This photo is a perfect example of why you always need someone else looking at details when shooting photos. It is a great photo except for one major problem. The ball is upside down and because of that it makes this photo useless to me.

Sure, I could go into photoshop and try to fix it. But, I don’t want to waste my time doing that. This is where having a good team around you really makes a difference. On this day I was shooting by myself. I had no help. So, while I am trying to figure out F Stops and lighting ratios in my head, I missed that the ball was upside down. If I had some help that day, this all could have been avoided and this photo would have been something proud for me to share.

Instead, it is a reminder to me that you can’t do it all by yourself. You always need some help and you always need another set of eyes helping you see something that you can’t see. You can apply this to this photo or even to your life.

Purpose.

Without Purpose, our lives can look dark and chaotic.

In this photo you will see my Purpose. You will see my future. You will see my faith.

This photo was taken in July of 2007 and you can clearly see the confidence in my face. You see, a month before this photo, I lost all my equipment and vehicle. Well, I didn’t lose it, it was taken from me.

My son and I went to a midnight showing of a new Shrek movie at the Marketplace. I had a photoshoot earlier that afternoon and had placed all my equipment in the back of my truck. I had one of those Cadillac Escalades that you could lock the truck bed. Me being lazy and not wanting to take my equipment out was one of my biggest mistakes I ever made.

The equipment that was in the back of the truck was very expensive. I had at least $10k of cameras, lights, and accessories. I think the worst part of that experience was also that I had $500 in cash inside the center console. I used to call that my stash money. But that was not even the worst part. As my son and I walked to the theatre, we meet up with some friends of mine and grabbed some dinner. We sat outside and ate. As I looked across the parking lot, I could see a truck that looked just like mine back out and drive away. As I watched it drive away a thought came to me, “That looks like your truck.” 

I stopped eating for a second. I started to ponder if it was my truck. I asked my friend to watch my son. I ran across the lot. I stood right where I had parked my truck. “Yep, that was my truck!” I said to myself. I started to laugh. I couldn’t believe it. I watched all my hard work drive away. 

The crazy thing is this, all week I had been running around telling everyone this, “The devil can’t stop me. I am too strong! He don’t want nun of dis!”(Yes, that is how I said it) You see my Purpose was at an all time high. Now came the the real test. It is easy to be happy and high when things are right, but what happens when shit hits the fan? Most of us crumble. Most of quit.

You see, that is why I laughed. I knew that it was a test. A test of my faith and Purpose. At that moment I remember saying, “Okay God… I guess this is the test. But, the devil still can’t stop me!” 

I called the authorities and did my due diligence. I watched the movie and went home. They found the truck a week later in Porterville, Ca. It had been stripped down and set on fire. The insurance only gave me 60% of what the equipment was valued. It was time to start over.

This photo represents my starting over, It represents my Purpose, and my crazy faith in action.

When you know your Purpose in life, the challenges will come and try to knock you down. When you know your Purpose in life nothing can stop you. Nothing! I am glad I took this photo. It reminds me everyday that I can overcome it all. That even when it is all taken away from me, I still know my Purpose! I still win.

I want you to win this week. I want you to find your Purpose and win. Have a great week.

Photo By: Daniel Jordan

I have been super busy. Here is a new portrait I did for Bakersfield Life Magazine.