We’ve moved into our new offices away from downtown Austin, where we used to be right on the hike and bike trail next to Lady Bird Lake. We are now near the airport, farther away from downtown but closer to my house.
The wall are white, the desks clean and hardly anyone is in the office on any given day. We’ve made Thursday the “In office day” for the visual team. It’s nice to touch base and edit in person. We can discuss edits and brainstorm ideas for videos.
As I set up my desk, I found an old email I’d printed out from a long ago intern with advice I’d given her early in my career 1998, which means she probably interned in 1997. I put it up on my desk because, damn, I was wise back then. Hopefully still as wise but maybe more jaded. The note is as follows;
“Don’t be afraid of whatever route you choose but also don’t take it too seriously. The last part sounds confusing. I guess I mean don’t let photography and the idealism of it get to you. I have seen too many enthusiastic shooters get bogged down by being idealistic. Life is not perfect and neither is photography. Sometimes you get the moment, sometimes you think you get the moment but no one agrees with you, sometimes you are on another planet and miss everything so you take a picture to cover your ass so you boss won’t get pissed off at you.”
Words to live by. CYA = cover your ass. Always come back with a picture. No one wants to hear “There was nothing going on.” Show me. “I didn’t like what i saw and couldn’t shoot a good photo.” Show me “I didn’t get access.” Show me. I may believe that you struggled but I also think that you were there and the public was not so show them what you saw even if it is not what you wanted to see.
Nell Carroll Photography 