Meet Eric Carne | Sales and aspiring Photographer and small business owner

We had the good fortune of connecting with Eric Carne and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Eric, why did you decide to pursue a creative path?
I lost a son to suicide in February of 2018. Having four other boys to push forward for, I have tried several things to help cope with the grief and nothing helped as much as the outdoors. One thing that is just become normal for me is lack of sleep, or waking up far too early, the benefit to that is I got to enjoy the sunrise. It became a simple reminder that I made it another day. So one day I jumped on marketplace, found someone selling an old camera that they no longer used and my journey began. I try to get out one or two mornings a week, even if I don’t capture a bunch of images at least just to talk with my son while I am out there.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
My grown up job is selling Subarus for a local dealer here in Denver. I have been there for 7 years and still enjoy it. One of the things I really like about it is I work with my father who has been with Subaru since 1974. I lived out of state for several years so it’s an opportunity I don’t take for granted. It is demanding work and takes quite a bit of time as typically I am near the top of the leaderboard in the region for units sold each year. But having done it for so long, it runs itself in a way which allows me a couple days a week where I can spend some time out taking photos or working on items to get my business up and running. I think at this point in my professional career I have learned to step back and breath. At the end of the day, the POT as I call it will always be full, Projects, Obstacles, and Troubles will always be there, but your mental well being, your inner strength is far more important to be happy and successful than the number of cars I sell or capturing that elite photo, it is just about stepping back and looking around and taking an extra breath.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
For me, when people visit I have to run through the mountains. There are so many amazing views and little historical places and the western slope and mountains have some of the nicest people in the state. I think we start with a run through Rocky Mountain National Park, a few hikes and some wildlife viewing. Then a nice trek up to Steamboat Springs and enjoy a dinner at Aurum. Then travel to the vineyards in Palisade for some wine tasting. Then stops in Telluride, Ouray to wander the main streets and then the Great Sand Dunes National Park before heading back to Vail and home to Denver.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I have to say my wife Jessica deserves major recognition. She has been a champion for me through everything. Letting me take my time as I process through so many emotions while pushing me to explore my creative side and letting my feelings out. She has pushed me to start this venture and deserves 100% of the credit. I don’t know that I can put into words how much she means to me and the support she has given.

Website: www.carnephotography.com

Facebook: carne photography

Image Credits
All these photos were taken by me.