Wendell my journey

[wendellt]

Hello my name is Wendell i used to post heavily on this forum. I think it's time to tell you my journey in the space of 2 years i've gone a long way, i've been very lucky.

I was always an artist i grew up highly influenced with my mum being a master couturier in the fashion industry, i leaned at an early age a certain fashionable aesthetic from her being more sensitive to subtleties in design and how things related in proportion to each other this really helped me when i decided a career in the arts is me.

i didn't do well at school only excelling in art so when college came around i only had a few options to do art or commercial graphic design, i chose the later as being more practical and i was quite lucky to start work at an advertising agency straight after college

i worked for several big advertising agencies as a graphic designer mainly as a typographer at George Patterson Bates and Saatchi & Saatchi. I worked with top end art directors from which i learned the most important aspects to image making, art direction and the way to analyse and break down image elements and create something new with a clear artistic direction that communicates to all levels.
i don't think of myself as a reportage type of photographer i like contrived images ones that have been conceptualised, setup and executed.

I left the advertising industry after 7 years because i wanted more credit for my work as in advertising i'd work in large teams with lots of art directors and other third parties that had a lot of say in the creative projects, and i had very directional ideas i wanted to push forward, i thought with photography i can soley act as art director and photographer, not to say i cant collaborate or work in a group of creatives.

a year before i left advertising i had a stint with photography i thought myself with a canon digital ixus 2megapixel camera
i learned with digital it allows you to experiment and methodically learn from your experiments/mistakes virtually at no cost, i then moved onto a nikon coolpix 8700 which i took most of my first proper pictures when travelling as soon as i got back i quit my advertising job with grand illusions of being a travel photographer. It didn't really work out that way and for a couple of years i was just playing around with my coolpix and my d2x shooting whatever crossed my path. In that time around 2006 i came across this forum recommended to me by my friend Leigh and i started posting my coolpix experimentations, i had alot of support and encouragement and the people on the forum actively helped me to get better and better so thank you all in advance you know who you are.I then invested in a d2x for no good reason and started squeezing it for everything it could give me. I collected a whole range of stuff and in the space of a year i lost or broke most of it.

In mid 2006 i got my first break i shot heaps of social events with my d2x being my passport, i got snapped up by a press agency and i started shooting A-list social events for a job, i was lucky that most of these social events were fashion related and with my contacts in advertising i mixed in with that crowd quite well. At this time i knew i was heading somewhere and i could use this social lubricating as a passport into the heart of the fashion industry which i had my eye firmly on ever since i was a kid.

here is my journey

travel first, tassie, after this i was hooked


i started off very lucky just 6 months after shooting small fashion events for free i got commissioned to do a full on fashion ad campaign for Fred Bare, i got the lead from my mum who worked for them effortlessly for years. they liked my travel work and somehow thought i could handle kids fashion. i think at the time they were relying more on my knowledge in advertising then my skills with the camera.

My first real paid fashion advertising project for Fred Bare childrenswear, they gave alot of responsibility working with kids and lots of ethical issues involving advertising and kids had to be considered and handled carefully
this is also my first totally independent art direction job and i handled concept to casting from project logistics to post production, it proved i could with a very small team handle large advertising projects even though soley i was just a photographer, this project gave me more credibility and it was the perfect start.
Fred Bare Winter 2006

credits - my team, Fiona Sinclair and Kelly blair - logistics
art direction set design, photography post production - Me

i won this account for 3 seasons, 2nd season caused a controversy and after a hiatus got vindicated and re-won the fred bare summer 2007 campaign

Fred Bare summer 2006


Fredbare summer 2007

credits - Fiona Sinclair & Kelly Blair - logistics
art direction set design, photography post production - Me

My Fashion Week experience shooting fashion weeks and any fashion related event in Australia caused me to fly around on a whim to any fashion event i could get into just shot reportage style for magazines mainly for credit and for my personal fashion education and networking in the industry

I got enough credentials to shoot a fashion week season in Paris, Milano and New York

In New York I assisted Randy Brooke a famous NY socialite photographer and ace runway shooter, he worked for WireImage Getty in the U.S. and he recommended me to Getty in Australia, my 2nd big break.

