Ep. 4 - Camera Skills Pay Bills: Building Transferable Professional Value

Relying purely on technical credentials to build a modern career leaves massive professional opportunities on the table. In a competitive professional market, creative pursuits are routinely dismissed as mere hobbies rather than fundamental tools for growth. Xavier Smith, Assistant Director for Career Counseling and Student Success Initiatives at the University of Arkansas, addresses how photography acts as a practical vehicle for building professional value and maintaining personal health.

We sit down to analyze the concept of career currency, breaking down how operating a camera develops the precise attributes modern institutions demand. The discussion goes deep into the National Association of Colleges and Employers ready skills, examining how communication, perspective awareness, and technical proficiency dictate project success. Smith shares his boots on the ground experience of managing client expectations, setting environmental energy during production, and taking individual initiative to secure high profile commercial opportunities. The conversation highlights the intersection of artistic output and financial literacy, proving that creative leisure activities directly build transferable business acumen.

The reality of sustainable creative production requires confronting the harder logistical elements of time management, professional etiquette, and consistent execution under pressure. Real growth does not come from passive waiting; it requires building a physical portfolio and executing rigorous self advocacy to navigate professional networks. Viewers will walk away with a systematic understanding of the eight dimensions of wellness, along with a concrete framework for using creative self expression to regulate stress, combat social anxiety, and process complex emotional challenges.

If you care about career development, mental well being, and practical creative entrepreneurship, you will get a lot from this solo episode. Subscribe to the channel and share this broadcast with someone looking to maximize their creative potential. Which of the eight dimensions of wellness do you think your current daily routine is neglecting the most?

Transcript

Welcome And Why Photography Matters

SPEAKER_00 0:00

All right. Welcome back to Kids and Cameras. My name is Xavier Smith, and I am your host for today. I am a community partner of Kids and Cameras. And so I'm so excited to be leading our discussion for today. Just a little bit about my background. I currently serve as an assistant director for career counseling and student success initiatives at the University of Arkansas and Fulbright College. And my entire role is to help students go from now into next. Right. So whatever their next endeavor is, my goal is to help them get to that spot and equip them with skills, help them articulate those skills, but also market and showcase all of the different types of experiences and growth areas that they've had while on campus. And so as a part of Kids and Cameras, I've led a number of different uh workshops about how to utilize camera techniques through self-expression. And that's everything that Kids in Cameras is about expressing yourself creatively, expressing yourself uh emotionally through the lens of cameras. And so today we're gonna have an elite conversation about how you can use photography as both currency and as wellness, right? And so we'll jump right in and get into the discussion about how photography can ultimately uh grow skills for yourself, but also uh work towards your overall health and well-being and wellness as a whole. And so, with that being said, let's keep it pushing and keep it rolling.

Career Currency Beyond Just Money

SPEAKER_00 1:36

So the first thing that I want you to understand is a couple of terminology. Career currency is one that we'll be speaking about a lot today, as far as it relates to um what you get from photography in particular, right? So if you're not familiar with the term career currency, career currency is um it's much bigger than just getting money, right? And when you think currency, you probably think, hey, what do I get paid? Um, you know, what what type of compensation do I get? And it's way more than that, right? So by definition, career currency is the collection of skills, experiences, relationships, and confidence that creates opportunity. So through photography, you can ultimately grow in a a large number of career currency that can ultimately propel you in your career and future endeavors, but also grow your network and also expand your worldview and provide you with excellent, excellent opportunities. And so, why does career currency particularly matter to you as a student, as someone who's up and coming, right? And so one thing to consider is that skills um are what employers value heavily. Institutions greatly value those skills. I always like to say skills pay the bills, right? Turn to yourself and say skills pay the bills, right? So if you know that, anything from technical and creative abilities will allow you to transfer those skills across different industries and different disciplines that you might be a part of, right? So photography is a great place to start with that. Another thing that photography does as it relates to career currency is it gives you an excellent amount of confidence, right? You're able to work through real-world projects, you're able to self-assure yourself through opportunities, you're able to showcase yourself professionally, but also uh emotionally. And that ultimately gives you confidence as you continue to navigate through the world and express yourself. The other thing that photography is excellent at is about building relationships. And so honestly, especially once you get into a business, once you do photography for business, it matters about your network. You know, there's this old adage that says your network determines your net worth. And so this is no exception in photography as well. The more people you know, the more people will probably need photos. And that's an opportunity for you to ultimately take care of yourself and take care of your family, right? And so the other thing about photography as it relates to career currency is that it naturally trains your mind to problem solve. And so that's an excellent, excellent, excellent skill, no matter what discipline that you're going to be a part of. And so by you engaging and creatively expressing yourself through photography, you can ultimately um prepare yourself for bigger and better and greater, right? And so that's what we want to convey as it relates to career currency when we're discussing that. And so I want to get into some of those real world skills that we've kind of described. So we've given a few examples about that, but I also want to reiterate a few things, right? So the National Association of Collegiate Educators um

