Thursday, September 18, 2008

Train Travel is nice


Right now I'm on a train from Montreal to Toronto and I like trains. As part of the Craft Your Success tour the guys booked me a flight from Ottawa to Toronto on Saturday but I'm skipping it b/c I'm sick of flying. Our last flight from Halifax to Montreal got canceled and we ended up going from Halifax -> Toronto -> Ottawa -> Montreal and a lot of our luggage didn't make it. What a nightmare. Buses are actually the best because it's private and there is a bed and refrigerator but trains are the second best. They just served a nice meal and some really good wine and my Verizon card still works here in Canada so I'm online the whole time! Very cool! I am happy.

I had to have a short conversation with the gentleman behind me and ask him to mute his computer because it kept going "ding ding ding" like he was IMing or something. He's an older business guy and didn't really know how to mute his computer but we got it figured out and the rest of the trip has been good. I hate any type of confrontation but recently God's been putting some very difficult situations in my life and I used to let a lot of things slide and then just be upset inside but I'm getting better at fixing things right away even when it's painful. In the long term I think it's better for everyone that way but boy it's hard to stick to your guns and make others stick to their word.

I have a few days off and it's been good to relax while also getting some work done. I just finished an article for Professional Photographer magazine about how to go about booking your first job and using your network to build your business and we also just built a new Style Group for Showit Sites! It's awesome and I'll post it up in a little bit.

21 comments:

Bobby Earle said...

Train travel is SO much fun :) Lindsay and I flippin' love it.

Right on about confrontation. I've struggled with the same thing and have been wanting to get it under control. I actually took back some food recently that was terribly old and gross. Big step for me :)

Have fun in Canada! We've always wanted to go there.

Bobby

Tira J said...

I love it when God uses us to make situations better for everyone involved.

Can't wait to read the article. You ROCK!

Tira J

Annemarie said...

I definitely agree - trains ARE the way to go! The one that Brett and I took from NY to DC was fantastic! Roomy seats, plug for the computer, perfect temperature....ahhhh. :) Hope you get home soon! Hepe to see you in SB next month!

ANGELA HUBBARD | Hubbard Photography said...

so is the ottawa date cancelled or no. I signed up for it and was inquiring about time etc... then went to the website and it was cancelled without anyone telling me :(.. now i see you were here?! but the tour date isn't until tomorrow... please clarify.

thanks - signed confused!!!

|| davidjay || said...

Hey Angela,

I'm sorry they didn't let you know. I'm simply along for the ride and so I don't have any control or knowledge of how all this stuff is being handled.

You'll need to contact Davide or Michael b/c again I'm with you...I have no idea what's going on.

:(
DJ

bsilvia said...

Oh, well, I would like to join, but it's only 6.500 km away :)

Enjoy!

S

Vick Prizma Productions said...

Hey DJ, wish you all the best in this tour what can I say its crazy what's happening to the guys and you,I'm suprised that the train didn't stop somewhere LOLLL

Os à Moëlle said...

I David,
I hope you get fun time in Montreal...
All the best.

Samuel

|| Trevor Brucki || said...

DJ - I dunno man, your statement above sounds like a "Pass the buck" statement to me. Your name is on the seminar along with the other 2, so it doesn't really make sense that you wouldn't know what's going on. I sure hope that you don't make a habit of canceling dates, because your friends across Canada that are counting on listening to you speak will eat you alive if you do.

|| davidjay || said...

Hey Trevor....Just because my name is on it doesn't mean I am responsible or have any control of logistics. :)

I have no involvement in any of that.

Rock on,
DJ

Anonymous said...

Hey everyone!

If there is any questions about the tour please let me know.

David Jay in not in charge of the logistics of the upcoming shows.

Feel free to email me @ craftyoursuccess@idavide.com or check on updates here:
http://craftyoursuccess.blogspot.com

Bobby Earle said...

What's up with people calling you out any chance they get??? I mean, come on, didn't they see your fighting skills?!?!?

Dawn Gioia Photography said...

DJ, why is everyone giving you a hard time lately? I have a joke to make you feel better.

Why did God only make 1 Yogi Bear?

Because when he tried to make a another one, he made a BoBo.

I thing we are about the same age, so I think you should get that.

Have fun on your trip and remember you will never make everyone happy.

Have fun on your trip and remember you will never make everyone happy.

Dawn Gioia Photography said...

Why is my post all crazy?

Daniel J. Watkins said...

DJ -- please don't take any offense to this (speaking of confrontation...I just wanna lay this one on ya and get your opinion) -- are you ever concerned that so much concentration on getting new photographers up and running is just killing the established ones? SO MANY of my peers who were running very successful photo businesses in the 80s and 90s are now shutting their doors...they can't compete with all of the start-ups. Since I've been a part-timer for 20 years...I've always considered both sides of the continuum...but I hate to see so many photographers having to close up shop these days...it's depressing...these are VERY TALENTED shooters who don't want to work for $1500 a wedding anymore (e.g. lower their prices to compete with the start-ups). They are having to start their careers over again in new fields (and a lot of them are trying to pay their kids' way thru college...not an ideal time to have to cash in the CMOS chips).

Before you think in terms of "the new kids deserve a shot" -- realize that today's newbies are the old-timers of tomorrow who may not be prepared to fend of the next-gen of noobs.

Your thoughts?

|| davidjay || said...

Great question and concern Dan. This deserves a post of its own.

Bobby and Dawn thanks for the support - I don't even think we've seen the beginning of this. I think in the next 24 months we're gonna see our industry get hit like a ton of bricks with the recession. We're one of the only industries that hasn't been affected yet b/c everyone books their wedding photographers 6 months to a year in advance and the fact is that nobody was changing their buying behavior 12 - 18 months ago. We're gonna see lots and lots of photographers suffer and close up shop and as they do they are going to become increasingly aggressive towards those who are successful.

Again, thank you so much for your support. I think we need more of this. I've seen our industry very quick to bash someone and very slow to stand up for someone.

So when you see people make lame comments on here or in other places please continue to post up in support of what you know is right. It goes a long way!

Rock on!
DJ

Bobby Earle said...

@Daniel J. Watkins

I know I'm not DJ ;) but I was just at the FTS tour and I don't remember hearing anything that concentrated on new photographers getting established. I simply heard insights on how to run a better wedding photography business. Most that I talked to at the Nashville tour were in fact quite established.

Bobby

Daniel J. Watkins said...

Bobby -- I wish I could have been there! :)

Actually I wasn't referring to FTS...I was just curious about DJ's take on the changes to our industry.

Personally...I'm always there to help out when and where I think I can...and I think my record on OSP speaks for itself...I just get bummed out when two of my former bosses have abandoned the profession entirely.

Chris Williams said...

Don't put all your eggs in one basket? If it's one thing I've learned in the past 10 yrs is do not just rely on weddings. Push yourself.

Seems down here we have to start facing whether or not we will be here from one year to the next with hurricanes.Used to just be every 40 years or so we get a large disaster, now we've had 4 in 3 years.

That said, next year is already looking pretty sweet.

Now if the recession lasts 24 more months, there's gonna be allot of homeless 5D users :)

"Rise up gather round, rock this place to the ground"

Anonymous said...

Hi David,

Your thought is totally true, I completely agree with you. Hope you had a great fun time in Montreal...

Enjoy!

Travel Business

Unknown said...

Wow!

Thank you everyone, for all the information! I look forward to see more from you all.

Home Based Travel Business