SoReal Unlimited, Inc.

I have new love in my life. She allows me to express myself in ways I never thought I could. Capturing unforgettable moments with her takes my breath away. Thing is, my wife knows all about her.

I can hear it now, “How could he?” and “How dare he?” Now before you come barging down my door with the Cheaters TV crew, hear me out. You’ve got the wrong picture. In fact, you may know who she is. Her name is Canon. I’ve fallen in love with photography. It’s been going on now for a little under a year and a half. And it’s a love affair that I’m willing to scream from the rooftops for.

A friend of mine let me take a shot with his “fancy schmancy” camera two summers ago. I was so afraid of dropping the camera that my hands would not stop shaking. Somehow I still found the confidence to press the shutter button. I looked at the photo I just made on the digital screen of the camera and it was…blurry. I didn’t care. For some reason when I heard that first “click” after pressing the button – I was hooked.

I’m pretty much self taught (“self taught” doesn’t mean “I’m great” – it just means I couldn’t afford to pay for expensive photography classes, books, etc.) However, I am truly grateful for all the lessons and words of wisdom that my fellow “photography geeks” (self-proclaimed) have given me.

Nowadays I have a camera of my own and I can’t stop making it blink. You see, I have learned from some of the more affordable books that I read, that photography is all about perspective. While there are some common rules and courtesies that most photographers follow when making and taking their photographs – the “art” of photography lies completely in the mind’s eye of each individual photographer.

I was on a photo walk the other day. My fellow “photo geeks” and I decided on Tarpon Springs, FL as our canvas. Prior to arriving there, I knew little to none about the history of the city. Did the city’s name say it all? I heard of the sponge docks, but what exactly are sponge docks? I had heard of how the Greek culture was infused into the city and its cuisine. Other than those things, I wasn’t sure what to expect.

As we pulled into the heart of this town’s main street, Dodecanese Blvd., I couldn’t help but feel like I was in another state. It just didn’t seem like the Florida I was used to. The architecture, the restaurant names, the entire atmosphere. On both sides of the street stood individual men and women with their sun-kissed skin waving red flags directing you to park in their lot, “Park here! Two Dollar Parking! Park Here!” Little did we know that the two dollars bought us a space and a bunch of constant offers to purchase a boat ride or other scenic tour. American capitalism at its finest. As a business owner, I appreciated and respected that.

We respectfully dodged the offers and made our way to an authentic Greek restaurant to have lunch. They say that you can tell a truly authentic restaurant based on the make up of its patrons. We walked into this restaurant, heard the chatter of the customers already dining there, noticed it wasn’t English but in Greek. We were definitely at the right place. Lunch was incredible. Fresh Greek style caviar and octopus as an appetizer, eggplant stuffed with ground beef and cheese as my entree along with a side of the best lemon infused potatoes.

After lunch we made our way down Dodecanese Blvd. to start shooting (taking pictures). My attention was caught by the sound of music, music played with strings, it was harp music. I turned around and saw a lady plucking each string, fingers worn and feet locked in sandals delicately pressing down on the harp pedals. Her hair disheveled by the brisk wind and her eyes were closed. I didn’t know the name of the song she was playing but I knew the melody. As I hummed the same notes in unison with her playing I made my way over to her. She was parked in an opportune location right against the curb of the dock which aided as a perfect seat for her to play her harp. I pulled a couple of dollar bills out of my wallet and placed them in her makeshift bucket of “TiPs.” I asked her if it was okay if I could snap a couple of photos of her and her harp. She opened her eyes and said, “Sure. Thank you for the tip and thank you for asking…before taking pictures that is. Sometimes people try to take my picture from afar and they don’t think I notice them. So thanks again for the tip and thanks again for asking.” I replied with a respectful, “Thank YOU.”

Her name was Meta. She told me about her love for music and how she once traveled the world with a renowned orchestra. Nowadays it’s just her and her harp – that she maneuvers on her own from site to site with her makeshift dolly. She told me about her kids and that one of her daughters had a passion for photography as well. I asked her if I could take the pictures as she played her harp. She replied with a quiet smile of affirmation and said, “Go right ahead, I don’t know when they’ll ask me to leave.” It was right at that moment that I realized first hand the power of photography. That each photo that anybody takes has a story behind it.  A story that belongs only to the people in front of and behind the lens. It’s funny how a five minute conversation leaves you with something that will last forever.

I’ve taken thousands of pictures since I started learning about photography less than two years ago. I’ve got thousands of stories to share. Looking at we’ve done with SoReal Unlimited – with our cards, t-shirts and overall core values of our company – I think I might just add photography to our product line. I’m a sucker for anything that strengthens the bonds of life and love. Photography… I’m glad I met you. My people will be calling your people. Real soon.