Does anyone really read “about” pages?

Well, I guess if you are here, you do, so here we go. I still think of myself as a small town Texas boy. Abilene, Texas, where I was born and raised, isn’t that small, but it sure felt like it was. I still live in Texas and honestly have a hard time imagining living anywhere else. I like other places, it’s just that when I imagine not being here, I start thinking about all of the things I would miss about Texas. Maybe someday.

Who am I? I can be described using many terms: husband, father, teacher, photographer, handyman, creative thinker, serial entrepreneur, dreamer. I spent most of my life trying to figure out what I wanted to be when I grew up and I’m still working on that. I have come to a few conclusions though. I am passionate about helping others and photography. This is how the “Affinity Alchemist” was born.

I took up photography in my teenage years and have been at it my whole life. Not always as a career, but always a passion. Whether I was making a living as a commercial photographer, multimedia developer, project manager, pastoral care coordinator, or high school teacher, I was always taking photographs for myself and for others.

Over the past few years, I had a revelation of sorts. Over my photography career I always tried to learn from others and hone my craft in various ways. I had the privilege of working with and learning from many excellent photographers. I tried to emulate them. I wanted to be them. I didn’t really know how to be me because I was always trying to do what I thought would be marketable. I ignored, neglected, and repressed my personal vision in a professional sense even though I would consistently find myself out shooting the things I love the way I want to shoot them without any thought of recognition or compensation. After yet another entrepreneurial adventure, much reflection, and encouragement from friends and family, I came to realize that my real gift and passion in photography is about translating what may appear to be common or ordinary to most people and turn it into a vision of great value and meaning. The second part of the realization was that when I put the right image in front of the right person, they connect with the image as well. There is a shared vision. While we come from different experiences in life, the image connects to those experiences in a meaningful way.

My mission is to continue to follow my passion with added vigor and purpose while connecting with others in a way that improves their lives and provides an outlet for their own vision. What I see in the images I create is secondary to giving a voice to others. Giving them the ability to visualize what they can only see in their heart and soul. I hope that I can give a voice to your vision as well.

Sincerely,
David Chalker
The Affinity Alchemist