I love working out of my home, especially in the winter. I get up in the morning and smell the pot of coffee that was set to perk at 6:00 AM. I look outside at the frozen roads, the darkness of late November, and I remember when I had to battle the streets in order to get to the office by seven. Now, I get to keep my pyjamas on, go down to my computer room with my two cats and immediately become consumed by the work that waits on my glowing computer screen.
It wasn't too long ago that one would have to have been retired, unemployed or just plain lazy to be able to do that every morning. But the world has changed and many of my corporate friends have found that the "virtual office" is actually far more productive and has, in fact, been adopted by many of the large corporations as an option for many of their employees.
It's something the Japanese have known for a long time... that the calm, relaxed mind is far better at creativity and the results are surprisingly more productive. The truth is that I actually work far more hours at my home business than I did when I was out in the corporate world, but somehow I don't feel nearly as pressured and the time just seems to zip past.
Our business has grown over the years and now we have devoted two full levels of our home to it, including a well equipped photo studio, the latest computer equipment and software, a client meeting area and all the other supplies and equipment that you would expect to find in a similar business in the traditional downtown location. Part of our time is spent running our glamour photography business Editions by Frederick and the rest of the time I do corporate work for my Digital Design clients.
Oleanna, my wife and partner, is primarily involved in the glamour photography side as she is a professional model, hair stylist and makeup artist. She confesses to being "technologically challenged" and so when I am building web sites, writing marketing copy or delving into the details of search engine optimization, she tends to stay away from the evil computer room. But she is also a whiz with the books and since I really hate to do paperwork, her help is a real blessing.
Before starting Digital Design in 1990, I worked for advertising agencies, pre press production shops, graphic design studios, newspapers and, of course, a lot of photography gigs. I was a staff photographer at Mount Royal College for a while, then a photojournalist, writer and fashion/model photographer. But I think the turning point for me was when I was working for Graphic Arts Western in 1987 and was sent to New York to study on what was, at that time, the state of the art computer graphic systems made by the Scitex Corporation. I was hooked and I thought that I had found the ultimate graphics tool. Well, truth is that this machine that filled an entire air cooled room and cost millions of dollars, was but a pitiful shadow of what I can do on my Mac today. But it was enough to propel me off in a new direction.
I soon learned about type setting, 3D rendering, page layout, film production and a plethora of other skills, all through the magical interface of the computer system. What was once the job of highly trained technicians, could now be done by one trained computer person.
My passion for photography was left behind as I explored the possibilities of this rapidly evolving technology. I immersed myself in everything computer and internet and developed a large contingent of corporate clients. But when I met Oleanna in 2001, she again renewed my interest in photography and so our glamour studio was born. But I cannot let go of Digital Design and now, more than ever, I enjoy the corporate work I do because it imparts a greater variety into my work day. But still, there is a strong crossover between the two businesses. The photo studio is equally capable of product photography or corporate portraits. The graphics software I use for the glamour photographs are equally valuable for my corporate clients. And being able to express myself creatively with glamour photography gives me a new perspective on the creative tasks that my corporate clients give me.
But I guess the most important thing is that I love what I do, and all of my clients understand that I do the work not just to pay my bills but because I have a deep passion for this industry. I can't imagine a day when I will want to stop. My clients can tell this by the results of the work that I do. I hope you will give me the opportunity to show you this passion as well.