David Pluth

A good friend, David Pluth, passed away recently. I mention him here because he was a great photographer, and he supported my photography when I was just starting out. When I first contacted him, I had very little in the way of connections or skills.  I was struggling a great deal because I had no idea how to start, and my dreams were so big that they seemed impossible. He engaged my mind, and although his advice and criticism was sobering, he took me seriously, which gave me the confidence I needed to accept the process of becoming an artist and photographer. He took time to look at my images, critique, and give me counsel. I will always be in his debt, and now I’ll never be able to repay him. He died like we would all want, in Africa, out in the field, doing what he loved best. I’d like to share a few things that he wrote me, which, although concerns photography, is applicable to most things worth going after in life.

"Someone has to stand behind you, your parents, lover, spouse, highschool teacher.  But someone has to be there to listen to those dark moments.  It may interest you to know that the first time I tried photography, I failed.  I was a cameraman for a documentary company, then went out on my own to do stills, failed, and had to go find a real job.  That period lasted a long, long time and eventually I was the Managing Director of trade and finance company here in Switzerland.  Then, one day, I was walking down the street in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, and walked into a Hasselblad shop and started over again.   I could only do it because my wife supported the idea.  And this time it worked."