Photography Is

— When you have to sell your cameras to buy food.

— When you have a glorious shot in front of you, but the battery takes a vacation.

— When your camera falls into the water from a canoe.

— When a crime is happening right before your very eyes.

— When you discover you can take great pictures with a smaller camera the size of a matchbox.

— When the New York Times says: We want this one.

— When you realize that if you show this kid’s face, it will damage him for the rest of his life.

— When a child comes to you with bruises, lacerations, and cigarette burns, and you are asking for his permission to photograph this abuse.

— When your assistant takes better photographs than you do.

— When  a red light means someone opens the door anyway.

— When Apple Photos tells you it’s had enough.

– When your cloud gallery goes out of business.

— When Flickr informs you fifty times it told you so.

— When your SLR becomes a museum piece.

— When your lights come crashing down on your ragamuffin head.

— When an art director gets excited.

— When a reviewer says you gotta see this show in print.

— When a photography editor says I need more of these.

— When your kid receives a photography award.

– When you accidentally delete 5,000 photographs.

— When the disabled children you teach learn to speak in images.

— When your latest photographic show features only shoes.

— When an editor says: I told you that you were a volunteer.

— All of this is photography.