AN ASIDE: Dating Another Photographer

So why didn't someone warn me that dating another photographer might be hazardous to my emotional health? I thought shared passions and interests were supposed to bring a couple closer. But last night, I had to tell my beau that I NEVER wanted to hear him say he was jealous of my photography again.

At first, hearing him say he was jealous in his soft, gentle tone gave me a sense of pride. He has been shooting film for five years, and his technical photography skills far outweigh mine and continue to amaze me to this day. Our first date was spent with him teaching me how to manipulate my shutter speeds and use neutral density filters to capture that cottony essence of water in mid-flow.

Since then, my photography business has taken off -- largely, he says because I'm good with people. But after listening to him utter how jealous he is about my progress over and over again, I got fed up with it. It wasn't just a joke anymore. Suddenly, the phrase felt bloated with insecurity and resentment. He says he is proud of me, and that his whining is really more of a reflection of his own inability to do the same thing I'm doing: start a photography business.

All of my life I've had to hide or squash my achievement from family members and friends who misconstrued being educated and successful as being uppity. I will not hide my accomplishments any more, and I now have people in my life who support me. This background surely made me sensitive to my BF's statements. At the same time, I want to make sure I'm not doing anything to contribute to his feelings of anxiety. If you read this, I also want you to know that I will support you in any endeavor you chose. I will carry your photo gear. I will set up your lights and hold your bounce reflectors. You are my idol, and I couldn't have learned how to take this shot without your help, my love. It is now hanging in my first ever exhibit at an Italian restaurant in Denver. Here's hoping I get some sales and that we continue to grow together.