Supermodel Lilly Donaldson at the Gucci Show


Giorgio Armani show


supermodel Lilly Cole


Press jobs with wireimage/Getty shooting the social scene celebrities i learned how to shoot quickly in manual and with just 1 lens a 17-35 f2.8 without thinking too much and how to meet deadlines. Press work isn't my best work but i admire those who can take a beautiful shot in a split second without the benefit of setup i'm till working on this, i'm not allowed to post my good pics from getty so these ones here are the ones i didn't submit

cindy crawford


Elle


Paris Opera Ballet


theatre


1st exhibition group show at MOP gallery 2005
composite rendering of opera house
also published on 4 page artist profile in Cream Magazine first published story on me as an artist


Travel 2006-2007 2nd set my travel work sums me up, i always try to play on a theme of duality, nostalgia, contrast and mood, mood being only a device i use to give an image a more dramatic feel it's never the over riding element to my images
this is how i view the world with a sense of mystique and romantacism
this is an excerp from my 1st solo photographic exhibition
Venezia Carnivale








my fav image ever, shot after Paris Fashion week walking home a dove flies past hope on Pont Alexandre III on a lovely Paris afternnon.














my Fashion Editorial work, fashion editorial period which is what i want to do
my kit comprised now of only the D2x 17-35mm lens which is use most of the time
85mm and a d200, rented lights and studio space. At this time i stop focusing on technical concerns
and started thinking carefully about the process of image making, technical became second nature.

My team consists of people i often work with makeup, hairstylists and my 2 amazing assistants from the Forum Fabrizio Cortesi and Elise Garner who have assisted me on most of my fashion editorial projects(unpaid work) pro bono thanks Fab & Elise
we all work for free to create what we love, i've learned that no one pays you properly to do what you love unless your the top 1% but I must say when i get advertising work i pay everyone accordingly

first editorial project with my 1st team

this one is a highly photoshopped image when you start out you rely on post quite alot but i slowly moved away from this style
title: Urban Punk Glam
Model - Nicole Sherriff @ Chic
Stylist - Estelle Deve
Hair - Jerome Cultrera
Makeup - Fern Madden

2nd US international pub, Paper Mag, shot in New York

title: Sin City
Stylist - Cameron Carpenter
Models - Sofie and Brittany @ Major NY
Hair - Mark Weiss
Makeup - Alex Almeida(MAC)

3rd US int pub, UCE mag

title: Narcissism
Stylist - Angela Wozniak @ T.I.D.
Model - Gemma @ Scene
Hair & Makeup - Jodi Gardner

1st international editorial New Zealand Pulp Mag

title: blade runner knights
Model - Lauren Burnett @ Chadwicks
Set design - Me @ The Nest
Styling - The amazing Bianca Chong
Hair - Hayley Benson @ Brad Ngata Hair Direction
Makeup - Fern Madden
Assistant - Fabrizio Cortesi

I'm in Vogue Australia

title: Rock Chick Advertorial
Model - Allegra Carpenter @ Viviens
Hair - Brad Ngata @ Brad Ngata Hair Direction
Makeup - Claire Thompson for Becca

editorial australia, Culture Mag

title: Celestial Disruption
Concept, Set & Styling - Me @ The Nest
Models - Charly Brown, Lauren Burnett, Brittany Hatfull, Zoe Loveland, Karla Divine @ Chadwicks & Lindsay Peacock @ Scoop
Hair Artisan - Kai Wong
Makeup - Rajlaxmi Khanvilkar @ T.I.D.
Assistants - Fabrizio Cortesi & Elise Garner

editorial australia, Culture Mag

title - pipedream
Styling - Me @ The Nest
Concept, Set Design - Me @ The Nest
Models - April Rose, Charly Brown, Paige Mynhoff, Sarah Townsend, Sarah Todd @ Chadwick & Lou Yang
Hair Artisan - Lyndal Ville @ Head Over Heals
Makeup - Karen Hopwood @ DLM
Assistant - Fabrizio Cortesi

during this whole fashion period i worked as a freelance press photographer which paid the bills barely
i'm now with Wireimage/Getty and i only shoot entertainment the arts and fashion for press, i fund all my fashion editorial projects to build a portfolio in the hope that one day ill get into a bigger fashion photography agency and have them do all the producing and runaround.

the right attitude has attributed to my success
if someone says jump i say how high
i'm fair, i help and give
i'm remarkably consistent, proactive and can deliver on deadlines no matter the personal cost
i get the job done.

and i also thank everyone who has helped me

i've been published
in numerous newspapers
Australian Creative
BLACK (NZ)
BLINK(US)
BELLE Australia
CLEO Australia
CULTURE Australia
CREAM 34, 35, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42
FASHION TREND AUSTRALIA mag
Paper(US)
PULP (NZ)
Sydney Style mag
Shorelife
STUDIO BAMBINI Italia
YEN Mag Australia
Ragtrader
STYLE.COM
360FASHION
VOGUE australia Nov07, March 08

