Reach Out – Call A Photographer Friend
Enough is enough. I am fully vaccinated and enjoying the benefits of it. I’m getting out more and visiting family and friends. I am tired of seeing my friends on Zoom or Skype. I am tired of emailing each other. So, today and for the days to come, I’m starting something new. I’m calling my friends on the phone.
I got this idea when I received a call from someone who was on one of my workshops a few years ago. To say this person was a problem attendee would have been an understatement. I dealt with it when and how I could at the time. A few days ago, I got a call out of thin air from this person. His first words were, “I’m sorry for being a dick on your workshop.” He then proceeded to tell me he was an alcoholic in recovery, and he was making calls to people that he affected because of his alcoholism. Wow!
We spoke for a while, and he told me how things were improving and that he was photographing again and enjoying it and was ashamed of how he behaved but more how he may have hurt people as a result. That was cool, and we talked a while about photography, life, and how it has affected us for the last year and a half. I wish him the best in his recovery, and maybe we’ll see each other in a workshop in the future.
It took me a few days to process, and it got me thinking. I should start calling my photographer friends and catch up with what has happened over the last year and a half, as well as what they may be planning as the pandemic begins to wind down.
Today I had a chance to call and catch up with my friend Charlie Cramer and William Neill. It was great to have a chat and find out how they have dealt with the effects of the pandemic. It was also a chance to let them know I haven’t forgotten them or dozens of others on my list to call in the days to come.
Why not make your list of your photographer friends you haven’t spoken to for a while and start giving them a call. You can do this in the car, over a glass of wine after work, or with coffee in the morning. Just make a few calls a day. It will brighten your friend’s day and make you feel good too.
For the first time in a long time, I feel very optimistic and hopeful. More than anything else, I feel good getting back out there with my camera. Stay safe and make some calls.
Kevin Raber
June 2021
Kevin Raber
Indianapolis, IN
Photography is my passion and has been for 50 plus years. My career in photography has allowed me to travel the world, meet some of the most interesting people on the planet and see things I could never have dreamed of. My goal is to share the passion of picture taking through photographs and teaching with as many people as I can, hoping it brings them as much joy and happiness as it has me. I do this through photoPXL.com, this site, as well as Rockhopper Workshops, and other projects, as well as teaching as Artist In Residence at the Indianapolis Art Center.
