Now this is completely different from what I normally write but I wanted to tell you about my grandson. He taught himself how to do this and is now regarded very highly. He is following his passion and he is having a great deal of success.

At the age of 12, he decided he would approach people to sponsor him as a surf photographer – bold move for 12 but that is the same age that Steve Jobs contacted Dave Packard. He is sponsored by a body board company. His mother bought him his first camera and within his first month, he was having his pictures published in surfing magazines.

http://blog.bodyboarders.com.au/2010/06/28/photographer-profile-jye-mcdonald/

This is him at age 13 after he had been doing surf photography for a year. The link to Flickr does not work because he removed his photos from there because, all though they were supposed to be under copyright, people were using them.

In August this year, his sponsor company took him to Western Australia to shoot in Esperance and the Margaret River.

http://jyemcdonaldphotos.blogspot.com/

He has certainly changed to a surfer boy now. If you click in the middle of the photos it will take it to full screen.

Last month, he had 4 photos published in a French surfing magazine and was paid for this. Each photo could sell at the moment for up to $200. When his photos are published, he is always paid and he is getting more and more published. He is on school holidays now but plans to go back to school next year.

We missed seeing him for Christmas day because he was contacted by a surfing magazine to do an all day shoot on the Gold Coast. The reason is, we are experiencing waves of 20 feet and more and they wanted some great shots. Some of the beaches have been closed. He is still only paid for the photos that they buy from him.

Jye now  has his name embedded in the photos to stop people from using them. So what started as a desire has become a great passion for him. Instead of having to work at KFC or McDonalds to earn some money, he goes surfing and takes his camera.

Well done Jye!

To YOUR success

Sue McDonald

I just wanted to let you hear the music of Chooka Parker. This young guy went on a talent quest in Australia and every time he sat at the piano he played an original work that he composed as he went – raw pure talent. He is 17, lives on the family farm and playing music is his passion.

Just proof once again that if you have a passion you should embrace it. It is the easiest way to success.

I just wanted to share this with you because I think it is beautiful, both the music and the videograhpy.