[Glen]

Amazing journey and images Wendell, very impressive

[wendellt]

thankyou glen your one of the ones who have helped me heaps thanks again

[Oneputt]

Onya Wendell always enjoy your posts. A very impressive CV there

[sirhc55]

Wendell - an impressive growth that would be the envy of many photogs. I still have your Venice shots bookmarked for inspirational viewing

[jethro]

Wendell,I have been a most avid fan of your journey. To you I envy. To you I take my hat off. To you i admire as an artist.
By far the most believable photographer to have spoken to. well done mate.

jethro

[Old Bob]

Your images are nothing short of stunning, Wendell. You have had an exciting journey so far, with much more to come, I'm sure. You are a true artist in your chosen field.

Bob

[Reschsmooth]

Wendell, your images have always been a pleasure to watch, and your sharing of knowledge gained has been appreciated. With a lot of your shots, you turn beautiful women into beautiful works of art, without the need to reduce them to lingerie clothes horses (which I don't necessarily mind in other "venues"...) and without the need to use sex to create amazing images.

Thanks for the summary of your journey to date.

[marcotrov]

An impressive presentation of a brilliant career so far Wendell. You have demonstarted both your artistic and technical growth superbly. A Nikon Master if ever there was one Congratulations Wendell i always look forward to your enlightening posts.
cheers
marco

[MHD]

From one of the forum members who have scaled to the lofty heights.... all I can say is.... WOW...

Very very nice work, from some one who's career went in a very different direction to his hobby all I can say is I am GREEN with ENVY!

Nice work mate!

[Geoff]

Wendell - your story is unique and inspirational
Thanks for sharing mate, and I knowit won't be long before your name is more familiar around the country/world, and we can also say with great pride 'i know that guy'

[radar]

Wendell,

over the time that I have spent in the forums, you always come up as one of the success stories. There has been some hard times, long hours, lots of work. However, one of the amazing things about you is your vision, your talent. It certainly has been a great time to watch "your space". Great story you have there and I'm sure, more to come.

Thanks for sharing,

André

[who]

Wendell

Great to read your story and how you have put the end goal in sight and sacrificed lots rather than taking an easier path off to where there is more money.

Although - I reckon with the eye you have you would excel there too.

Personally I like your landscape/travel shots most - and I love your Tassie shot, being here living here I see lots of it in all of its characters. And the dove photo is WOW too.....

[ozimax]

Very interesting read (and browse) Wendell, through mainly familiar, and thoroughly enjoyable, images. I too appreciate the tastefulness of your work as has been mentioned.

If I can attain to some of my own portraits a fraction as good as these I will be very happy!

Kind regards,

Ozi.

[the foto fanatic]

Gday Wendell

Great story, and humbly told. Not many have the artistic and creative flair that you have, and I hope it takes you where you want to go.

I think you have a real gift for producing an image that gives the viewer a story, and that's one thing that I look for in photographs.

I've used this analogy before, but to me it's like Tiger Woods, who is probably the most gifted sportsman in the world. He also is the hardest worker - and you need both attributes. Equipment is a very small component only.

Some of us fret about what camera we have, and which lens is better than the next. It really doesn't matter if you don't have imagination and flair.

So, Wendell - if you have the drive and determination (and you seem to!), then the world can be yours. Good luck!

[Yi-P]

I've always been a fan of your work and your stories as well.

Its amazing how you got to where you are right now in the amount of time taken from day 1. All the great effort and passion of art from you, I truly respect.

[Pehpsi]

Great read once again. Your work is AMAZINGLY good! You were born to do this...

[bago100]

Wendell

Thank you for your story

I recon your best work is yet to come!

Cheers

Graham

[Alex]

Thanks for posting this, Wendell!

A fantastic journey which I'm sure is just the beginning.

Alex

[surenj]

Congratulations Wendell, I think you have advanced in a lightning speed and wish you all the best for the long future you have ahead of you. I hope to see your work in our forums to keep us all motivated!

[Onyx]

hey Wendell, great to see essentially your biography in pictures.

Just looking thru some of your Europe ones, it's a shame you lost some of your gear there - good thing you didn't lose your images, these are fantastic.

Remember me - one day you'll be famous and I could say I knew you when...

