The Calling of a Photographer

For most photographers the desire to create new images is innate.  As though there was a mechanism hidden inside them that cannot be switched off, a photographer is always o the job. Whether he is on a photoshoot in a remote location or enjoying an afternoon in the park with his family, he is always looking at his surroundings and thinking about how it could be photographed. Listening to David McLain speak about his life as a professional photographer in the short video clip, The Calling, must resonate loudly with photographers from all walks of life. Take a look below and see if the power of his words can inspire you:

Having been a professional photographer for over 25 years, McLains job has afforded him the opportunity to create images for many different publications including the opportunity to complete seven National Geographic feature stories. The kind of drive that pushes a person to reach such a level of success is rewarding, but doesn’t come without sacrifice. McLain often spend long periods of time without seeing his family and is forced to deal with all the other inconveniences that shroud professional photographers. This production is partly to show off the power of the new A99 from Sony.

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Learn about the photographer behind the calling. Behind the scenes video of photographer David McLain:

“This job swallows you whole. Head, heart, and body. The phone ringing at 3 AM, staring at the computer, fever, infection, tired–I travel to see these visions that I must have seen as a boy, that I bring home to my boy. At home, my kids sleep and I spend my days in other worlds climbing, hunting light, floating rivers, and trying to understand. How can I ever explain what I do or why I do it to the people I love?”

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