It was a cool December day when I found myself feeling somewhat melancholy and unmotivated. So, I decided to do something about it and I grabbed my camera to see if doing something creative would elevate my mood.

It was right in the middle of the 2009 economic crash and there was no business on the books, so I was feeling pretty apprehensive about the future, like most of us through that time. Having your own business is hard, thank God I have my wife and partner to share the burden.

These are the times where self doubt creeps in and clouds your day...week..month, or even longer for some. So, I was trying to shift my mindset and it simply wasn't working, I was just wandering aimlessly down Naples Pier not feeling any inspiration or inclination to shoot. Then I had a chance meeting with a fellow photographer, Tom Harper, who chatted with me for a while. His kind words of support and encouragement set me off on a fresh start to my creative quest that day.

This picture is the result of that conversation, which I'm sure meant nothing to Tom, I doubt he would even remember the encounter...which is the whole point. We never know the effect our words have on each other, so we should choose them wisely, they have the ability to make or break people. Tom's words lifted me out of my depression and reminded me I have something that is uniquely mine that I lovingly share with the world...and that is how I see things.