I am a PDN 30

Photo © AH

I have been waiting for my March copy of Photo District News for sometime now, thinking it got lost in the mail it has finally turned up on my messy desk (not one but I now get 2 copies a month due to earlier complications with my subscription, any takers ?). This particular issue is always looked forward to with some anticipation as a new crop of 30 emerging photographers hand picked by the good people @ PDN are showcased.

Contrary to popular opinion, there are no secret hand shakes, keys to the executive washroom, bags of cash and magazine contracts upon acceptance to this exclusive club, it is however a great honour to be selected amongst your peers and a huge opportunity @ some extra big exposure.

I was selected in 2003 as a 33 year old, no longer limited to the under 30's, as had been the case in the first couple of years. My inclusion was a matter of pure luck and of being in the right place @ the right time.

Michelle Pedone is responsible. I met her in the lab one day, she had submitted her work, gave me the heads up and told me I should do likewise. The closing date was the next day so I needed to get my skates on. The submission process was a little different then and they accepted non requested portfolio drop off's as well as referral's, I think it is by invitation only now.

I was @ a turning point in my career uncertain of my direction, I had 3 or 4 different portfolios full of random stuff, fashion, portraits, music, travel, all shot on different formats but I had just finished printing my Made in Ireland series (my most personal, cohesive, self expressive project to date) and was in the process of putting it together in a book of it's own. I was thinking however I should send everything in, razzle dazzle the panel with my range but Mrs T-H put me straight and told me to just send that one project in, out with the old in with the new.

A couple of weeks later I got the call from the then photo editor Paul Moakley (now @ Newsweek, a very accomplished photographer himself, I believe he has a book in the works) I was in, couldn't f**kin believe it (Michelle didn't make it in by the way, sorry). The obligatory phone interview followed (painful, I always regret the rambling later when I read the piece, the writer promised she would call me back @ a later date to see if I wanted to make any amendments, she never did) and they held onto the book for a few weeks as they picked out the images for the layout (you have no input in this process by the way, in case you were wondering).

I knew this was going to be a big deal for me, a huge opportunity to promote myself. The issue was due in March it was now January I had less than 3 months to get it together. You get alot of exposure as a 30, especially in the beginning, everyone is excited to see who makes the cut and industry people (photo editors, art buyers, galleries etc. etc.) do take note. I poured all my money and more into 3 books and a big promo campaign all timed to be ready for the magazines coming out.

I was eventually called to come pick up my book, they seemed to have it for an age but I didn't care. Unbeknown st to myself the reason they had kept it for so long was that they had decided on one of my images for the cover, my mona lisa, the now infamous cow shot ( I am now the cow guy, the picture that I will be remembered most for, Alec Soth has a nice piece on photographers linked to a certain subject here). I certainly couldn't pay for that sort of publicity (thanks Darren I know you pushed for it). When I sent the book in I had only just gotten the portfolio made and hadn't really got the running order sorted, the cow was languishing in the middle somewhere, I didn't really think it was that strong either and certainly didnt't want to open on an animal shot. Cow went straight to number 1 after that.

Putting a new book together is daunting, especially in the beginning, 50 prints, 25 empty pages where do you start ? Editing, reediting, I find I need to walk away after a while give it some time so I can see what works/doesn't, can take me weeks of tweaking, getting the flow.

I have to say the whole experience was priceless and to anyone who gets included be ready to grab the opportunity, there are another 30 waiting in the wings and the year goes awfully fast. Only seems like yesterday for me although 4 quick years have passed.

As a result of the PDN cover the nice people @ Attache (US Airways in flight magazine) got the check book out for their July 2003 cover, @ least I started getting some immediate payback for my investment, see above.