Tuesday, July 1, 2014

6 Months Here, 6 Months There

While doing my rounds tonight I thought of a simple photo plan that might give the best results. What about spending 6 months in different photo locals every year, followed by 6 months of working in Canada (until I am 65). The 6 months might  actually be 4 or 5 but lets just play with the bigger number here. After some hard saving for 3 or 4 years I could try a 6 month plan something like this. The plan would not include buying a condo in Thai, instead the money would be safely kept in the bank until needed.

1) Age 54: 6 months doing photos in Thailand, 6 months working in Canada.
2) Age 55: 6 months doing photos in  Cambodia, 6 months working in Canada.
3) Age 56: 6 months doing photos in Indonesia, 6 months working in Canada.
4) Age 57: 6 months doing photos in Vietnam, 6 months working in Canada.
5) Age 58: 6 months doing photos in Laos, 6 months working in Canada.
6) Age 59: 6 months doing photos in Burma, 6 months working in Canada.
7) Age 60: 6 months doing photos in Nepal, 6 months working in Canada.
8) Age 61: 6 months doing photos in India, 6 months working in Canada.
9) Age 62: 6 months doing photos in China, 6 months working in Canada.
10) Age 63: 6 months doing photos in Mongolia, 6 months working in Canada.
11) Age 64: 6 months doing photos in Bangladesh, 6 months working in Canada.
12) Age 65: 6 months doing photos in Ethiopia, 6 months working in Canada.
13) Age 66: 6 months doing photos in Brazil, 6 months in Canada.
14) Age 67: 6 months doing photos in Cuba, 6 months in Canada.
15) Age 68: 6 months doing photos in Rwanda, 6 months in Canada.
16) Age 69: 6 months doing photos in Uganda, 6 months in Canada.
17) Age 70: 6 months doing photos in Argentina, 6 months in Canada.

18) Age 70-80 print my lifes work.  

Not sure I would have enough money to do all of this but if I am very careful and spend under $20000 for each 6 months away from Canada at least some of it would be possible. Imagine all the photos that could be made, all the stories that could be told. I would have to stay in poorer countries to allow my Canadian dollars to go farther but often the poorer countries have the best people, the best stories and are the most compelling to photograph.

This might all be pure fantasy but it could also come to pass. Heck I am not even sure I could keep up that pace until 70 and that I would actually live that long. My father worked hard until he was about 79 years 6 months old, so if I am lucky to inherit some of his hardworking tenacity and toughness then it might be possible.

Sometimes I have these outrageous ideas and they go no where and sometimes like with the sex worker on white pics they develop, are produced, and get picked up by important photo festivals and websites. We will have to let this germinate for a while and see where this goes, it is all at least 4 years in the future.