Dearest Readers,
Today is the first day in a very long time that I have been afraid. It’s a paranoid type of fear that resonates in the back of my mind just loud enough to almost be an annoyance. This is a very particular fear that will always be there; and it will be a blessing and a curse. This fear is one that I will have to learn to live with because today is the first day of the rest of my life.
Yesterday (November 15th 2012) was my last day at B&H Photo Video Pro Audio; a place that I’ve been happy to call home for a while. My tenure there ended when I started to look at trends with The Phoblographer: the site that was birthed out of frustration with my world at the time in many aspects. One night I sat in my bed and created it in hopes that it would help keep me (and others) afloat one day and that it would grow into something massive. I never expected it to get the traction that it currently has with just under 1 million unique visitors a month coming in to us.
And now is the time. I sit here at my computer surrounded by paperwork, coffee, and review units as I type this. There are many things racing through my mind: securing adequate funding for the site each week, securing adequate funding for myself each week, expansion of the site, what task I should tackle next, the posts that I need to edit that the staff here has diligently worked on, and thoughts of last night’s going away party with the greatest co-workers I was ever blessed to meet.
From this day on, The Phoblographer will be a primary initiative of mine with the day job out of the picture and changes to the site are yet to come. We started with bringing Profoto on board as an extremely valued sponsor; and we will continue to carefully tailor quality content for all of you.
Today is the first day that I need to start thinking about serious monotization schemes while balancing the editorial aspect, freelance work, a personal life, and personal projects to help me explore my creativity more. Sounds like a daunting task, yes? Well, I would be lying if I said I wasn’t scared, but once again this is a good fear.
At my time at B&H Photo Video Pro Audio, I was under two managers and surrounded by positive energy from people who helped me propel myself forward. There I honed my multiasking abilities, got work done well before deadlines, and discovered a lot about myself and just how much I am capable of.
This fear is necessary paranoia to always get things finished and always look for the next big goal to tackle. That fear will help to propel this site forward in many ways. I won’t be alone though: the entire staff is right here with me and we promise you the best.
With all of this said, I would be an idiot to not say that this is when we need you the most. Our server bill is quite expensive; and we would appreciate donations by clicking on the donate tab on the right hand side of the site. But more than that, when you click our banners or product links and then directly make a purchase (no matter what it is) we get a small commission on the sale. That commission is at no extra cost to you and it helps us to keep the site going and alive.
And without you, we perish.
The world of photography is booming, changing and evolving right now and it an extremely exciting time to be a part of it. We thank you for your continued support and we look forward to creating content for all of you and helping you grow with us.
Sincerely,
Chris Gampat
Editor in Chief
Master and Commander of the Fleet of the Seven Seas
The Phoblographer