[Cre8tivepixels]

Congrats mate on a job amazingly well done so far....you will be talked about in years to come as one of the greats :)

[Killakoala]

Wendell, It's been a pleasure to know you. I remember the architecture images you took with your trusty old C5700 and then I look at your work of today and I am amazed at how much you have achieved since then, in such a short time.

It's because you have the talent, inspiration and determination to succeed.

I truly hope you do become famous because you have, and are still doing, what is needed to be that successful.

Well done so far and I wish you good fortune for the future.

[myarhidia]

Whenever I see a new post from you, it's become second nature to immediately open up & see what you've been up to. Your images are always creative, fresh and inspirational. Your journey has just begun, I'm looking forward to seeing where it takes you.

[makario]

Hi Wendell,

I love you images, the creativity you put into the images, your pp treatments. I wish some day I could take photos which are atleast 10% as good as yours, then I would be an order of magnitude better than what I am right now!

Look forward to all your future post.

Cheers
Mak

[stubbsy]

Wendell

This has been an entertaining read (had a chuckle at your self deprecating "I collected a whole range of stuff and in the space of a year i lost or broke most of it." ) and it's been wonderful to revisit some of your excellent work. Like many have already said - it's been a wonderful experience watching your talent develop and evolve into that "Wendell style" Here's looking to more of the same and the good luck needed for you to gain both recognition and remuneration for your talent.

[Big Red]

love your conception, style and treatment ... very unique

[paige_fdj]

Wendell you are a fantastic photographer and you have had such a great journey - it was great working with you and I hope to see you again in the future. Goodluck with everything! xx Paige.

[gooseberry]

Thanks for sharing your photographic journey Wendell. It's been an inspirational read. Keep it up.

[iposiniditos]

the only thing i can say is
THANK YOU

[whoalse]

Journey it is for you........
Art and photography do share some common grounds since both are about creativity and imaginations!

I hope the journey doesn't stop here for you.

Thanks for sharing!

[phoenix]

Wow, you have some absolutely stunning photos. This is a great thread for people to get some motivation. When you come in and read things like this, it really gets me off my ass and gets me out taking shots. It's great!

[photomarcs]

Duude.. funny story. First time I came across DSLRusers and saw your "electric rain" series, first thing i did was google your name, run by your website, search your influences, and googled for days and days and days to find your name embedded and immortalised amongst the highest ranking google searches. That's saying something! but this Journey described here pretty much sums up everything I googled tirelessly for haha ( maybe I should have checked here first). Thanks for your work buddy! You make the perfect eye's see better. Congratulations on your journey

[Wink]

Truely amazing!
I look in awe everytime you post something. Reading this just makes everything you do even more incredible to me.

Would you mind sharing some of the low points you've been through? I think they'd make interesting reading also.
(And i need to know you're human)

[inmotion]

WELL ENOUGH Congrats lets get real and reflect on our industry SHAME SHAME SHAME how can us mortals make a living if the ledgends --yes ledgends dont soar financially
What I hear you say money isnt important, Just disect Wendells post. So many help and assisist such a tallent to soar
but he/they are barely rewarded for such brilliant work! The world does truely revolve about the images created
for fashion/advertising yet we all , im sure constantly accept less than a just reward.Sad that greatness survives in the form or pursuit of ART. Yet we do.
Wendell a pyramid is formed from a broard base to a narrow peak so from the bottom to the top I also say well done
but continue the climb and demand just reward for your talent
cheers jim from the back water of Adelaide

[wendellt]

Hi

thanks markus for bumping this thread. Your too kind, there is alot of talented people out there. You were a great assistant and i'm sure you will go very far, your younger than me and you have already shown talent and a maturity in executing your ideas. It took me years in Advertising to figure out the nuances of strong image making. But young talented people usually sit on their potential so get out there and continue to refine your craft don't stop.

For Wink

thankyou for your comments it's a great joy and vallidation to me, so thankyou so much
i've always made it a policy not to reveal the struggle of what i do, but i think this is a special circumstance you guys seem to know me well enough to determine there there is another side to my so called success.
I have succeeded as much as i have failed but the difference with me is that no matter how grim things seam i pick myself up and keep on going

not counting the time i got mugged in italy and lost most of my stuff and the time i got my laptop and my valuable work and passport stolen in New York

my first real hurdle was the controversey on one of my advertising campaigns for Fred Bare Spring summer 2006
This job was my biggest paid and most rewarding advertising campaign
because of the political hotbed at the time regarding how children were used in ads, i wont go into details because it's too painfull. A paper on the subject from a lobbyist with his own agenda opened a pandoras box of issues
the campaign was unfairly used in the paper as the main example, only because fred bare is the biggest company in the australian industry and by using fred bare as an example it gave his paper more credibility, there are many more appropriate examples in other advertising campaigns that had the issues mentioned in his paper

anyway the whole thing got bigger and David Jones who has fred bare in their stores were later implicated

and there were 2 main stories on the Current Affair and another one a few weeks later. There was some press about it too. Then the Bill henson thing last year sparked another review

anyway David Jones sorted out the mess and sued the lobbyist for using Fred Bare, but I couldn't help feel responsible for the whole affair. Lost my confidence and endlessly questioned myself.