The Transferable Skills Photography Builds

SPEAKER_00 4:57

basically said, hey, there's eight career ready skills that we're expecting students or potential employees, employers, excuse me, potential employees to have coming into the gate for them to be an X factor in the workforce. And photography allows you to ultimately build those, right? So let's get into a couple of those, right? So one of those would be communication, teamwork, time management, creativity, technology use, um, as well, and just ultimately project management and problem solving. And so I'm pulling up a couple of notes here, but basically, those eight career-ready skills that the National Association of Collegiate Educators stated are important are career and self-development, teamwork, technology, perspective awareness, communication, critical thinking, professionalism, uh, leadership, uh, and then as I mentioned before, development, right? And so those are all things that photography can ultimately give you and build for you, right? So if we're thinking about communication directly and specifically, that's an opportunity for you to connect and collaborate with confidence with others, right? So in a photography standpoint, you're ultimately connecting with potential employers or models about what their vision is for the particular photos that you might be taking of them or with them, right? And so you're having to communicate your idea of what uh your vision is as you're listening to what your client or what your subject is also uh trying to convey to you about what they're expecting. And so that's a great way for you to start to build those skills, right? And of course, in a workplace setting, you've got to be able to communicate uh to get things done. The old adage is you can only go as far as you can communicate, and photography is no different than that. So it's really, really important for you to establish that and be able to articulate your skills and experiences as well. So another big, big skill that photography gives you that's transferable uh would be teamwork, right? So in photography, sometimes you like let's say you're working for a corporation or you're doing an advertisement with your camera, et cetera, et cetera. You would be working as a team to ultimately make that dream or that vision come to fruition. And so therefore, teamwork is a big, big part of that, right? So there's a big thing that we talk about in art spaces is you need to be a good hang, right? So, what do I mean by being a good hang? You need to be pleasant to work with, you need to be have a great attitude when you're working because people like people who bring a positive energy to the workplace. And so photography is an excellent, excellent place to start that. Oftentimes, the photographer to me, as a photographer, I'm having to set the vibes for the particular shoot. So a couple of ways that I can do that is by having a positive um affect to me, making sure that the environment is really positive for us to work um effectively and efficiently. Uh, making sure that I'm listening and collaborating to my potential subject about what it is that they need or would like to see within these photos, et cetera. And so that's another big thing, right? Teamwork makes the dream work and photography and making positive images is no different. The other thing would be time management, right? So especially if you're in a space where you're doing photography in a business standpoint, time management is very, very important. Showing up to the particular uh venue or the spot on time is big. Um being prepared as well, making sure you have all your equipment and and and being ready to shoot when it's time to shoot. And then, of course, you want to be able to communicate and deliver the product in a timely manner, right? We don't want to take several months to deliver photos, et cetera, because that that just leaves um a negative feeling for our clients and the people that we work with. So being able to manage your time effectively to get the proper work that you need to get done done is really, really big. Of course, we got to talk a little bit about creativity, right? And so providing your pouring your own creative um expertise and skill set into the actual work that you are providing for someone or or showcasing in some capacity is an invaluable experience, right? You bring your creativity with you in everything that you do, whether that's working a particular job, whether that's taking the photos, whether that's going to class and showing up and showcasing how you see the world and see uh different aspects. Creativity is a big, big part. And photography does an excellent, excellent way of developing your eye, but also um, I guess culminating and formulating your own imagination for creative endeavors. So that's major. And then, of course, we want to talk a little bit about technology, right? So, of course, with cameras, whether it's a film camera, whether it's the newest Canon camera, Sony camera, whatever it is, there is a technical skill aspect, right? Can you operate the camera effectively? Can you operate it efficiently? Can you uh get the images desired out of it? Can you creatively express yourself through the camera, right? And so there's a level of proficiency, a level of skill set that's necessary for you to be able to provide the types of um material and work that you're trying to put out. So being proficient in technology is major. And then the next thing, if you're going into photography business in particular, entrepreneurship, right? So entrepreneurship is uh, you know, a wide and vast skill set, right? It's not just it's it's it's managing the people, it's managing marketing, it's managing yourself and your time management, it's uh being able to sustain the quality level and also uh, you know, have a particular level of customer service to the work that you're doing. And so those skills, of course, are things that you can use not only in photography settings and senses, but you can also use that in any career field that you would like to be a part of, right? Whether you're a doctor, whether you're a lawyer, whether you're um a car salesman, whether you are working for a corporation, et cetera, communication is always going to be something that you need to be able to do and be able to articulate. And so the cool thing about these things is maybe you right now you you're choosing to um express yourself and do photography as a leisure activity, but those leisure activities can ultimately also build those skills that can pay dividends for you in your future careers, whether it's in photography or not. And so I hope that you understand that as we're talking about these skills that can ultimately pay your bills and allow you to be successful.

