Will our work endure and does it really matter ?
Well I was poised to add another blog today about another subject when I received an email and learned about the death of Ken Gehle, a fellow photographer out of Atlanta, just shy of his 47th birthday. Although I did not know him personally, I knew his work well and the loss comes as a shock. Perhaps the shock is due largely to the fact that I see the similarities in our lives and it hits a little too close to home. He too had a wife and 2 children, one boy and one girl, just as I do, and we both had similar styles and passions in life as well as our photography. A battle with cancer took him from his family and already having a melanoma myself when I was 27, I understand that cancer can strike anyone at any time. So naturally, when I heard the news, it caused me to reflect on my own mortality, and on what truly matters in life.
First and foremost I want to share Ken’s website with you, where proceeds from print sales will go towards his kids college education http://www.kengehle.com . From his landscapes of Newfoundland to his environmental portraits of everyday people, his work was beautiful, clean, and of the highest quality. I myself would visit his website from time to time to seek inspiration in my ow work.
The unfortunate news conjured up various thoughts. What about the the longevity of my photography and more importantly, it’s ability to earn income for my family, if I were to meet a similar fate. The reality is, if I were to suddenly die today, my computer would gather dust, the 12 external hard drives with over 6 terabytes of images would become paper weights, and the filing cabinets full of transparencies would remain in the dark. Like most photographers, I can be very controlling when it comes to my work and therefore am the only one who really knows the system, what images are where, and how to access them, so the reality of my photography living on and having the ability to earn residual income as stock photography or prints for my family, is remote.
While the thought of it can be depressing it raises a more fundamental question, which is what is my true worth? As artists we put our hearts and souls into our work and it very much can define us. We value it more than any client is capable of doing because to them it is utilized to gain a result or profit, but to us it is often an expression of who we are and how we feel. But when it is all said and done, they are just images, it was just work, and a means to supporting a family and although I would like to commit to having a plan for my work to live on in the event of a tragedy, perhaps my time would be better spent enjoying time with my wife and kids so instead of my images living on, the memories of me in their lives will be what endures.
I can’t imagine how difficult it must have been for Ken to fight everyday knowing that sooner or later the cancer would take him from his family. I can’t comprehend how heart wrenching it must have been for his wife and children to witness it. What I do know is that it is very easy to get caught up in the every day and let work take over our lives. I am very fortunate to make a living doing what I love, but in the end it is a job that will cease the very second that I do and there will be plenty to take my place. The memories that I create and the love that I give to my wife and kids however will live as long as they do and my role in my family is unique to me and not one that is easily replaced.
My thoughts and prayers go out to Ken’s family and I thank him for producing work during his time that was inspirational and for reminding me how fragile life can be.
i will add ken’s family to our prayer list. and yodu are so correct in beleiveing that the mark we make on our families is more lasting and enduring than the mark we make with our careers. stories like this always makes me hug mine a little bit more and a little bit longer…
Thank you so much for your blog entry.
I love Ken’s work. I want it to endure. Not simply because it will help support the college education of our children but because of its beauty and vision. Because I love him and what he created for the world. Because I am so sincerely disappointed that there won’t be more. He told me I was his inspiration and so too he is my inspiration for continuing to share his images.
I had my own photographic ambitions when I was a teenager but before long realized I didn’t have the proper temperament for the profession. That shared interest is what sparked me to seek Ken out after a meeting. Photography was the common thread that began to entwine us from that moment. Some of my greatest memories are built on that foundation.
Looking at your website I recognized a picture of Artist’s Palette. I have vivid memories of a trip we took there alone, just Ken and me. “No really, where are you going on vacation?” was the reaction of everyone when I told them we were taking a trip to Death Valley. You can bet that spot would never have occured to me. Ken’s eye has led me to experience places I would not have otherwise. A gift that endures.
So my opinion is share the work, create the memories around the experience of photography and new places.
One final thought, I needed to know where financial information was for the business. On Ken’s computer was a folder named “_Tamara” so it would be at the top of the list. In the folder was one document called “The Keys.” I assumed it was something from our trip to the Keys for an anniversary but, oddly, it was password protected. On my third try I was able to open the file; he had used my password. It contained the location of all his business documentation, tax files, account numbers…everything right down to the current balance in his Paypal account.
It was a love letter. I encourage all photographers to write a similar love letter for their spouse.
Tamara Gehle
Tamara,
Thanks for taking the time to respond. I imagine that when fighting something like cancer you almost have to have that non defeatist attitude and by simply contemplating and planning for the possibility takes the needed positive energy away from the fight.
What a great gift he gave you in that folder. I agree that many of us, whether we are sick or not, should do everything we can to limit the confusion and stress after losing a life partner by leaving behind detailed notes, account numbers, and important information to allow them to grieve properly rather than worry. Thank you for sharing that story with all of us.