I got vindicated when Fred Bare used me again for their next campaign and the wonderful support i recieved on this forum.

The 2nd hurdle is when I started to become one of the very few Australian photographers who shoot the New York, Paris, London and Milan Fashion week circuit for many Australian fashion mags such as Vogue, Grazia, Marie Claire etc

the other photographer i wont mention his name thought i was treading on his territory and he maliciously spread untrue rumours about my unprofessionalism to most of the PR companies that handle the accreditation for many of the shows in an effort to get rid off me
I suddenly found myself not being invited to many of the shows, wasting my money time and effort and most importantly the rumours destroyed my reputation in the industry. It took alot of work to contain the damage and re-assert myself. Another reciprocal effect was i was unable to complete most of my fashion week assignemnts for gettyimages USA putting further strain on my relationship with them, which was more important to me because it took alot of blood sweat and tears to get into a position with them and more heartache to do the work i used to love with them.

This actually happened to me twice the 2nd time was in 2009 when another top ranking photographer wanted to get rid of the new guy, i didn't recover from the 2nd time and now i only shoot certain shows at New York Fashion Week because i have some long term clients who i have established a relationship with and they dont care about the rumours.

The real thing that hurts is the photographers who did this too me are really unprofessional in all ways including being unprofessional by bribing PR people to get into the shows and beeing sleezy(for lack of a better word) to the models, agressively maneuvering to monopolise the market and being bullys on the runway riser. I have shown nothing but exceptional integrity when dealing with fashion people and other photographers.

When my parents found out what happened my mum went overboard and tried to build a deffamation case against these guys.

anyway i have other interests now i shot the circuit for 3 years twice a year abroad and locally and i've done it.

3rd I had a massive blow this year because last year i nearly got married to an american girl and she was wonderful, she had lost her job on wall street because of the recession but things didn't work out because of my job, i was sent on assignment many times in 2009. Getty sent me on jobs that no one else wanted to do nothing prestigious, they were jobs that put me in high risk of failing. I was taking on so much work including all my commissioned commercial work and the travel, overload and pressure just got to me and i was compromising my work and my reputation as a reliable photographer. I just wanted a chance at a normal stable life and i had to work hard for it.
I tried so hard to get an amercian visa so i could stay in new york and be with her but the recession hit the photo industry hards in the USA, so no companies or agencies wanted to bring or even consider an australian photographer over an american one. I tried everything but it didn't work out.
so since september last year i have been really sad and really unmotivated and got over photography in general.
I lost my passion

4th My 2 d3x's have failed on me a circuit board issue about 3 times at the end of 2009 and in early 2010
because i couldnt afford to buy 2 new cameras i got them repaired at great cost further depleating my funds at a time i wasn't working. I later found out a couple of my CF cards had mositure damage and that short circuited the the CF card assembly and that short circuited the PCB mainboard, it really sux that it took me 3 repair attempts to realise, i had to buy new cards, my sb900 and 80-200 were also screwed from usage. In July 2010 on my last Fred Bare Campaign a freak wave hit me and drenched one of my fixed d3's into the water with the 24-70 f2.8N leaving me with only 1 camera left to date. After all these equipment failures and blunders i even lost more interest in what i do and i was in a hole for a couple of months. I lost alot of my accounts because i just didnt want to deal with things and i became increasingly unrelibale. I was ready to quit and get an office job.

In honour of her and my amazingly supportive parents i tried to continue my work in 2010, I went to Carnivale in Brazil to do a human interest story for the Los Angeles Times via Getty Images which took alot of work to get them to trust me again, there was so much red tape getting the proper access and alot of logistical risk but i went for it and i got it.
I even got mugged in Brazil twice for my camera but i fought them off because i just couldnt afford to loose any equipment and most importantly fail to complete the assignment.

