(click the picture above for
the high definition
video - but also click
YouTube
for me!)
12:36 PM,
Saturday, July 19th, 2008:
I literally teared
up when I got his email. Chad got the cover of Time
Magazine. Not the online edition, the worldwide cover
of Time Magazine. Mind-blowing. And what a
story...
He was in talks
with them on Tuesday and he was in the running with 15
other peeps for several shots within the article and
the cover. They were actually interested in his
portraits of the soldiers (from an i-photo book he
gave 'em) and on a whim he uploaded a couple more of
his favorites. Of course one from that group became
the pic... but he had no idea! He never heard from
them again! Last he had heard was that he was in the
running and days passed and nothin'. Then yesterday he
gets an email from his wife with a link: and voila -
the freaking cover. He's still in absolute shock about
it. I'm bouncing off the walls and it has barely hit
him.
The man
has so many unbelieveably gorgeous shots it
is mind-boggling. However as you all know
from this site, it's a game. It absolutely is
not based on talent. Talent is a
pre-requisite to even play the game and truth
be told you can get a lot further on
connections than you can on
talent.
200
entries ago I wrote a little piece in an
entry trying to encourage him to hang in
there. He's been so close to literally
throwing his cameras out the freaking
window because the game is so completely
ridiculous. But so is his
talent...
"Chad,
you've believed this long...keep believin. My GOD,
look at these shots. You not only have the talent,
you have the balls. You paid your own way to
Afghanistan just to "get the shot". Your
perserverence will win respect and you just have to
keep playin' their game. You, are,
amazing."
And today I'm
absolutely beeeeeeeeeeeaming. Although it certainly
could, it probably wont change his life - but that's
not the point. The point is, you cannot take this away
from him. Ever. He can have a thousand more editors
bitch slap him, he can never get another job... they
cannot take this. It's why "The Price is Right" was so
special to me. At the end of the day, I somehow made
the right choices to have the Egos do 5 minutes on the
set of "Price is Right". The real set. It's
mine forever. You can't ever take that from me. Things
will come and go but I know people far more successful
than me who would have loved to have that opportunity.
This is the same deal with Chad - there are
ridiculously famous photographers, incredibly
successful... who never got the cover of Time. It's
something that 20 years later you can point to in your
own heart and say: "I did it."
And truth be told,
it actually wallops my Price is Right analogy because
all that meant at the time for me was that it helped
my "sit-com" push have more credibility. Which of
course it still does, but for Chad? There's no
legitimate reason this doesn't keep him busy for as
long as he wants. Seriously, this one moment could
parlay into so many jobs that he can't keep up.
However if it doesn't? It's his forever. His risk paid
off. He paid his way to Afghanistan to be part of
something he believed in, and for years he has been
fighting to get seen.
Well Chad, you're
being seen now. The absolute biggest magazine cover
you could have ever dreamed for your shots in
Afghanistan. It's the top of the top. Now he gets to
email all of those editors that wouldn't give him the
time of day, that would pull the rug out from under
him at the last moment (seriously the parallels in our
careers are uncanny - it's the exact same shit, just a
different field) are now gonna open their emails to
the cover of Time Magazine and his credibility will be
through the roof.
What's
great is he said his 5 year goal was to be
published in a national magazine... It's his
5 year anniversary, and I think it's
safe to say he pulled that off and then some.
Don't ya think?
Chad, you
absolutely made my month brother. I'm not sure I've
ever been so happy for someone in my entire life. I
finally know how so many of you reading must feel when
good shit happens in The Journey. Incredibly, it's the
same feeling! I've been calling everyone I know, am
making an extra trip to pick up the magazine today...
I'm on top of the world. How inspirational! Talent
wins! The risk pays off! The good guy finally gets it!
YAHOO!!!
Adam
PS - For the video
I had to use the one from 2005 that shows what to
date I think is my favorite picture he's ever
taken:
And of course, it
never got published, never picked up - but it's the
defninition of excellence.
We
went to Coney Island to see stuff
(actually a very
cool
entry
if you have a moment) and amazingly there
was this big rescue operation goin' on. It
was also the day that there was a big
subway scare in NY so it was just a crazy
day all around. Made this cool little
video and I gotta say - that's probably
why I love the shot so much, because I
watched it all come together as chaos was
ensuing - but it's just a testament to how
talented he is. That photo couldn't look
more staged, couldn't look more
photoshopped - but I watched him run up
behind the guy and snap 10 off as he
watched it all come together. His eye is
extraordinary and again - today he won!
Inspiration is a wonderful
thing.
