2023 - REVIEW
In my house, I always keep a Bug Out Bag (a.k.a. an emergency survival kit) by the door. Essentials, like water, fuel, food, lighting, batteries, personal documents, plus a host of survival tools, trauma supplies, and first-aid. While no natural disaster has yet warranted its use, having the go bag in my home acts as a safety net. A way to look out for my future self and family, with a sincere hope that it will never be necessary. But there are some emergencies in life that you can’t prepare for.
My twenties were spent touring the country in a van, playing music, and living in the present moment, and I didn’t plan much for what was coming around the corner next in life. I was adaptable and able to react to any of the highs and lows that came with a music career, of which there were many. When that ended, I transitioned into the next creative medium in my life without any kind of road map or guidebook.
Photography taught me how to plan, both creatively and logistically. While it doesn’t have the same rhythm as a 9-5, it gave me enough stability to launch a 13-year career that expanded my artistry and helped me to travel the world. It was also the best lesson in how to conceive, propose, and execute projects with an eye for all that could go wrong. Because the best way to prevent the worst is to anticipate it.
But life, as we know, is often unpredictable. Just when I thought I had settled into a semblance of a work/life balance—marrying my wife in 2022 and celebrating the most financially successful year in my business—2023 challenged me to overcome some very difficult personal circumstances while still working as a full-time photographer. It required building a “Bug Out Bag” for my life. One that allowed me to focus on supporting my family while ensuring I could lead my team through the busiest year of my career.
Water, Food, & First Aid
The first things you should always consider when building your kit are your three essentials, water, food, and emergency health. When I think of how these components relate to my photography business, I have to credit my wife, and my team, who have jumped in and out of so many hats to make sure we were successful in 100 days of production this year.
Work is often an extension of your life, and my life would not be colored with so much creative inspiration if I didn’t get to share it with Colleen. In 2023 we dealt with the decline and loss of my mother-in-law, Elizabeth Clines, in our first year of marriage. Colleen not only carried the weight of her non-profit business, her employees, and the women she advocates for, but she also cared for her mother and our 100-pound Newfoundland while I was on the road. It wasn’t an easy task, since she was so close to her mother, but her endless empathy for me and her family kept us all close during hard times.
While this year tested my emotional equilibrium in ways I could never have anticipated, it helped me to adjust my priorities so that I could be a lifeline to my family. Often, it required transitioning from 10-12 hour set days to long nights with family. Some days I had to schedule family time over attending a photoshoot. While everything I’ve produced in my work is the same quality I always deliver, backstage I needed to do more work to keep the show going.
I’m used to hunkering down and pushing myself to work in all types of situations, but one of the benefits of crafting such a successful team is their ability to seamlessly represent my brand when I need them to. I was able to rely on my network of creatives to find replacement photographers that I could trust without question to get the job done. Over so many years in the industry, it’s nice to know that I’ve made strong connections that I can turn to when I send out the call.
Tools & Supplies
In any kind of Bug Out Bag, you’ll want various tools that can help you provide warmth, shelter, or access to vital resources. But have too many and your bag is weighed down. It’s important to know what tools are necessary for your business to survive and which ones you can leave at home.
In 2023, I had less time to focus on marketing or expanding my reach, and instead worked on maintaining relationships with clients, updating my portfolio, and honing my craft. I’ve established some great cohesiveness across my work and it showed when I had the opportunity to photograph for several tourism departments, including the chance to stay close to home and represent Kentucky, while also getting to venture up north to work with Travel Alaska.
In March of this year, my wife and I also traveled to India to photograph her work on the Anchal Project. We first met through her non-profit work many years ago, and our trips have led to an exciting personal photography project that I’ll have the chance to showcase in 2024. It’s been incredibly rewarding to see the culmination of her work and my own, and I hope we have more opportunities to inspire and collaborate as we continue to build our lives together.
Cash & Documentation
No amount of preparedness comes without budgeting and organization, but it took on new meaning this year. Becoming a husband has given me a whole different approach to how I consider my fiscal responsibility and how I look at my future. It’s been an experience in grounding myself and settling into a sense of security that can benefit not only me but my family as well.
As a freelance photographer, I was often in the position of letting my career lead my life in one direction or another and sometimes it meant winging it. This year was an opportunity to find stability, to opt for productions that had a little less adventure and more consistency. After caring for my mother-in-law at the end of her life, I took some time to consider the legacy I want to leave behind. I decided to work with my bookkeeper to create a global budget for my business, with a mindset toward future family planning.
I’ve learned that to maintain balance, you have to weigh your options, consider the outcomes, and be prepared to challenge the stagnation in your life. If you’ve ever crossed a beam, slackline, or fallen log, you know you’re more likely to succeed if you trust your center of gravity and keep moving. For me, 2023 wasn’t a year where I climbed Mount Kilimanjaro or learned tradecraft to enter Iraq, but it required me to move forward in ways that were equally challenging and rewarding.
We successfully wrapped advertising for Travel Alaska, Lake Charles Tourism, and Kentucky Tourism.
In partnership with Anchal Project, we successfully wrapped a trip to Ajmer, India in support of their mission to address the exploitation of women worldwide. This trip closed out a long-term personal project, which will debut in my first exhibition in early 2024.
I refreshed my portfolio books and attended over 30 in-person meetings.
I created a global budget for my business, with the help of my bookkeeper.
I updated my headshot, after 6 years.
I had the best year in my career, fiscally.
I made one heck of a Fried Chicken Sandwich.
I built an outdoor DIY cold plunge.
My crew and I captured over 158,000 photographs and traveled nearly 100 days on production for clients such as Benjamin Moore Paint Co., Big Ass Fans, Heaven Hill Distilleries, Kenmark Eyewear, Kentucky Tourism, Lake Charles Tourism, and Travel Alaska.
Behind the brand is a collection of people whom I owe a debt of gratitude for 2022: Colleen Clines, Mom, Dad, Missy Lynn, Jeff Lynn, Tom Clines, Elizabeth Clines, Maggie Clines, Tommy Clines, Brittany Myers, Dave Cobb, Tom Clines, Jonathon Chi, Adam Mescan, Zach Browning, Rachel Waters, Ryan Grant, Omar Miranda, Craig Oppenheimer, Jordan Hartley, Thomas Ingersoll, Megan Fleming, Stacy Swiderski, Lindsay Thompson, Nicole Poulin, Liz Wolf, Jeremy Richie, Coury Deeb, Ryan Galanaugh, Andrew Robinson, Fabiane Lash, Lambsey Reeves, Tyler Anderson, Courtney Anderson, Mike Brady, Chris Jackson, Nichole Jackson, Tyler Zoller, David Bongiorno, Neal Alfano, Margaret Horlander, Cynthia Kendrick, Jordan Wollman, Dan Waymack, Kama Johnson, and Sol Perry.
Being prepared for the unexpected is my way of comprehending life’s fragility. The smallest moments can sometimes have the biggest impact, and while this year was only one out of 38, it was one of the years that truly marked a change in my life. A year full of growth, grief, change, and survival, with all the clarity that only life’s messiness and uncertainty can necessitate. I am both humbled and incredibly grateful for all the experiences this year held and the lessons learned along the way.