In 2010 i changed direction and did more reportage projects with the performing arts like Sydney Theatre Company, belvoir Street Theatre, Sydney Dance and The Australian Ballet, so i had to start over with alot of networking
and in the process i lost alot of my fashion accounts because in the fashion industry if you dont do it everyday they forget about you and they just go to the next person its that fickle even if you have an exemplary track record, there is no loyalty. I just think of it as a swap if im doing the arts i loose fashion simple as that

so i got really sad again and really unmotivated and developed a distain for the fashion industry

Gettign back on the horse In June i did a joint project with the Australia Council for the Arts to cover Biennale in Venice my 2nd big project this year.

I'll continue my reportage work in 2011 in the humanities, I've got a meeting with Unicef in New York in september and the American Red Cross again lots of red tape and logistical issues but ill do whatever it takes to continue on in this field, its going to be hard financially because im volunteering but it's worth it, i want to do something meaningful
with my life.

i've always struggled with money because i have to fund my own projects and this has always been the case but somehow i come though with just enough funds for the next project. I found out anything you want to do, like follow dreams its very hard to get paid appropriately, especially in fashion because the editors feel if your having a great time why should they pay you, they think its an honour to work for them and in the industry, also if you ask for money they can just go to the next young and upcoming photographer there are so many who would do anything for the opportunity.
Ever watch the the movie The Devil Wears Prada quote "a million girls would kill for your job"

Also with Gettyimages they are very cut throat 1 or 2 mistakes that cant be helped because of their extremely high standards and the fact that situations are dynamic and things are likely to go wrong, they would rather go to the next person and forget about you, this is the case with gettyimages Australia i havnt done any work for them since i missed an event in April this year. It's painful because in the past i have gone above and beyond for them even used my own money to fund their projects and they dont take that into consideration, their view is your only as good as your last job no matter what type of track record you have, this is the case moreso now because there are so many good photographers on their waiting list and its easier for them to use the next guy then someone who has made mistakes.

Anyway because of careful maneuvering on my part Getty Images USA still use me when im over there


Hi Jim

thankyou for your understanding and wonderful comments
I would just like to re-iterrate just because im not so monetarily successful it doesnt mean others cant be
im an artist and i try to chase my dreams(however unrealistic), im not very practical
At the start to get the editorial opportunities i wanted i had to offer to work virtually for free, I by no means work for free*(producing and funding my own work) most of these projects were in the fashion industry which requires this injestion period of proving. After a long period of producing and getting a sufficiently strong portfolio i got paid properly for my advertising work.
In a broader view anything to do with the arts really isn't soley profitable, unless there is some institution funding you

To be a successful photographer you dont only need talent but you need good business accumen and a master at the art of networking
and i was never good at business
there are so many other avenues in the photography where one can be successfull where clients treat you with respect

for my bread and butter i do architectural photography for architects and its like a normal job you do it and get paid for what it's worth, its not the work i want to do but i get paid.

Im getting into more paying corporate photography assignments now and im not doing anything really artistic
but im just trying to make enough money to fund my other personal projects
it's really hard not creating anything artisitic it's in my nature to do so, and if i don't do it i loose my confidence
it's my main hurdle right now figuring out how to keep myself happy in what i do.

anyway you know what they say it's better to have loved and lost then never to have loved at all
and a quote from Bladerunner "The candle that burns twice as bright dies twice as fast"

[Wink]

Thank you so much for taking the time to reply Wendell!

I'm not sure i could have survive all of that. It's a credit to you!
I'm glad you decided to continue with your craft. After treading this thread i get the feeling you would never be happy at a desk job.

If you're ever on a job in Melbourne and need a hand with the 'useless monkey' tasks then let me know. I'd be honoured to help you out.

[aim54x]

Wendell,

Thanks for replying to this thread, if it wasnt for the bumps it has received recently I would have missed this completely.

Your work gets better everytime I see more of it. I am sure you will be able to overcome the current situation and return to the limelight. I am sure there is a lot of candle to burn yet!

[surenj]

Thanks for the wealth of info Wendell.

I am sorry to hear about your troubles and hope things turn for the better.

Everytime you have posted here, you've been a great inspiration for me!

[Matt. K]

Hi Wendel!
You've had quite a ride since I first met you. You do beautiful work.....nothing else matters.

[Hudo]

Hi Wendell,

Thanks for sharing a very personal journey with us all. A side of a artist we often, will in photography hear about. We usually via podcasts and forums hear about all the cool stuff of locations, the models and the glory that goes with being published. For those who want o be a full time photographer my council is you read this thread first.

Cheers,

Mark PS: What ever you do in life for whatever reasons do it well and be happy.