If it is true that it takes a village to raise a child, then it takes a community to write a book. A community of family, friends, teachers, co-workers, industry professionals, and acquaintances who have all, over time, contributed to the development of this work. I would venture to say that if you were to do a word search of the most commonly used words in this book, you would probably find the highest frequency with the following words: inspiration, encouragement, support, opportunity, and a love for what you do. All of those words have an elevated sense of “thank you” associated with them because they do not exist without the loyal people who have supplied them.
Thank you especially to my family: to my wife Paula, who cleared the way for me to sit down and write this book, which has been on my mind for so many years; to my daughter Mendy, who continues to be “The Little Lady Who Changed My Life”; and to my granddaughter Delaney, who patiently waited for her Grand Papa to finish writing a sentence or a chapter, so we could have our special time together. Of course, thank you to my incredible parents Mama Dee and Papa Julio, who always believed in me and encouraged me to use my talents in service to others; and to my sister Dollie, who carries on in their name.
A large helping of thanks has to be given to Dan Wolfe and the staff of Wolfe and Company Films for putting up with me as I continually asked them for feedback. And to the incredible faculty and staff of the Art Center College of Design, especially those in the Photography and Imaging Department, who expand my world daily and have given so much to the world of photography for so many years. I also want to express my special thanks to my first “Reinventing Your Career in the Creative Arts” class through the Art Center at Night Public Program, who allowed me to pick their brains each night of class in an attempt to validate my findings. The reflections from all these sources and more have led me to believe that insight is foresight tempered by hindsight, and that we can all learn from each other when we work in an atmosphere of trust.
I remember talking to Tad Crawford, founder and publisher of Allworth Press, for several years about this book before he asked me when I was going to write it. His simple question set me off on an incredible journey, one that might still be a dream if he hadn’t opened the door. He and the staff of Allworth Press, especially senior editor Nicole Potter-Talling and associate editor Monica Lugo, have been extremely supportive and have given me the opportunity I needed to go beyond talking and to set milestones for myself so this work could become a reality. Beyond that, the writing of this book has allowed me to meet and talk to some of the most influential photographers of our era, people whom I might never have met otherwise. I can never give enough thanks to the extremely talented people who agreed to be interviewed and who lent their candor, insight, and inspiration so that we might learn a little about ourselves.
Obviously there are many others I could mention, but time and space do not allow for it. Maybe they will be the inspiration for another work because, as you will see in this book, one creative act requires another, and another. It is my wish that this work will help you to take on that project you have always wanted to do, and that you will refer to it from time to time for inspiration, encouragement, support, opportunity, and a love for what you do as members of the creative continuum.