LET THE PHOTOS SPEAK

For those who don't know me personally, or through my photography on Facebook, my name is Ryan Seek. I am fifty years old, and currently live on old family property far out in the desert south of Phoenix, Arizona; a near perfect place to live if you happen to have a passion and a knack for landscape photography, as I've had for the past few years. But would I have ever found that passion if I hadn't ended up out here in a remote desert community out of necessity? I often ponder that question and in some ways I believe it is true.

That is where my story begins, how a chain of events some might call chance, others might call fate, came together to bring me before you here today, telling my story. I shall try to be brief, although when it comes to writing, brevity is not my strong suit as you'll soon see.

MY STORY:

It was due to sudden health issues I developed a decade and a half ago, and the resulting loss of income that landed me way out here in the desert where civilization ends and raw nature begins. Being family property, I was able to avoid the dreaded rent payment each month, which was (and still is) vital to my survival.

I worked most all of my adult life as a graphic artist, art director, website designer, and writer to name a few. I made a decent living then, but the creative fields won't make you rich unless you're one of the lucky few. But all those years in the workplace did allow me get full government benefits for my disability when I most needed it. Sadly, full benefits doesn't really amount to much more than enough to pay the bills and cover the basic living expenses like gas, food, and clothes each month. Although luxuries have been scarce since my diagnosis, am at least thankful for what I do get in Disability Insurance as that along with living on the family property has kept me from moving into a cardboard box under a bridge somewhere.

I don't normally talk about my disability in public. In fact, few people who don't know me personally are even aware I have health issues. But my story can't really be told without some details, so I'm going to open the bag here and let the cat run amok.

I have a rare form of arthritis similar to rheumatoid that severely limits my mobility and basically makes it impossible to work and excel at a normal, full-time job. I have good days and I have bad days and I've learned to manage them through moderation in any given activity. I can only type for so long or my fingers start to swell. I can only stand or walk for short periods or my feet, ankles and knees will ache and throb. I do everything in short spurts, with a lot of rest in between. That's how it has to be.

I wasn't a happy camper the first few years after moving out here. Looking back, I think the fact I didn't really have a choice in the matter made it seem like jail... like punishment. I've always been a bit of a loner, but living way out here alone, 20 miles from the nearest town, became a solitary confinement thing for me and in hindsight, mostly self-imposed. As if life hadn't punished me enough, I was punishing myself with my own pity party that no one else was invited to. I probably drank too much, cried too much, thought about death too much... those were dark days indeed.

Then one day out of the blue, I was pulled from the muck in which I was stuck: by an ATV of all things. It was basically a gift given to me by one of the old snowbird fellows that wintered out here (who would later become my riding buddy and one of my best friends, God rest his soul) and from my mother (God rest her soul too) who paid less than it was worth at the time.

That four-wheeler changed everything. After years of feeling confined within the four walls of my mobile home, that little machine allowed me a new form of mobility, and freedom. Freedom to explore the world outside and I soon discovered thousands of acres of untouched desert just off my doorstep.

I was a bit tentative at first, but each time I would venture out a little further, exploring the nooks and crannies of every wash and any canyon it would fit in. I was simply amazed at how much different it was up close than what I had imagined seeing it through a car window from the highway. I fell in love with the desert then. But that appreciation was only a schoolboy crush compared to what the world of photography would later provide.

To put it simply; learning and practicing photography gave me a new lease on life. It may very well have saved my life. It has done wonders for my health, both physically and mentally. Photography has given me the motivation to walk more, even climb small mountains on good days. I still need the four wheeler to get out to there, but once I'm there I can move about the desert terrain far better and longer than I used to move about my home. After nearly 10 years of taking cholesterol medicine that did absolutely nothing to help, my doctor called a year or so ago and said I'm back to normal levels and keep eating what I'm eating. I didn't change my diet so it's the exercise that must be responsible.
Mentally, photography has returned joy to my life, and given me a purpose. Something I can do within my physical limitations if I'm careful. It's opened up parts of my heart and mind that I never knew existed. I get tuned in to nature when I'm photographing, and I'm often told that comes through in my pictures. And why wouldn't it? This is my art, from my heart.

But my art, and my heart, is now in jeapordy. Photography as a hobby isn't cheap, and only a select few ever manage to make a living out of it. For me, I sell a few prints here and there, but it doesn't amount to much really, and as I said, photography doesn't come free. The cameras and accessories like lenses, protective cases, flash units, tripods, etc are all very expensive. Then there is vehicle maintenance and gasoline to travel and photograph because there is so much beauty beyond the immediate area in which I live. And then there is personal time sacrificed for my art. In leiu of love or a girlfriend, or a beloved pet, or even hanging out with good friends, I am constantly chasing the next wonder of nature, be it a sunset, a moonrise, a thunderstorm, or even an eclipse.

I've been told before by some of my peers (a couple of them pro photographers), that one of the reasons I don't make much money off my art might be because I give all my work away for free on the Internet. I don't necessarily agree with that, and even if I did I wouldn't change a thing because bringing joy to others holds more value to me than money does (if only the world felt that way). And, it is because I give my work away for free on Facebook that I have built up a respectable fanbase who are nearly as passionate about my work as I am. It is that very fanbase that saved me just a few short months ago and helped fund a new camera when my old one wore out.

I had set this fundraising campaign aside for the past couple months as I had been gifted enough to get by, the bare bones to keep doing what I do. But after a recent accident resulted in irrepairable damage to my camera, I am in desperate need once again. Fortunately, through one of my dedicated fans, I was saved from a complete shut down of my work with the temporary loan of a camera. It will allow me to at least finish off these last few weeks of monsoon season. But I have to be gentle on a loan camera, so I will use it sparingly, only when there is something truly amazing to photograph. Also any traveling to other locations to shoot will remain on hold until I can replace my camera and function normally again with my own equipment.

My loyal fans came to my rescue once before, and I believe they will do so again... because they believe in me. So, I must revive this fundraising campaign once again, and reach out to you good people, for a little help in getting back up and running with my art... and return a little joy to my heart.

Ryan Seek

"Without the financial means to possess essential tools of the trade,
an artist who speaks through photographs is effectively stifled;
unable to express himself beyond the basic vocabulary allowed
by the few tools he does have at his disposal." -- Ryan Seek