last month was a great a fantastic time in missoula with rmsp + 10 knock out photography die hards. can’t wait to see what the future holds. thanks everyone.

so i spent a few years living in japan + time between + after that traveling around se asia shooting + taking in the asian culture i had until then only read about. college provided me with a fantastic worldview particularly of that region of the world + i spent countless hours working on projects related to the hmong + other ethnic groups. so by the time i was able to pound the pavement i had a voracious hunger to see things for myself.

when one is living abroad vs simply passing through everything tends to change. i came to adopt a mindset that i feel has served me well to this day. in a nutshell, that is to live as those around you live – barter if bartering is necessary, eat what is served, indulge in a few fresh insects, a dip in the river, a kind ride across town. it always amazes me how people can show up in a land they are unfamiliar with + proceed with the mindset they live with back home.

i spent a month + a half in lao pdr (please don’t rush) as i enjoyed the slow pace + had always wanted to visit. the economy wasn’t exactly booming at the time (mid-late 90′s) + the country doesn’t have a surplus of resources. i mean how many lao restaurants do you see popping up anywhere today even? i remember going into the bank to exchange us dollars + coming out literally with a plastic bag full of bills.

as you can imagine food, lodging, etc were all on a much different economic scale then what we in many places are used to. the key was/is to recognize this + adapt. simply because a serving of sticky rice was going for $1 doesn’t mean it was necessarily cheap. if you think in terms of your old life back ‘home’ then that might be the case but in lao you were getting ripped off. paying this amount works against you, other visitors + the economy in general i’d argue but spiraling things upward artificially.

what does all this have to do with anything you might be asking about now. reading about money + photographers lately left me thinking that it works the same way. when small businesses or individuals come up against larger clients offering good work many people have a tendency to stick with their current mindset. an offer for $50,000 comes in + we think that’s a lot of money. don’t get me wrong, it is. but to be successful in any business i believe that you need to take your client (or anyone for that matter) into mind – what are they expecting, what do they need + what are they used to? this pertains to money as much as it does bottled water. if your working for one of the world’s largest brands + they spend $2 million a pop on ad placement alone, not the campaign, then you have a very valuable skill set to offer + $50,000 isn’t an outrageous number.

don’t knock yourself down. believe in the value you create. put yourself in other positions to more clearly see where you stand.

and if you’re ever in lao, then take a good bag to carry all your money in…

it’s coming together + we’ve got dates + location for our non-profit project this year. we’ll be up in halifax, nova scotia in august putting this together so stay tuned. in case you’ve missed it this far, myself + staff are donating a week’s worth of energy to a non-profit in need of creative firepower. this year’s recipient is the Network of Young People Affected by War (NYPAW). more here + here. this project has recently been named one of ASMP’s Best of 2009 so we’re all proud of that + ready to get working.

NYPAW is a fantastic new organization founded by an amazing group of young people who have insane backgrounds + experiences with war but have turned themselves around. if you’re interested in their stories check out Ishmael Beah‘s NY Times best selling book ‘a long way gone’. i’m reading it now + hello! it starts with this kicker;

New York City, 1998

My high school friends have begun to suspect I haven

quick note as our numbers have changed highlighting my growing presence in oregon. you now have the option of reaching the montana office directly at 406.862.3811 or me in oregon at 503.501.8174. either number will reach me within hours if not sooner.

have been on the road for the past month more or less and off again soon. do have an update on international travel as it affects photographers, specifically between canada and the us, so stay tuned.