photos will mean quite a bit to someone who's trying to follow her dreams too.