Today we’d like to introduce you to Joe Hiltabidel.
Hi Joe, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
Perhaps foolishly, I delayed going to college until I was 36 years old, with two small children at home. I attended eight years of night school, graduating from Furman University in 2015 with a Bachelor of Liberal Arts degree. It wasn’t until my 7th year of college that I discovered photography through the course “Intro to Digital Photography” with professor Bryan Hiott. I fell in love with photography and it quickly grew into a creative passion I hadn’t previously known in my life.
I focused on landscape photography and spent a significant amount of time on the Blueridge Parkway, where the rising mountains are rich in gradient colors, contrasting clouds, and sometimes dramatic weather. Living in Travelers Rest made it easier to split my time with the coastal waters, from Cedar Key, FL to Calabash, NC where my parents had retired in the mid-nineties. My wife, Shelly, used some of the photos as background images on her work computer and her colleagues were very complimentary about the images.
Until one fateful day, this new passion was merely a hobby that gave me joy. In April of 2016, I was visiting a kite festival in Spartanburg, SC. I ran into a former professor of mine, Dr. Sarah Worth, who was selling her handmade jewelry at the event, next to a photographer selling his work. Sarah had a tent, display stands, a name for her business, “Philosophers Stones” and was professionally set up offering her passion to the public. It was inspiring to say the least. I had long worked two jobs to make ends meet, including five years as a paper delivery person; night auditing at hotels; computer repair; Chuck E Cheese kitchen help. In my mind, a college professor didn’t need to work two jobs so why in the world would Sarah be selling jewelry at a kite fair?
That day is when I truly discovered the value of passion. Sarah didn’t have to work two jobs and wasn’t. Sarah was fulfilling a passion she’s had since she was a college student herself, making jewelry by hand and selling it. With the encouragement and support of Shelly, I applied for an art festival local to me, “Art on the Trail” and was accepted. In October of 2016, just six months after I saw Sarah, I was at Trailblazer Park in Travelers Rest, set up with my own tent, display walls, and business name, “Joe Hiltabidel Photography”.
I was incredibly anxious and kept telling myself, “Be grateful if you sell just one thing today.” Our booth was full of people throughout the day and we made about $600. I felt accepted, confident, and nearly addicted to life as a festival artist. Since that first event, we have participated in more than 100 others from Blowing Rock, NC to Hilton Head, SC, and recently applied to our first Florida show.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
I faced two big challenges in getting started: finances and courage.
To get started we invested about $5,000 for a tent, inventory, printer, application, and booth fees, display walls, photography gear, etc.
If money isn’t an issue, you still need the courage to put yourself out there. Each time we apply for a show, we take a chance that we won’t be accepted; that weather and attendance will be good and the show is going to be well promoted. I was afraid my photography wouldn’t be accepted by the public or other artists and it took a lot of encouragement from my wife to put myself out there and face potential rejection.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
As a professional photographer, I focus on long exposure minimalism, which I present at local and regional juried art festivals. The pandemic has given me a special appreciation for the times we spend alone, in quiet, and I aim to capture that feeling using dead space compositions, muted colors, or even black and white imagery.
This niche style of photography sets me apart from other photographers who I find myself competing with at art shows and has allowed me to be accepted into some art shows that I would otherwise be rejected from if shooting standard landscape photography. My persistence and ability to adapt my photography style are perhaps what I am most proud of.
What matters most to you? Why?
There are drifters, dreamers, and doers. I’ve been each of these things but find myself living life as a doer now and modeling that for my children is what matters most to me. Annie Dillard said, “How we spend our days is, of course, how we spend our lives.” I am no longer adrift or merely dreaming. I have a purpose and I’m finding ways to fulfill it.
Pricing:
- My prices start at $25
Contact Info:
- Email: jhiltabidel@gmail.com
- Website: www.hiltabidel.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/joehiltabidel
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/joehiltabidel
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/joehiltabidel
Image Credits
Joe Hiltabidel Photography
