A published photographer

I'm finally a published photographer.

Nature/outdoor photography is a hobby (obsession) that I would love to be able to do as a fulltime job.  In the meantime I work in a cubicle during the week.  One day during June 2008 I decided to check my personal email and there was one from an editor of New Hampshire Magazine asking to use a photo of Diana's Bath I had taken and posted on the net.  Diana's Bath is a waterfall in North Conway, New Hampshire.  The bonus was she wanted to pay me for using it.  The only problem was the file needed to be sent to her by email no later than 4pm because they were sending the magazine to the printer at that time.  I was at work and couldn't get out in time to send the file.  I started thinking of what I could do becuase I didn't want to let this opportunity pass me by.

I called my wife because she usually takes a late lunch.  Jackpot.  She was on her lunch break and near home.  I told her what was happening and asked if she'd go home to send the file.  My wife knew this would mean a lot to me to finally be published and she agreed.  Once at home I explained where to find the file and she sent it out to the editor.  About a half-hour later I decided to check my email to see if there was a response.  OH NO!!!  There was a delivery failure notice in my email.  Now I had to scramble to come up with a solution because my wife had gone back to work and I couldn't get home in time to send the file.  I decided to send a low res copy of the file that I had access to.  The second email went through and they decided to use this copy.

A couple of weeks went by and I started driving to New Hampshire, from my home in Massachusetts, to find copies of the magazine.  Each time I went up I had no luck.  Then finally around the middle of July I went to a pharmacy in Hillsborough, New Hampshire while in town for the hot air balloon "festival" and found one copy.  I only had $2 in my wallet and the magazine was $3.50.  I grabbed a Mountain Dew and headed to the counter.  I pulled out the credit card and charged $4.95 but it was worth it because I finally had a copy of the magazine with my first published photo.  One copy wasn't enough though.  I wanted a couple of copies and some of my family members wanted copies.  I decided to head to a grocery store in Rindge, New Hampshire and found the motherload.  There were dozens of copies on the magazine rack and at the cash registers.  I grabbed about six more copies and went to the register.  The kid working that register looked at me like I had 3 heads because each magazine was the same.  But I didn't care because that day I finally had proof that I am now a published photographer.

Until next time.

Glen

8/29/08