Storytelling And Proving Your Work

SPEAKER_00 12:00

The other big, big part about photography is that it's a it's a level of storytelling, right? And stories always make um experiences way better as it relates to work, as it relates to um, you know, expressing yourself, et cetera. And so it's really, really important for you to uh showcase that in the images that you make and ultimately sometimes even form narratives around that, right? And so the cool thing is photographers learn to direct and connect with people during these shoots, developing these particular skills, right? Portraits, of course, I convey identity and emotion. Images communicate what words cannot sometimes, and visual storytelling creates real impact. And so that's what we really, really want to showcase, right? And so, of course, you're building all of these skills uh through photography and you're growing that as you're gaining skills. Another thing to consider though is that we want to be able to showcase that. And so the way that we can do that is through your resume, right? Maybe you have a photography resume that you're showcasing all the different companies and corporations that you work for. Or maybe you can showcase the different types of work that you do, maybe in student council with yearbook and things like that, the photography that you're doing. Or maybe you can describe um, you know, um, the exhibits that you've maybe submitted your photos and stuff to. So those are all things that could go into your resume and ultimately land you different opportunities. Another thing is a digital portfolio. Highly recommend every photographer have a digital portfolio or website that can kind of showcase the artifacts of your experience and of your work, right? So in that portfolio, you get a chance to connect the stories that you create and that you tell through the images that you uh ultimately capture. And it's also a way for you to describe how these skills play into uh the client experience that you have in photography as well. And so it's really, really important to not only uh develop these skills, but also showcase and articulate these and market these skills to ultimately land you new opportunities and new growth spaces. Right. And so, of course, we've talked a little bit about skills, but we want to get transition a little bit into talking about how it helps you personally, right?

