58 Comments

I'm most grateful for my dad always having a camera in the glovebox of the car, just in case the sunset was amazing. After he died, photography became and continues to be a way for me to connect with his memory.

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beautiful notion, thank you for sharing TJ

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Oct 15, 2023Liked by Wesley Verhoeve

I am most grateful for my father who had a closet full of cameras that he shared with his teenage daughter. He loaned his cameras to me without a second thought, and then one day surprised me with a Pentax 645 just because.....thankful.

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What a dad! I love that, and relate to it :)

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This is a brilliant share and will be felt by many, I’m sure! I’m most grateful for the flexibility and trust within myself to continue growing and evolving within my art 💫

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Thanks so much Jenna! Trust within yourself is HUGE

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I’m most grateful for my high school photography teacher and the opportunity to learn darkroom photo!

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an encourager! :)

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Oct 15, 2023Liked by Wesley Verhoeve

I’m most grateful for people who are willing to share what they’ve learned. It’s really helpful to hear and learn from others in our shared craft.

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Love hearing that :)

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Oct 15, 2023Liked by Wesley Verhoeve

I'm most grateful for inheriting my grandfathers camera, about 8 years after his death. It is what got me into film photography and photography as a hobby / form of expression instead of as just a tool to document life.

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How beautiful, he passed it to you :)

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I‘m most greatful for the mentors I‘ve met along the way ... I would not be where I‘m now, without them!

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Wonderful answer :)

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Mar 12Liked by Wesley Verhoeve

Your article on connecting with photographers is insightful and informative! It offers valuable advice for building meaningful relationships with photographers, emphasizing the importance of communication and mutual respect. Thank you for sharing these valuable insights and fostering a sense of community among photographers.

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<3

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Oct 28, 2023Liked by Wesley Verhoeve

All of these are great points and authentic breakdown. Stronger together!

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:)

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I’m most grateful for how photography has helped me engage with the environment around me in new and meaningful ways.

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love that rick!

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Oct 21, 2023Liked by Wesley Verhoeve

Freelancing is tough. But it could be worse. We could be stuck in a toxic workplace.

I also feel that the conventional wisdom of freelancing isn’t really true in my experience.

The best jobs with most money and creative alignment all came from folk I had at some point hung out with socially.

Honestly I’ve made more money from buying people cocktails than from any of the proper things that you’re supposed to be doing.

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"The best jobs with most money and creative alignment all came from folk I had at some point hung out with socially." this is also my experience!

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Oct 20, 2023Liked by Wesley Verhoeve

I'm most grateful for my grandfather for passing down to me all the cameras I use every day, years after he's passed. I've taken his EOS 650 across the world with me and it reminds me of his presence daily. Cool how so many other comments are so similar to my experience!

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this is so lovely!

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Awesome read as always.

Taking part on a group workshop or atelier is also a great way to connect, teach and learn with fellow artists. Giving and receiving intimate and unbiased feedback on the works is a deep form of connection and sometimes gives great insight about your own work you never thought about!

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Thanks Nacho, for the kind words. And yes, totally agreed re: workshops!

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Thank you for this post Wesley. It resonates a lot. This year my main calling has been to meet more creative people and learn off them. I have isolated myself within my creativity and needed this to push my own boundaries, be around a 'soul' tribe that uplifts and inspires me. Mentors have helped me massively.

To answer your question, I am most grateful for the connections and stories it offers me. When I have a camera I am like an explorer and it also brings me out of my shell, full of curiosity and wonder. In this state I meet such lovely people from all walks of life, and observe the world in an almost mindful manner.

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love this Shanil!

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I'm most grateful for the amazing community in New York. Photography is something I've recently picked up, and it's been super helpful to connect with people at my local lab, local events and shows, and more. It helps me feel less like I'm doing this in a vacuum, and, coming from the DIY music world, community support is everything to me.

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yes yes yes, I also made my way over from the music world originally

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Oct 17, 2023Liked by Wesley Verhoeve

So many of your words here remind me of moments from the the past and really hit home. I no longer share a studio with anybody but did for many years, like 25 years and while we were all competitors, we were also collaborators. I learned a lot from my fellow photographers they may have learned from me. But the idea of a cooperative space where everybody created images, was empowering and inspiring.

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Love this answer Charlie! thank you for sharing!

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