Last month at about this time, my computer decided to break down on me. Basically, a virus entered and made it so that I could not get to my desktop. The fact was that what entered my mind was not so much about losing the papers that I had written for class rather, I felt ill with the idea that all of my photos that I have taken to build of my stock may have been lost forever.
My computer had been running slightly on the slow side the day prior. It raised suspicion however I did not see any warnings indicating that there were any viruses. Then while at Natasha's place, I turned on my computer, and instantly my screen turned blue, I froze and preceded to ask Natasha if she knew what was up with my computer. I started to hyper inside. She of course did not pick up on my nervousness and started to question me about whether I had all my files backed up on an exterior hard drive or not. What a remarkable idea to do such a thing, however of course did not- I had always thought that would be a grand idea, but never made it happen. Natasha was calm while all I wanted to do was take a hammer to my computer, which of course would have solved everything.
Natasha preceded in calling Dell Customer service (she is so good to me!) found out that there is probably a virus and that my computer needs to get looked at and adds at the end that there is a possibility that all files are gone. Thanks for stating the obvious. I spent the next few days worried to death as to whether my files would be retrievable or not.
It tore my up to think that the slide show at Pacifica that I had hoped to put on would be canceled due to me losing all my photos. In fact it made me ill to think about it. I found out that my files were retraceable and had everything backed up on an exterior hard drive immediately. Just this past week, prior to showing my slide show, I informed my classmates of how close I came to not having anything to present in my slide show. That for me would be heartbreaking to face. I am grateful that all that I had worried about had a happy ending!
The slide show was a hit. It ran an hour and a half. I was so happy with my shots and was so proud to show my work to both students and staff at Pacifica. I had a large selection of music which added more flavor to the show. I had the music reflect whatever was being showed-I had a mixture, some which was Joni Mitchell, Peter Gabriel, Everly Brothers, Frank Sinatra, Loise Armstrong all the way to Nine Inch Nails and on and on- overall it was quite an eclectic selection.
I learned so much by this experience and loved showing my work. After the slide show was done, I took note of what I would have done differently along with what really worked. I have picked up a few clients along the way thus far, but truly it was great to hear and see the reactions first hand and hear the laughter and sighs as each photo was presented.
On to more great news. After a few weeks of searching for the right place, my friend Natasha and I found a house that we will be moving into this month on the 15th. The house is more than we could have wished for. 3 bedrooms, high ceilings, open floor plan, huge kitchen and plenty of space, 1900 square feet in all with a great front and back yard. We found a great deal with my work. My work has property all around the facility and planned on renovating the house and having it rented. My boss heard word that I was in search for an apartment and mentioned to me that the house was available. It is safe to say that Natasha and I would not ever find this kind of deal anywhere else, so we grabbed it! What makes this wonderful is that Natasha was willing to give me the third bedroom which ultimately allows me to create my own office for my photography. It will be my own studio where I can meet with clients and display my work.
Lately I have been doing a lot of portraiture- both family and individuals. I happily picked up a wedding for next year as well as worked at a graduation party and various family events. I have found my calling which gratefully is just an added bonus to my work as a Therapist. As I may have mentioned in the past, in some way I would like to see myself combine the two. Regardless, I need to work in baby steps for now. Keep things simple and take in all my experiences.
Eventually, I will have a website so I can advertise myself more effectively. In general, there are so many photographers- it seems everywhere I look someone is walking around with a Nikon shooting away, but hey, that's just the way it is. My desire is to love what I am doing, have fun and find each job as an opportunity for more growth. Right now, it is all about starting a name for myself and see what lies in store for me!
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