IOWA PHOTOGRAPHER TRAVELS TO MINNESOTA TO TELL A SPECIAL STORY!

HAD TO GET OUT OF DODGE!!

SO I WENT TO MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA!!

WHY DID I TAKE THIS TRIP?

BECAUSE I WANTED TO, NO BUT SERIOUSLY, LET ME EXPLAIN! LET ME SET THE SCENE. IT’S 6-20-2023, SUMMER TIME, HOT AS ALL CAN BE, YOU JUST GRADUATED COLLEGE AND DON’T KNOW WHAT YOU WANT TO DO WITH YOUR LIFE. SHOULD YOU GET A JOB. MAYBE TAKE A GAP YEAR THEN GO BACK TO SCHOOL. HOW ABOUT YOU JUST ROT AT YOU PARENTS HOUSE UNTIL THEY KICK YOU OUT. WELP, FOR ME, NON OF THAT WAS AN OPTION, OR SOMETHING I ACTUALLY WANTED TO DO. SO I DID THE NEXT BEST THING. TAYLOR SWIFT WAS COMING TO MINNEAPOLIS IN A FEW DAYS SO I DECIDED TO GET OUT OF DODGE, WELL CEDAR RAPIDS / IOWA CITY AND GO UP THERE TO SEE WHAT ALL THE ERAS TOUR HYPE WAS ABOUT. SO I BOOKED A HOTEL AND HIT THE ROAD.

PHOTO BREAK DOWN!

WHICH LEADS US TO THESE PHOTOS DOWN BELOW. AS I SAID, I HAD JUST GRADUATED COLLEGE AND REALIZED THAT I DID NOT WANT TO USE MY DEGREES AND I WANTED TO MAKE SOMETHING HAPPEN WITH MY BUSINESS. SO MUCH WAS GOING THROUGH MY HEAD. WHAT TO DO FIRST. WHO SHOULD I REACH OUT TO. HOW DO I MAKE PEOPLE JUST COME TO ME FOR THIER CAMERA NEEDS. ALL OF THIS AND MORE. I HAVE TO START PAYING BACK STUDENT LOANS, I JUST BOUGHT A HOUSE AND SOOOOOOOOOO MUCH MORE. I AM NOT SPECIAL, I AM JUST TALKING ABOUT COMING TO TERMS THAT LIFE WAS GETTING REAL, AND REAL FAST AT THAT. SO WHAT DID I DO, I TOOK A TRIP TO EXPLORE THE US OF A AND TAKE SOME PHOTOS, TRY SOME THINGS OUT, AND JUST WRAP MY HEAD AROUND THE MANY COMPLEXITIES THAT I WAS UP AGAINST. I WENT NORTH NOT WITH A PLAN, BUT WITH AND OPENESS TO JUST LET MY MIND WANDER AND SEE WHAT BRIGHT IDEAS I COULD COME UP WITH. AND THAT IS WHAT I DID. I TOOK THESE PHOTOS, SHOCK SOME HANDS, HAD SOME MEETINGS, AND SLOWLY BUT SURELY THIS THING STARTED TO MAKE SENSE. NOT BEFORE I LEARNED A MAJOR LIFE LESSON FIRST! KEEP SCROLLING TO LEARN WHAT YOU PROBABLY ALREADY KNOW YOURSELF.

WHAT LIFE LESSON DID THIS TEACH ME?

GOOD THINGS DON’T COME TO THOSE WHO WAIT!! YOU MAY GET LUCKLY WITH THAT FROM TIME TO TIME, BUT THIS TRIP TAUGHT ME THAT IF I WANT THIS BUSINESS TO WORK, I NEED TO WORK. I NEED TO FIGURE OUT WHAT I WANT TO SELL. I NEED TO SEE WHERE THE WORLD IS GOING, WHO HAS THE RESOUCES, AND FIGURE OUT HOW TO HELP PEOPLE LIKE THAT FIX THEIR PROBLEMS. THIS WAS THE LAST TRIP I TOOK JUST TO TAKE. AND IT WAS THE FIRST TRIP I TOOK OUT OF THE STATE I WAS BORN JUST TO SEE WHAT HAPPENED WITH MY MIND, NO SCHEDULE, AND CAMERA IN MY HAND. I LEARNED THAT NO ONE IS GOING TO DO THIS FOR YOU, AND IF YOU WANT IT, YOU JUST GOT TO TAKE A LEAP OF FAITH AND TRUST THE PROCESS.

NOW IN FEBURARY 2026, I UNDERSTAND I SOME BUT NOT ALL OF THE UPS AND DOWNS IN MY LIFE, BUT ONE THING IS FOR SURE. I WANT TO DO THIS PRODUCTION COMPANY FULL TIME. I’VE JUST LEARNED THAT HAVING A CAMERA IN HAND IS 10% OF THE PROCESS. SO IF ANY ASPIRING PHOTOGRAPHERS OR VIDEOGRAPHERS, OE EVEN GRAPHIC DESIGNERS SEE THIS, UNDERSTAND IT’S OKAT TO KEEP YOU HOBBY AND PASSION JUST THAT, A HOBBY AND PASSION. BUT IF YOU WANT TO MAKE IT YOUR BUSINESS, YOU NEED TO UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU ARE SIGNING UP FOR MY FRIEND. YOU NEED TO UNDERSTAND THAT LAW. FROM TAXES TO WHAT TO DO WHEN A CONTRACT IS BREACHED. YOU NEED TO KEEP YOUR BOOKS IN ORDER, YOU NEED TO LEARN LEAD GENERATION. YOU NEED TO LEARN HOW TO TELL A STORY. YOU NEED TO KNOW HOW TO SELL YOURSELF, AND YOUR PRODUCT / SERVICE. YOU NEED TO GROW AND KEEP UP IN THIS MODERN AI WORLD. AND SOOOOOOOOO MUCH MORE. I COULD KEEP GOING BUT YOU GET THE POINT. I LEARNED ALL OF THIS BACK ON 6-23-2023 BUT IT WAS ONLY THIS YEAR IN 2026 I ACCEPTED THIS TO BE MY REALITY. I STOP FIGHTING IT AND UNDERSTOOD I JUST NEEDED TO DO BETTER AND MAKE MORE MONEY UNTIL I COULD GET SOME PEOPLE TO HELP A BROTHER OUT. SO I WILL LEAVE YOU WITHT THIS. STAY POSITIVE AND KEEP MOVING FORWARD IN LIFE.

CHECK OUT MORE BLOG POSTS LIKE THIS

THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE AND SPENDING A BIT OF YOUR TIME WITH DSP!

STAY POSITIVE AND GET THE BREAD. NEVER STOP BEING YOU AND KEEP MOVING FORWARD! I LOVE AND APPRICATE YOU MORE THAN YOU KNOW. THANK YOU FOR ALLOWING ME TO LIVE MY DREAMS!