Confidence Self Expression And Feeling Seen

SPEAKER_00 14:27

So I've for me, I feel like it's helped with confidence altogether, right? I grew up um, you know, pursuing athletics heavily and hard and and uh fervently. And so at that time, I didn't necessarily permit myself to be a creative being in that regard, right? So photography really allowed me to express myself in a way that wasn't as physical as playing a particular sport or competing against someone else, right? And so it's a way for you to enhance your self-expression and to ultimately showcase uh more of yourself and discover more about yourself as well. Another thing behind photography is like it helps people feel seen and recognized, right? So for the clients that I get a chance to capture them, a lot of times I'm getting to capture them and showcase them in a way that maybe they've never seen themselves before, right? You know, sometimes my clients will get all dressed up, put their best on, and and and really, really try to put um really showcase themselves in a in a beautiful way. And they and I get a chance to not only capture that, but witness their beauty and all different aspects. And so it's a way to help people feel seen. And then the next thing is it also allows you to develop a style, right? It allows you to reflect on what really matters to you, right? So for instance, what I take as a photographer might not be the same vision or same reflection of a person that someone other else takes. And so essentially it's showcasing my eye for a particular person or particular object. And that's there's there's a beauty in having your own, being able to formulate your own opinion, your own vision for something, especially in a world that's trying to make everyone kind of operate under the same vein. And so it's important for you to allow yourself to express yourself individually, but also uh creatively through photography. And so here's a few things that um we want to talk about, right? So as it pertains to creativity, creativity can ultimately afford you opportunity. And so the beautiful thing about photography is you can ultimately start this as a passion, right? And then through that passion, you can ultimately afford yourself new opportunities and new experiences. So I'd like to harp on that a little

Branding Customer Service And Initiative

SPEAKER_00 16:52

bit. So here's a few lessons that photography particularly teaches about business specifically, right? So you get a chance to do branding and marketing, right? And so if you are unfamiliar with branding and marketing, it's building a recognizable identity uh that allows you to attract clients, right? And so when it comes to marketing, right, you have to showcase and speak about the work that you're doing, right? That could be through social media channels where you're uh showcasing your work, that could be through crystal bridges where you're having it uh showcases. That could be through doing the kids in cameras, uh photo competition and ultimately explaining and writing a narrative about your work. And that's all part of branding yourself and marketing yourself. Um another thing that you get to learn through photography is professionalism, right? How you show up, the etiquette that you use, right? Learning the value of your work and how to present it in particular, right? That's a big, big part of photography. And then, of course, customer service. And I cannot harp enough about customer service and the importance of it, right? People like to work with people that are easy to that, that, that have good service, that have a great attitude, that are um have a positive, allow for a positive experience. And so customer service is a big part of operating a photography business and or operating in any you know social capacity, right? Honestly, the etiquette that you serve others with. And then the other part of it allows you to take initiative of creating opportunities for yourself rather than waiting for them. And I have a couple of examples of how that's happened for me. So a couple of friends and I, we found out that there was a local concert for an artist that was going to be performing in Northwest, Arkansas. We took initiative and reached out to the vendor, um, the promoters, uh, and even the DJ to ask them, hey, can we get an opportunity to take photos for this particular artist, right? And so that ultimately told me, taught me, it gave me a new spirit of um ambition, you know, a proactivity, uh, you know, a space of advocacy for myself and my skill set to be able to afford myself new opportunities. And photography can be that for yourself, right? You can only get what you ask for. And so you it teaches you to go ahead and ask those questions to ultimately afford you new opportunities for experiences, right? And so we've talked a lot about photography as career currency, right? Just to kind of recap a few things. We talked about how it can help you creatively. We've talked about how it can uh afford you skills that you can take to multiple different disciplines. We've talked about how it can inspire confidence within yourself, showcasing your, your, your, your creative uh journey and your creative expression, right? And so those are a few things, of course, that photography can do as it relates to your career currency.

