Sunday Morning Reflections: Thanks for making the world smaller!

As hokey as it sounds, we really do have "the whole world in our hands" or at least on our computers!

by Skip Cohen

Normally I have something in the pipeline ready to go. At the very least, I've got something in my head I want to write about, but this morning it's all off the cuff.  I'm sitting here amazed at how small the world has really become. Here's what got me thinking about it...

Facebook Wedding Photographers, which I co-administrate with Chris Fawkes from Australia is coming up on 14,000 members. I'm "talking" with him right now.  Then, as I was writing to Chris earlier, good pal, Simon King from the UK, who recently did a guest post, came up on the screen with a question about a project he's working on. Answering Simon, I noticed an email from Fran Boloni, a photographer in Paris, who two days ago I asked to consider writing a short guest post about a terrific video he did over the holidays. Then there's the ongoing post from Faye Yerbury in Scotland. It's a discussion about her husband, Trevor, one of the most talented artists in photography, and his challenges with Facebook and a troll.
 
There are messages, posts and emails from all over the US from friends and associates - some are holiday greetings, others just about questions and ideas. It was Rick Ferro's birthday this week and I'm reminded that he's right here in Florida, even though up in Jacksonville and it's time we caught up to each other. The same goes for a holiday wish from Michael Corsentino in Orlando. Michele Celentano and I are talking about a program in Sarasota in January and the list goes on and on.

So, here's the point of my rambling this morning...every day, thanks to social media we've each got the power to make the world a little smaller. Every one of us has the power to raise the bar, not just on the quality of our images, but our relationships. We have the ability to challenge each other to push the edges of the envelope of creativity with the most extensive arsenal of tools in the history of photography.

It's been an amazing year, but it will pale in comparison to what 2014 has in store for us. As I've said before, you can stand on the sidelines and watch the parade go by, or thanks to social media, along with workshops, conventions and trade shows, you can participate and be right in it!

What a kick our industry has become! Thanks for being a part of it. Wishing all of you a wonderful in-between-the-holidays Sunday.

Illustration Credit: © chones - Fotolia.com