Happy New Year! Why have I changed my brand?
We have been through a lot this year, to be honest, it really has been a rough road for the last couple of years. However, COVID-19 has touched my life in several ways this year, but I am also very lucky that it has not wrecked my life as it has for millions across the world. My heart goes out to each and everyone that has been impacted by this pandemic. Please if you are able and have the ability to donate to a charity that is helping those impacted by the pandemic please find a way to do so.
I hope that 2021 will begin the new renaissance of our era, through this dark year we shall see the enlightened light of art flourish once again. I have seen and heard too many artists, myself included, talking about how COVID-19 has impacted their ability to perform the art that they love so much. It’s true COVID has done that and so much more. I can not even begin to tell you how out of place I feel on the streets of Richmond during this time. Hauling around my expensive gear and seeing all those around that are suffering at the moment. I feel guilty and thankful all at the same time. I know that this is something that I have to overcome to get out there and make my art, but the weight of the art versus the suffering of our fellow mankind just weighs on my heart without any mercy. Despite all this, I have started that process of going out and shooting in areas around Virginia and I hope to continue. Bring it on 2021 let’s see what you have in store for us all!
Change is in the air! After these last two years of personal tragedies losing my mother, father, and the year of COVID, I am trying to reinvent myself and my brand. It has been really hard to be motivated over the last two years to get out there and just do what I love to do which is taking images. My biggest fan is no longer with us and it is just so hard not to stop by her house after shooting a night scene in Richmond, allowing her to be the first person to see my work. My sweet dear mother was our rock, our angel, our defender, and our hero. I never met anyone quite like her in all my years, she was the kindest and the meanest person you would ever want to tangle with but if she was in your corner and your champion you would never need for any other. There was nothing she wouldn’t do for my sister and me (I really think she would have hidden a body for us while beating us at the same time). She was our guiding light our hope and once that light went out, well I can not begin to describe how hard it has been to dig myself out of that deep hole in my heart that she left behind. Some days are good and some days are bad and other days are just plain unbearable. Everyone continues to tell me that she would not want me to feel this way or to lose my love of photography and I know that all of them are right, but I had to go through what I needed to go through to see a life without her in this world. I think the one thing that her legacy has left my sister and me is that spark of light. That spark of light that allows you to see your way through the darkness of times, that spark of light that drives away all the shadows and allows you to find your way once again. For this and so many other things that she gave us I am so very thankful.
Since 2020 was such a beast of a year, I am looking forward now to 2021 and all that it may bring. I have written down many goals for 2021, most revolving around photography, which are traveling to other cities and towns in Virginia every other weekend to build a series collection of images, and I am even committing to visit at least 4 states this year and perhaps one country. I need to expand my horizons and I need to say yes to almost anything as I did before 2018. So this is a fair warning to you all, my content this year will be bountiful for 2021 and I hope you all are as excited about that as I am. See you all on the other side.
Here is the story behind why I am changing the business name from shoelessRVA photography to Thomas Allan Photography. So my real name is Barry Allan Plott Jr., obliviously this is my father’s name. My mother lost the naming battle when I was born because my father wanted his son to be named after him. My mother thought about the fact that I would be called “little Barry” or “Junior” and she thought that this may affect a kid. She was right about that fact. She wanted to compromise and name me Thomas Allan Plott. It would have been a good compromise too, dad would have had his middle name and I would have never been known as little Barry or Junior. So in memorial to my mother, I will have my photography business named after the name she chose for me 49 years ago and that will be Thomas Allan. I actually love this name! I will not officially change my name because I would never do that to my father’s legacy but my pen name will forever be Thomas Allan. So yeah that will become my business name in the coming year!
Enjoy some of my mother’s images below. She hated having her picture taken but like I said before she would do anything for her children and while she may have had a few choice words to say she never said no when I asked her to pose for me.
I love you and miss you so very much mom!
How was your 2020? Did it make you rethink anything life-shattering? What are your hopes for 2021? Share in the comment section below.
