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HAVE CAMERA WILL TRAVEL
Thursday evenings I enjoy attending the London Camera Club. The members are there for the sheer fun of it. We might win a blue/green ribbon for our efforts but making a living/profit is not on the horizon.
Recently we had the privilege to see/hear from a commercial photographer, Paul Miszczyk'. Wow, a real live person who makes a living from his art.
Ladies and gentlemen let me introduce you to Paul who is passionate about his work. His motto is have camera will travel. He was born and reared in London East. Paul graduated from the Beal Secondary School Special Arts program.
He enroled in the two year Fanshawe Photography course which led to future employment in the lab at Custom Color Lab/Design Associates.
Paul later started up Mr Photography with Carol Misczcyu doing commercial work creating calendars, brochures, recipe books for eight years before branching out on his own.
Being a single parent of two adorable children Sasha age eight and Nyles age six it was easier to be self employed. Taking care of his children is his number one priority.
Commercial photography is a diverse art form which allowed him to be involved with aerial/ portrait/ weddings/product and medical imagery. Corporate clients such as 3 M, Labatts and B A S F along with major advertizing agencies kept him busy.
Success for Paul was the opportunity to be creative, raise his children, pay his bills and in the end have some fun.
For the past five years his passion has taken him to far off destinations in China, India, Mexico, Europe, Canada, USA and the Amazon River Delta.
Business trips to New York with his corporate clients has some wonderful perks. Staying at the Plaza in a magnificent suite is awesome. Expensive dining with rare bottles of Chardonay followed by limousine rides to and fro is a long way from London East.
Trips to Naples Florida/Vail Colorado/Washington to photograph K L M windows in seventeen million dollar homes was outstanding.
The chance to travel at your client's expense and be creative at the same time is sure nice. Once you are done with your days work you are free to discover the world.
As an independent commercial photographer for the past twenty-five years Paul has learned that there are no long term written contracts with a benefit package. You are only as good as your last job.
His work is never boring, every shoot is different. Time and light are elusive non renewable resources when you break them down to 1/25 of a second.
Paul emphasized that you do not have to look for fame and fortune in New York/Paris or London England to be fulfilled.
At fifty three years of age Paul is very happy with his life as a free lance photographer/father. He has found his raison d'etre.
He taught me that we all have our trials and tribulations but in the end people with less seem to enjoy life more.
Time goes by very quickly, please don't waste it.
Check out Paul Miszcyk's web site www.popophoto.com and the London Camera Club www.londoncameraclub.on.ca
Len Lesser