This will come as no surprise to anyone. In fact, the only surprise is that I didn’t kick off this series of Friday posts with Doug. He is an absolute inspiration to me. So much so that I’m starting to feel bad that I didn’t give him the opening slot. What was I thinking?

Anyway, Doug is a beacon to me for several reasons.

Firstly, his photography is wonderful. I mean won-der-ful. Click on the photograph below and you’ll be taken to a page that has a truly magical slide show. I’ve watched it so many times I feel like I’m on first name terms with the people in it. On one occasion, my five-year-old daughter watched it with me. She wanted to see it again straightaway. And then once more. We must have watched it half-a-dozen times back-to-back.

Click on the photograph above to see the slide show (takes you to a new website). (c) Doug Menuez

In addition to being a terrific photographer, Doug is an inspiration in other ways. He wrote one of the most influential articles I will ever read. If you have any interest in growth as a professional photographer you must read On Chaos, Fear, Survival and Luck. It is, I think, the most significant article on how to survive the business written to date. Certainly, it has had a profound impact on me and my career.

Lastly, Doug inspires because he is a pioneer. He has brought documentary photography into the commercial advertising arena – something Irish advertising agencies have told me cannot be done. Doug has established a picture library that markets documentary work for precisely that purpose.

I am an ambitious person. One of my ambitions is to one day share a beer with Doug (or a glass of tequila). I’d say he’d be very, very good company.