Building a network of people that are interested in making a new venture a success is full of ups and downs. You try different photographers and videographers, work out barters with people that may or may not go well, and eventually, if all goes well, you end up with a tight-knit group of people who are artistic, business-minded, and fun to be around even when you’re not working.

The good thing is that I have over 10 years of experience behind the camera – from props/set/lighting to stage/production management and coordination, I’ve experienced my share of divas and inexperienced people, hard-to-please directors and producers that want you to create the universe out of $30 and what you have in your garage. Having the sort of experience that allows me to think outside the box when it comes to coordinating shoots, even if it means I have to barter something for it, has proved to be very useful. In addition, the people I did trades with ended up with things they needed – a win/win.

Sometimes the old adage, “you get what you pay for” comes into play. I’ve had my share of trade shoots that didn’t go well at all, or simply resulted in images that I wasn’t happy with. I guess the good thing about trade shoots is that no one really loses since no money exchanges hands. And I also walk away adding another thing to my list of a shooting style I don’t want to emulate for PaddedKINK. On the other hand, there were a few shoots where I walked away thinking, “now THAT’S how I want a shoot to go when I do it!” The whole “research and development” part of starting up a site has been not only a good experience for the site, but a great learning experience for me as well.

Over the past 6 months, I’ve worked on really honing not only my modeling skills but also my producing and directing skills. I hope that when we actually start to do our own shoots for PaddedKINK that things go smoother than a few of the shoots I was on during my R&D.

It’s an ongoing process, but I’m getting there.

To visit PaddedKINK, click here