It’s amazing being able to even think of writing a history on something that begun as an idea seven years ago.
At the time that I had the idea I was a contracted 
cameraman/editor based in the Middle East. Even though I had enough work to keep me of the streets I also had a lot of time at being on stand-by. This meant that I would either hang around the office until something happened or I would be at home waiting for that call.
At one of my stand-by days I was searching the net to find information on the brand new Sony BVW600. This was a camera that was so perfect that it inspired me to be a better cameraman, to be able to match that superb image it produced.
To my horror, I could find very little on it. The Net, even though vast in it’s source it can also be limited. That’s when I thought of making a website that was free from any external influences. With my old Toshiba Windows 95 computer I started working on it every waking moment I had. From the web design, to the contexts of the website I worked and worked and enjoyed it. Slowly my then girlfriend (now my wife) also in the business joined me with her creative ideas and drawings. And the website continued growing. Before we knew it we had over 1000 subscribers.
The website gave me the motivation to visit the IBC conference in Amsterdam. While there I came across Ged Yeates, a freelance cameraman based on an island off the coast of Scotland. Ged, not only knew about the website but wanted to be part of it, and soon he was contributing some great stories and ideas. Matt Kime, a young Londoner joined soon after and he brought with him the enthusiasm and energy of young blood.
My childhood friend, Simon Demetropoulos started correcting all our spelling and grammar mistakes. After all, we are visual people.
And all was going well, well, sort of. When the subscribers reached 2,500 and the visitors more than 30,000 I came to realize that this “small” website that I created was too much too handle. At the same time I gave up my contracted job and went freelancing again. And as all freelancers 
know, it’s a full time job being a freelancer. So I parked the website on the shelve. I kept in online and kept paying the server because in my heart I knew this was too good to throw away. I always wished that I would have the chance to revive it.
This chance came few months ago, when, I do not know why, but felt that the time is right. But I decided to approach it from a different angle. This time tvcameramen.com had to be not only self-sufficient but also able to pay people to work on it.
I have met many cameramen on the road. They come from different backgrounds, different religions, different believes, but we all share the true love for what we do. And this is what I want us to be united by, the love and passion.
After all this is not a job, it’s a lifestyle.
David Hands
