Live to Buy Local

When Christmas morning rolls around and all the presents are opened; what are you left with? Another gadget taking up space in an electric outlet. Another toy to step on in the middle of the night. Another bland whatever that everyone seems to have this year. 

On Cyber Monday places like Wal-Mart, Target, and Best Buy are spending huge sums of money to put their ads on TV, so they can capitalize on your holiday spending. You aren't buying the gift from a person, you are buying it from a huge corporation. That is amazing, but there are hosts of small operators that sell things at a higher quality than any mass produced big store can offer. Here are some of my favorites.

Dick and Jane Create by Cierra - Cierra knits these crazy cool hats to show your pride in your neighborhood. Looking for a knit cap, scarf, or any other awesome accessory to set yourself apart, check it out. 

Equine Expression by D - Dawn creates charms and jewelry with a equine theme. I met her while she was just starting out and it is awesome to see her shop grow. People buy it from all over the world. She has items in some equine catalogs, but buying it directly from Dawn benefits her and the local economy more. 

G Squared Studio - I am the new guy to the game. Unique Photography from Firefighters to Airplanes, we have something for almost everyone. Paracord creations like bracelets and keychains, designed for functionality. Drink coasters to accent your room. We've been featured in a few treasury collections on Etsy. The fire hose picture frame is our most viewed item, and it will look great hanging on your wall. 

Support these businesses. We are small. We benefit the local economy. We want your business. 

Start Up

I was up all night. My wife would say I was sleeping, but I was awake. I had ideas running through my head. Ideas for video shorts. Ideas for photo shoots. Ideas for so many things. I couldn't quiet those voices. Just as they about shut up for the night was when my wife snuggled into my section of the bed and pushed me out.

I guess crap rolls downhill. I got up and saw that the three year old was pushing her into me and me into the abyss. I gave up and got up. 

I guess this was the perfect metaphor for what I have done. I had a idea, a big idea, but it needed money. So my wife helped me take that idea, scale into smaller bite size chucks to achieve a larger goal; proving my theory that behind every good man is an even better woman. All of it so that I can provide for the little monsters that we call kids. 

Last night our little internet shop opened to a little fanfare, I tweeted a few links, put some stuff on Facebook and people came and viewed the shop. It is a leap of faith I never knew I was going to do and let alone do together with my wife. What happened next was awesome. People reaching out on how they can help promote. "Send me a flyer", "E-Mail me a link", "Do you have..." It was amazing to see so many people rooting for us. Refreshing actually. One email I got stuck out. It was from another internet shop owner. "Why do you photograph firemen?". So I thought about it and responded back: 

We have photography that shows real men and women doing extraordinary things. There is a print of a firefighter in a smokey building. You can barely see him, but if you were trapped in that building you would easily mistake the hands that pull you from that hell as the hands of God. I have another print of a vintage fire engine with bright reds and greens that any little boy would want in their rooms. I think people relate to it because when we were kids, that was the engine we imagined riding in one day. There is even a print inside of a structure as it is set on fire, a rare glimpse into what firemen see and the public rarely, if ever, sees. 

These aren't just photos to me. Behind every frame I've made there is sweat, passion, and desire of someone who absolutely loves the job they are doing. You have to love firefighting to do it. That passion is what I am after, a photo is the only way you can capture it.

A friend of mine has a saying about photography:

"A photo tells a story...a good photo starts one." - Adam Watt 

This is the start of our story.