My dad is a darn good advertising photographer, but you know what I think his key expertise is? It’s not lighting cars to show off their curves or shooting food to make it pop off the page…

… it’s making people’s eyes light up with wonder.

He’s really good at finding ways to make people’s eyes *shine*. He’s been doing it for as long as I can remember. Everything he enjoys leads back to this.

For example, helping autistic children discover the joys of photography, while at the same time helping photographers discover the joy of photographing something great.

(You can find him easily. He’s the guy taking care of the elephant, leading the crowd, moving the world… =) )

When he makes people’s eyes shine with wonder, that’s when he himself lights up. That’s when he’s most alive.

Someday, when I grow up, I want to be like him.

My experience of Toronto has always been that of a vibrant tech life, but everyone tells me that this really just started a year ago. When asked for possible causes, one name keeps coming up – that Toronto BarCamp instigator, troublemaker, catalyst: David Crow.

David Crow is special.

Living in Toronto and breathing in the tech scene is like watching a
Tipping Point example play out in real life.

What makes him special? Here's what I think might be the key:

Passion. David's an intense kind of person. Just ask him about Innovation Commons, for example, and he'll speak of it with complete conviction.

Drive. His passion is backed by the determination to make things happen. BarCamp in a warehouse? Sure!
He seems to be the kind of guy who never has to worry about getting “No” for an answer because he already has five, ten alternative plans.

Learning. He learns out loud. He's always looking for ways to improve things, and he shares his thoughts with others.

He's a true evangelist, and what an evangelist he is.

What can I do to learn from his example, and how can I step into this whirlwind?