President's Letter

Christopher Winton-Stahle ASMPCV President                        

On March 1st of this year I officially stepped into the presidency of the Central Virginia A.S.M.P. I realize that many of our members do not know me well and I wanted to take this opportunity to introduce myself. What follows is a story about why this organization / chapter means so much to me, and why I believe in its’ overall success for the future.

I have always believed in Karma. I have tried to lead a good life, to be honest, good to others, and bring joy to those around me. But life is not always that simple and in hard times it’s easy to see how the phrase “it’s just business” could make sense. When time becomes limited, money scarce, and relationships strained, it’s our natural response as human beings to panic and focus on preserving our own wellbeing and while this is important, it’s not the entire picture.

I was less than a year out of college and had started my career by assisting established photographers and shooting small editorial projects. I was confident and cocky and felt that I could do anything I set my mind to. I thought that getting ahead at any cost was the goal. I was sure that I had a bright future ahead of me and was excited about all the possibilities when the unthinkable happened. On January 1, 2005 I was involved in an automobile accident that nearly ended my life. My car was T-boned by a truck going 50 mph. The accident left me with severe injuries to my head, shoulder, spleen, and wrist. Even after the injuries had healed I had limited mobility and strength of my right arm and with no health insurance to cover the emergency medical bills, I had other problems too. My future in photography was suddenly looking very bleak. I felt desperately alone and fearful of the future.

It was at this moment of true desperation that a Central Virginia ASMP member by the name of Charles “Stretch” Ledford, who I had been working for, stepped forward to help me. He sent an email out to a group of his friends, clients, and ASMP colleagues as a call to action. The response to his letter was overwhelming and the turnout of ASMP photographers that offered moral and financial support was staggering. I couldn’t believe their kindness and was often brought to tears. I have never been embraced by a group of people that way and many of them didn’t even know me. In my mind, these were people with whom I would eventually be competing for work and, at the time, I couldn’t quite wrap my mind around their generosity. I have no doubt that this act of kindness has redefined the direction of my life and my work. I began to see the importance of relationships within the photography community, the strength that is gained in numbers, and I wanted to be a part of it. After that, I got involved with the ASMP. I have learned so much from the ASMP about business, photography and the issues that the industry is currently facing. I have come to understand how important it is for me as a photographer to get involved, and to help clear the road so we, as an industry, can move forward.

It has been over five years since my accident. In that time I’ve learned some things about happiness, good business, finding the strength to endure, and the truth of a karmic reality. I understand now that my life is what I make it and that I’m never alone unless I choose to be. I have learned that I cannot stand alone and get to where I want to go in life or in business. For me, true success is defined through my relationships with others and the camaraderie that I establish with my peers. I am honored to be a part of such a fine group of talented individuals such as those found in the A.S.M.P. and I believe in the mission. Our industry has been hit hard from every direction. With the combination of the most difficult economy that the United States has experience since the great depression and a rapidly changing industry that is evolving faster than one person can keep up with, many are panicking and feel backed into an inescapable corner. But this is not the time to stand alone. We can help ourselves by helping each other. I admire every single one of you and know that if we pull our wisdom, talent, and resources together that we can find ways to grow and change in this new business environment. This is our “American Society of Media Photographers” and we will get out of it what we put into it.

Christopher Winton-Stahle ASMPCV President