I met Paul recently on a photography training course, he was assisting the trainer and happens to work with the model too. A pleasant young man, watching, learning, taking it all in. Confident amongst a bunch of loud, over exuberant creatives all vying for attention and approval.
Today he came along to help me on a shoot with a friend. Surrounded by a bunch of noisy women he quietly & politely held his own, offering a word when needed, working very hard all day and laughing shyly as he was often teased.
Name: Paul
Occupation: Photographer & Retoucher
1.Where were you born and raised?
Petosky, Michigan
‘Twenty minutes from Canada, it was small town, it’s a one stop light town, at school I graduated with around fifty kids. I grew up with three younger brothers.’
‘I had a fantastic childhood.’
2.Tell me a childhood memory.
‘We used to put soap on the trampoline, we would get it all soapy and then we would jump in the pool, it was so much fun.’
3.What is your favourite season and why?
‘As a photographer it’s the Fall, as a person it’s the Summer.’
4.Tell me about someone you love.
‘My Aunt Janine who I lost three years ago, she had breast cancer, so I was in school and I thought do I stay in school, do I spend another thirty thousand dollars for another year, not knowing what I want to do. I knew I wanted to be a photographer and so the summer before she died she was telling me ‘just go to Florida, try it’ so I did it. So, she kind of pushed me to do that and not be afraid. She is my guardian Angel.
5.What words of wisdom do you have for the readers about life?
‘Never eat yellow snow’
6.Dreams for the future.
‘Kids, Get married, I want to teach on Creativelive, I wanna travel, I don’t know where I’ll live in the next five years, we’ll see.’
Paul misses home and his family, it’s tough when so young and so far away. You are ready for your independence and freedom, starting out on your own and making your way in life but it’s good to check back, feel ‘at home’ again. Paul’s the same age as my son, he is thousands of miles away too. We see each other ‘online’, watch each others lives on Facebook..not quite the same, I’m sure they both miss the hugs every now and then, I know I do.