Wellness Dimensions And Photography As Care

SPEAKER_00 19:57

Additionally, it can also help you with wellness, right? And so I'm not sure if you you knew this, but there are eight dimensions of wellness. At least the University of Arkansas recognizes eight different dimensions, right? And so when it comes to those dimensions, these are them, right? Emotional wellness, right? And that's processing your feelings and self-awareness. You've got social wellness, which are relationships and community. Uh, you've got intellectual wellness, which is your curiosity and ultimately your learning status, right? And then you've got physical wellness as well, where it comes to movement and exploration, right? And so typically when we think of wellness, we we we lean on physical wellness. However, there are way more dimensions, right? We've got occupational wellness, which relates to your purpose in your particular career. And then you've got environmental wellness, which is an appreciation for your surroundings. And then you've got financial wellness, where um, which pertains to the money that you earn, potentially, the skills that you have, and also the opportunities. And then we cannot forget about uh your spiritual wellness. So, right, affording yourself gratitude and meaning in the process. Um, and I'm not sure if I mentioned this, but if I didn't, emotional wellness, processing your feelings, feelings, and providing yourself that self-awareness, right? And so the beautiful thing about photography in particular is it permits you to work towards all of those eight elements. We're gonna get into how it does that. So, why is wellness important as well? We wanna be able to maintain and regulate our stress, right? Maybe you're young right now, however, you still experience great stresses. Maybe if you got a big test, you might have some anxiety and things like that. Photography could be a way that you could express yourself and kind of alleviate some of that stress, right? It allows you to um release emotionally, right? So maybe um you're upset about something, maybe you didn't do as well on the test, or um, maybe something. And go your way, et cetera. Photography allows you to express that and take images and pour energy and expression and emotion into a creative medium that's positive, right? And so that's what photography can provide. And then, of course, social connection, right? I cannot express this enough. How many I've met so many friends by just showing up somewhere with a with a camera, right? Um, or you know, connecting with other photographers that also have an appreciation for photography as well. And so, of course, wellness is a big, big piece that impacts you, but also the one people around you, right? And so let's get into how it works through emotional wellness, right?

Emotional And Social Benefits In Practice

SPEAKER_00 22:42

So the beautiful thing about imagery and about photography that I love is that it can capture things that maybe words cannot express all of the time, right? It can evoke an emotion or it can showcase a feeling that maybe you cannot put to words. And so that's beautiful, beautiful thing to have at your disposal, especially as life's challenges uh enter your world and into your realm, and you you have you need to find a good way to deal with those things. Photography can do that. It also promotes a particular self-awareness, right? So you are ultimately capturing things through your own lens. And so it also showcases, hey, I I noticed that I've I'm taking pictures of really dark imagery imagery right now. I wonder what that means about uh how I feel about where I'm at in my life, etc. Or maybe I'm taking very, very right, bright and vibrant, right? And so sometimes it kind of showcases the condition of your heart and how you feel. And so that's a beautiful thing to be able to express yourself in that way and to feel is to be human. And so that's anytime that you can express that positively, you want to do that. And so I love photography for that. And then it also allows you to document your particular growth, right? I've looked through images within my catalog and I've seen, oh, snap. You know, this I remember these photos because I was going through a particular tough time. Or maybe I would this was a really, really positive time in my life. I'm smiling ear to ear. Like it's kind of documents your emotional journey. And so that's how photography in particular can contribute towards your emotional wellness. Moving along, let's talk a little bit about social uh, you know, uh wellness, right? And so photography is major and massive as far as it pertains to building community. Like I said before, and like I mentioned, I cannot, I couldn't even name or you know, put a number, numerical value on how many people I've been able to collaborate with just because I I I um express myself self through photography, right? And so it invites collaboration, right? This podcast alone is through a collaboration with some of my friends. And so that's a beautiful thing to be able to connect with others and work with others, right? They say teamwork makes a dream work, and photography, of course, is no exception to that, right? It allows you to grow and develop meaningful relationships, right? I know for me, I had a hard time when I was growing up. I was pretty shy child. And so it would be really hard for me to go up to somebody and introduce myself, right? I just didn't have the confidence for that. However, through photography, if I want to take someone's photo, um, I through practice and through repetition, I was able to start connecting with people by asking them, hey, uh, I noticed that you have these nice shoes, which you might have to take a photo. And a lot of times that allowed me to strike up good conversation to make new connections. And then of course, that ultimately translates into being able to network, right? Being able to showcase uh once you make that introduction and take that photo, somebody might ask you, hey, you know, do you have a card or I'd love to keep up with your business, et cetera? Well, how can we stay connected? Or hey, I've got some other opportunities for you. I liked how you took those photos. And so again, it grows and develops that social networking, that collaborative spirit as well.

