Back on Track

Here in Northern Va., and we're finally getting up and running. The last three weeks have been a whirlwind. We've set up a new home (sort-of), had a visit from my parents, a job interview (rejected), and worked to meet the demands of my current clients.
Those of you that know me, know that I struggled in OH to find my place and establish a new career. The hard part about running your own home business was deciding exactly what to do every day. I had plenty of time on my hands, but was constantly faced with the question of how best to use it? I'll readily admit, I didn't always (or maybe even often) make the right decisions. I had a lot of false starts, and smacked up hard against some brick walls. But I evidently did a few things right. I made some good friends and future contacts both personally and professionally. The two often overlap. I'm finding now that the relationships that I developed there are continuing to pay dividends.
I often assuaged my battered ego by telling myself that I've been spending the last two years giving myself continuing education; my own master's course in multi-media communication. The resources were all there so I dug deep into learning to shoot and edit audio and video, build acceptable web pages, make motion graphics, use social media for marketing, and in general learn the tools I would need to continue being relevant in a world where just being a "photographer" simply isn't enough.

Green Screen Set in Myrtle Beach, SC.

Now I'm beginning to see the fruits of that labor, and with relief, am finding that all that time was not at all wasted. Last week, I traveled to Myrtle Beach to produce some chroma key videos for an e-learning client. The shoot was complicated because the final videos will be merged into a 3D graphical environment. The talent was being flown in from across the country and the client, acting as director, would be watching my every move. In short, I had to get it right. It was a big deal for me. Not only because I needed to make the client happy, but because I would need to use every skill I've been learning.
The good news is that I'm working on the post production now, but (dare I say it?) it looks like everything came off without a hitch. Now I've got another project coming up that will further stretch my skills but it feels like I'm finally back on track.