Introducing Our New Community Manager
G’day Everyone!
My name is DJ Paine and I am YOUR new PhotoMerchant Community Manager!
Let me introduce myself with my 5 cent bio: Born in Brisbane back in the 70’s, raised on the Gold Coast; i picked up my first 35mm cameras in high school and proceeded to live in the school’s darkroom! I went onto to work in Design & Illustration but got detoured into the world of professional photography back in 1995. I spent a decade in Victoria {Melbourne & Geelong} where i was able to work with some amazing photographers before opening up my own studio in 1998. While in Victoria i also met and married the wonderful Benita {2001} & we had our first son Drummond {2003}. In 2005 we packed up and moved “home” to the Gold Coast where we opened our newest venture: Studio Promise – a family & child portrait studio. We’ve also managed to have two more boys: Galvin {2006} & Judah {2008}. In the 17 years since i went “professional” {full time} i have been thrilled to go from working in classic medium format film to the shoot from the hip 35mm & then to new scary world of digital….
I was also able to work in the music industry back in the 90’s {when there was a music industry!}, i spent a substantial amount of time contracting for one of the largest School Photography companies in Australia, i have photographed countless weddings all over Australia, i have even done my fair share of model, fashion and commercial work and even taught a few classes on photography. But my first love is still working with families and kids.
Along with all of that has been a passion for networking or connecting with other photographers, both online and in person. I have always been an early adopter of what is now called “social networking” and for me the line between the online & real life has been pretty much wiped away.
I’ve been a massive fan and more importantly a massive user of PhotoMerchant since the very beginning, and i am thrilled to be given this opportunity to grow the fantastic PhotoMerchant community. As a real life working Photographer with a fair dinkum studio and some experience under my belt, i am looking forward to bringing a new perspective to the mix! I need YOU to know that i’m here for YOU. If you have any ideas or questions about the community of PhotoMerchant or how we can grow it; speak up! The PhotoMerchant Crew have some pretty awesome ideas and lot’s of good fun stuff to bring to you over the next few years; i can honestly tell you we are just getting started! But this is all for nothing unless YOU are a part of it and feel connected in the community… So hang on!
Say hello on: Twitter, Facebook, Google+ or really any other social network!
The Paines Feb 2012: Judah {3}, Benita, Drummond {8}, Galvin {5} & DJ