Curiosity Culture And Environmental Awareness

SPEAKER_00 26:06

And so if we're moving, we're moving right along intellectually, it allows you to observe the world and see life and determine how you see life in particular, right? So from an intellectual standpoint, it encourages relentless curiosity and creative questioning. You know, I I didn't notice that, uh, for instance, um, when I took some trips to Europe, I noticed that there weren't a lot of park benches, right? Around here, uh Northwest, Arkansas, we have parked benches often in particular places. And so I noticed in Europe that any of these high touristy areas, they didn't have park benches. And so that you know, um influenced me creatively to seek out more information on why that is and right. And so, in particular, high tourist areas, sometimes they won't have park benches because of homelessness challenges, et cetera. And so they want to keep the flow of traffic and uh also make sure that people aren't parking in particular spaces um socially. So that creativity allowed me to learn a new thing about a new culture and new perspective on how they operate in a touristy setting. So that's just one example of that. But another thing is it allows you to develop some critical thinking, right? Um, which is really, really important as far as like making decisions, right? What type of lighting do you need to be using? Uh, what what how does color impact the you know the outcome of the photos, etc.? And so, of course, it allows you to grow and cultivate that curiosity. Maybe you find that you're particularly interested in a particular design style of buildings and things like that, or you learn that certain cultures use particular colors, et cetera. And so it really just expands your mind to open yourself intellectually into new perspective, but also new information. And then it also gives you an environmental awareness, right? So environmental wellness is a big part of wellness as well. And so it grows your appreciation for the natural world, right? How many times have you maybe seen a sunset and like, wow, look at the colors like that? And it makes you stop and take a photo of such a beautiful environmental aspect, right? But it also allows you to notice the beauty in others, but also in particular spaces. And so that's a beautiful, beautiful part of wellness for yourself, being engaged with the surroundings of you, right? A lot of times we are wrapped into our phones and that kind of takes away our ability to be like uh environmentally aware. However, photography of capturing the things around you is a great, great way to grow that environmental wellness. Moving right along, the other thing is occupational and financial wellness, right? You can discover what's meaningful to you as it pertains to work through photography, right? Sometimes it helps you identify a particular purpose and a creative passion. And so that's invaluable as far as figuring out something that really invigorates your mind and stimulates yourself from an occupational standpoint. The other thing is we've talked in depth about this. It allows you to build career-ready skills, right? We've talked about how communication can help you both in photography and also in the working world, teamwork, collaboration, uh, personal self-development, uh, you know, perspective awareness and being aware of other cultures and other environments, et cetera. All of those things are things that you can develop through photography. And of course, especially if you once you get into a space of business, you can develop that financial literacy. Understanding what does it take for you to maintain a particular level of quality in your photography, understanding what you can be paid for the work that you do, right? Making sure that you're operating within a value system, right? Making sure you're not getting underpaid for things. Uh, and ultimately, how do you reinvest into your business as it pertains to photography? And so those are some ways that photography ultimately pours into you from a career currency standpoint, but also from a wellness standpoint and helps you grow and develop that. And of course, when it comes to spiritual and physical wellness, it gives you three major, major, major components, right? Movement,

