Guy Mancuso
Administrator, Instructor
I'm telling my 13 year old to learn the Chinese language NOW
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Guy - I think that is marvelous advice. I am a software consultant [I was a CPA until 1985, decided to change career], working at the moment in Bangkok. The demand for professionals of any kind with language abilities is very high, especially for Chinese language.I'm telling my 13 year old to learn the Chinese language NOW
2 semesters down, and nothing to show for it. Chinese is a brutal language to learn... haha, I've tried. You've gotta start early on with language, it helps immensely. Maybe my window for languages has closed a bit... German came/is coming very easy.I'm telling my 13 year old to learn the Chinese language NOW
I've found that I learn best by teaching myself. At least in photography. I really don't think there is any better way than just spending time with a given camera, shooting the same subject over and over, and seeing what works and what doesn't. I've revisited the Milwaukee Art Museum designed by Calatrava COUNTLESS times, just to re-shoot it. And I'm getting better. noticeably. Sprinkle in forums, a class here and there, working with a practicing professional, and maybe a workshop someday, and I think I'll be fine without a full blown photo degree.Guy Mancuso said:Photography is a long learned process and best is being a assistant, take some classes and do workshops and what I did mostly is worked my *** off and taught myself.
More travel is definitely one goal of mine. I'm in the process already of jury rigging an individualized major with a study abroad requirement. I think a semester or two in Europe couldn't hurt! :thumbup:Pick any of you plans and do it with a passion! I do believe my money spent on university was my best investment ever.
Closely followed by my decision keep jobs that let me travel the world for 15 years rather than be in to corporate rat race.
Dave
I'm lucky enough to have visited Arches, Wind Cave, Badlands, Bryce, Rocky Mountain, Zion, and Capitol Reef. I spent more than a month in the back country of Glacier last summer helping with grad student research. A life goal of mine is to visit every National Park. At 20, I feel I have a healthy start.Don Libby said:If I had to do it all over again? Stay with the government however in a totally different area - National Park Service. Can you image waking up to go to work in the Grand Canyon? How about Yosemite, Yellowstone or Denali? Okay the pay might not be as good however the more I get to these places and meet the Rangers there I'm finding a lot of them not only truly love what they are doing some of them are great photographers in their own right. How many people can say they truly love what they do?
Doing something you have a passion for and doing it well is a hell of a reward. Sometimes the ends justify the means. Grad school/law school will get you where in life? Will you truly be doing what you want to do? Whose dreams are you chasing - yours or someone else's?
And this is where the last bit of hang up for me exists. In 5 or 10 years from now, am I going to be saying, "I wish I had gone to art school!" or, "I wish I wasn't $75k in debt, because I don't have a reliable job and have no real way to pay it back."Here is what I've learned ...
Stand back and survey the future, and get other perspectives on what that may be. Stare reality in the face, whether you like that face or not.
The cross roads you are at now is NOT which school to attend, or which piece of gear to buy. It is which road will lead somewhere rewarding as defined by you now at your stage of your life looking forward. Then you can move on to the other decisions, which I'd wager will be clearer.
I say this because, broad or narrow, there has to be purpose attached to a decision. Nothing feeds passion like purpose.
Exactly, haha! On my neighbor's Merc, he had to replace the power window motor, and it was well over $1000. Redic.Ferrari, its not just the sticker price that is high... it's every time you need maintenance too...
*****
Gas cap $450.... :>)
Chinese is extremely difficult. I never could pick it up fluently---luckily I get by with just the "Chinese-look..." :ROTFL:2 semesters down, and nothing to show for it. Chinese is a brutal language to learn... haha, I've tried. You've gotta start early on with language, it helps immensely.....
My brother's Pontiac Vibe (a.k.a. Toyota Matrix), driver's side $850.Exactly, haha! On my neighbor's Merc, he had to replace the power window motor, and it was well over $1000. Redic.
In one book I read, Maisel was positvely brutal toward young, idealistic photographers. The reason for his harsh tone was clear - those close to you are not the ones to judge your fitness for entering the professional workforce with a camera. Some folks even have the notion that photography is a relatively lucrative field. I completely agree with Giorgio:Jay Maisel had the best advice I've ever heard on photography as a career: If you want to be a photographer, be the best photographer you can be and you will be rewarded. If you want to be highly paid as a photographer, do something else.
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Wait a minute - I thought you were legal counsel for Iron Creek?Chinese is extremely difficult. I never could pick it up fluently---luckily I get by with just the "Chinese-look..." :ROTFL:
Education is always a good thing. It really doesn't matter too much what your major is---you're only picking up the basics in any particular field. What is most important is that you're learning how to learn. Your education goes with you no matter where you are in life.
Btw, I'm one of those attorneys that Don Libby mentioned no longer practices law. After ten years I got tired of (as Don says) "working for people who would slit your throat in a heart beat." And I'm not even talking about ex-wives...
:ROTFL:
I turn 55 in a few weeks and am still trying to figure out what I want to be when I grow up...
Jay Maisel had the best advice I've ever heard on photography as a career: If you want to be a photographer, be the best photographer you can be and you will be rewarded. If you want to be highly paid as a photographer, do something else.
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I think this might be the path that I am headed towards. Hopefully minus a few years of bull****, give or take, but I think this is the deal I'm in for. Put up with (and hopefully enjoy) a demanding job for a while and eventually retire or quit to pursue the things I couldn't without a bit of financial stability.I've got the best of all worlds. I get to photograph landscape which is without a doubt my passion all the collecting a steady check at the end of the month. Made the entire bulls@#T of the 30 plus years well worth it. I also feel that having that steady income has helped my creative juices flow.
Speaking of photographing National Parks, you should check out this link as there's some nice stuff inside: http://www.terragalleria.com/parks/I've been looking at all of your work, and I have to say, I'm completely inspired. I need to revisit a National Park or two.