Reflection Gratitude Challenge And Summer Camp

SPEAKER_00 30:25

right? How many times you go on a photo walk and you're just really invested and engaged in the environment and ultimately you're giving yourself exercise, right? You're putting yourself in nature, right? And so that's beautiful as far as getting yourself moving and getting yourself active. Reflection. It also spiritually, of course, this goes towards your spiritual wellness. Reflection is a big, big part of your personal growth, your spiritual growth, and also your ultimate well-being, right? And so by reviewing some of your images or helping people connect more deeply with their values, memories, or even personal growth, photography is a really, very, really nice medium to start to express yourself, but also reflect on what matters to you and what what what what you've been through. And then, of course, it gives you a space of gratitude, right? It trains your eye for beauty in the mundane, right? How many times have you walked past the same things? And, you know, maybe this particular day you notice, oh wait, I didn't realize that this beautiful flower was here, et cetera. Or finally the flowers are in bloom. And so it gives you a space of gratitude to appreciate life's changes and also um just appreciate the beauty and others and the beauty of the environment that you're around, and it can give you new eyes and new perspective on what you see regularly on the day-to-day. And so, with that, photography provides you meaning, right? And so I want you to quickly reflect um and think of this. If you could take one photo that represents your life right now, what would it be and why? Right. I want you to take a moment and thinking about this because it's designed to spark your storytelling and deeper thinking. You can use it as like a journaling exercise or even a prompt, right? And so it's a nice thing for you to think about as you're going through your life and thinking about your photography journey and your photo journey. So as you take time for that, I want you to understand, hopefully through this podcast, that photography is way more than just pictures, right? It gives you career currency, right? Skills, uh, opportunities, and also community that can help you propel yourself personally and also professionally. It gives you confidence, right? It allows you to express yourself through self-exploration and self-awareness. And it gives you a personal voice and a creative voice. Uh, another thing is it gives wellness, right? So we talked about those eight elements and how photography works towards all eight of those. And so it gives you emotional, social, and spiritual well-being altogether, right? And then it can also give you, as you're growing up and developing and figuring out who you are, it gives you great purpose and allows you to understand who you are and what you have to say through your creative voice. And so I would all of those things are very, very valuable, especially as you're growing up and as you're learning more about yourself and as you're expressing yourself more thoroughly. Uh these are all things that you can continue to build on foundationally to ultimately get you to where you're trying to go. Um, and and ultimately give you new perspective, new insight, new skills, right? So again, the process of learning a new craft, finding yourself and building a life with perseverance and opportunity is something that photography really does a great job of facilitating within you, right? And so continue to take photos, continue to put yourself in opportunities where you can collaborate with others, where you can express yourself emotionally and creatively, and then allow yourself to take note of the surroundings that you have to ultimately expand yourself. And with that, thank you so much for tuning in to the Kids and Cameras podcast. We greatly appreciate you being here and we wish you great, great success. Please do not hesitate to reach out to us. We have a number of workshops coming up in the in the in the next couple of months, and so please stay tuned for that. In the meantime, I challenge you to take three images of that showcase where you're at in your life at this particular moment and write a nice little narrative about it. That's my challenge to you. Continue to take photos, continue to express yourself, continue to show gratitude for the environment around you and for the people that are around you as well. And with that, I say thank you again. Every picture tells a story, but sometimes the camera helps people rediscover their own story as well. So keep that in mind as you're uh in your photography journey. I do have one last announcement to offer you, and uh hopefully you'll see this on the screen. Kids and Cameras has a summer camp for this summer in 2026. The dates for that would be June 15th through the 18th, uh, 2026. And it'll start around 9 a.m. and it'll end at 12 p.m. every day of that week. And we're gonna have that at Startup Junkie, right? And we're asking that if you're in the seventh grade all the way up to the 12th grade, um, that you would consider participating with us. It's gonna be a really, really amazing time. Um, the finances behind that, it's gonna cost about $125. And so it's a four-day hands-on photography experience where students learn composition, lighting, manual camera settings, and how to tell powerful stories through images. It's gonna have guided photo challenges, creative exercises, and a final storytelling project. And it's perfect for beginners and growing photographers alike. No experience needed, and you don't even have to have a camera. We will provide you with that opportunity as well. And so please do not forget to register at kidsincameras.org. Um, and we hope to see you there. But in the meantime, I wish you great success and prosperity. Keep shooting with your camera, and we will catch you again next time. Thank you for tuning in.