Photojournalist finds family, niche business in oilpatch

“I tell folks that this is a job that identified me,” he said. “I thought of the name, I guess, and jumped on securing the title but even at the time I did that, I was not all set to entirely jump into enterprise on my own. It took a whole lot of effort to get the place I can do it entire-time.”

His spouse Karina Durbin has aided him make that bounce and has been his most important supporter along the way.

“She does a great deal of the loved ones work and Airbnb do the job so I can go out and be ‘The Oilfield Photographer,’” Durbin explained. “She keeps us fed and receives the children to college and exactly where they need to have to be whilst also accomplishing a few different component-time jobs.”

The Midland Entrepreneurial Problem also aided him start the business enterprise.

“The obstacle is like going back to college,” he said. “There are all these assignments but they are helping you make a business program. I would not be here as ‘The Oilfield Photographer,’ working and growing the company without the need of going by means of that method.”

Durbin graduated from the journalism application at Southern Illinois College. When he very first moved to Midland in 2012, he moved in his car or truck bringing some cameras and clothing. He could not come across a location to keep in Midland, so he was commuting from Garden Town prior to he was in a position to sublease a area in a home. 

“I think that circumstance was quite popular for the duration of that time,” he said. “There weren’t as lots of apartment buildings again then so folks had been remaining where ever they could.”

Just before starting up his personal company, Durbin was a finalist for the Texas Push Association’s prestigious Star Photojournalist of the Year Award. He also has labored overseas in Africa and Haiti as a contractor.

Continue to, the oil and gas market was able to seize Durbin’s curiosity. 

“I was absolutely fascinated by the oil and fuel infrastructure around,” he mentioned. “I felt like an outsider to it but I was curious about it. The community I worked in felt a large amount like my compact group in St. Louis. Midland felt incredibly common to me. I feel some men and women appear in this article and they’re on the lookout to get out, and I in no way felt that way. At the exact same time, I did not hope to be right here as extensive as I have.”

Durbin reported he arrived to Midland considering he would function at the newspaper right up until he found an additional photojournalism chance wherever it would get him. Having said that, he discovered additional than just a task and enterprise in Midland. He found his long term spouse and son. 

He initial achieved his spouse Karina via his social channels at events. They begun getting a romantic fascination in each individual other at a Schlumberger Xmas occasion at the Horseshoe Arena. Coincidentally, neither of them worked for Schlumberger but had mates who invited them to the party. Durbin added he is grateful he fulfilled Karina right before dating apps grew to become the predominant way to satisfy persons.

Karina, 33, was born and elevated in Midland. Her family members has usually worked in the oil and gas sector. 

“I guess we met the previous-fashioned way at a bash,” he mentioned. “That was the way items have been accomplished or I guess you could have satisfied somebody at church.”

Karina and James experienced their marriage ceremony in 2017. He stated they took things slowly. He explained they experienced a wonderful time dating in Midland, between music concerts and festivals like Crude Fest to other events heading on, they acquired to expertise all this “oilfield society.” 

“Karina had a son, Isaiah, who was 3 decades old when I initially satisfied them,” Durbin stated. “Once we decided to be really serious it was constantly on my mind remaining ready to adopt him. I required both of them in my life.”

The few required to get married in order for Durbin to undertake Isaiah, so they finished up likely to the courthouse to get married prior to their wedding day. Having said that, they attempted to preserve their marriage in 2016 a secret due to the fact they continue to desired to have a wedding ceremony. 

“A funny story about my bosses at the newspaper identified out I was truly married in advance of our marriage ceremony was that one time I desired to acquire a unwell day since Isaiah had broken his arm rollerblading,” he said. “We needed to just take him to Lubbock for his last cast. I approached my bosses to notify them I essential a ill working day for Isaiah but they claimed technically I couldn’t acquire a sick day considering that Isaiah was not my speedy relatives at the time, so I finished up telling them really I received married and adopted Isaiah prior to the wedding ceremony. In the stop, I obtained to use the ill day.”

The Durbins welcomed their daughter Mila Grace to the family in 2019. Regardless of their growing family members, the duo has continued their difficult operate ethic. 

“We each occur from people who had companies of their very own and we brought that hard work ethic into our personal companies,” Karina claimed. “I’ve always just worked so challenging. Ever considering the fact that we bought married, it is been one particular factor right after the other. We have not really slowed down.”

Karina included that it has not normally been straightforward. The couple has worked reverse schedules, which designed it tricky to see every other but in this new season of life, factors have gotten a minimal less complicated.

“It’s less difficult to sacrifice that time for him to go get the job done being aware of that we’re growing something collectively,” she stated. “We have the very same morals and strategies typically. We are distinctive individuals nevertheless he is pretty speedy to act although I say we require to get points far more bit by bit.”

Karina additional that it truly is been incredible how Midlanders have embraced her and her family. She reported James knows a great deal of men and women in the local community and they have all embraced her as she served him obtain his dreams.

Midland has continued to improve around the a long time, Durbin claimed. 

“Back then there weren’t as numerous firms, dining establishments or apartment properties,” he said. “We would go out to like Rockin’ Rodeo and people would be investing revenue like outrageous. As somebody who wasn’t straight related to the oilfield, I would be like what is going on listed here.”

He remembers the initially time he went out to a drilling rig to photograph for the newspaper and he had no clue what he was wanting at.

“It was like this entire environment of new stuff,” he mentioned. “I felt this frequent desire but not more than enough to go work in oil and fuel but coming from an area the place all I knew about fuel was that I would set it in my car or truck at the pump but wouldn’t assume about it once again right until I had to fill up.”

2019 was the 12 months he phased out of the newspaper and started off working for himself complete-time. The business enterprise focuses on the commercial picture and online video, event coverage, headshots, rental surveillance and timelapse, stock and asset management. Examine out extra about The Oilfield Photographer at https://theoilfieldphotographer.com/. On leading of the oilfield images, Durbin also has a sports pictures business and a studio specializing in graduate images and headshots.

“The finest shots occur from the most effective access,” he claimed. “If you don’t have superior entry then you are not likely to get a good photograph. That is wherever journalism genuinely helped me to become the photographer and businessman that I am for the reason that it is normally to me about earning have confidence in regardless of whether it is from the reader and subject matter or the client now.”

Emily Lester, advertising and brand name supervisor at ProPetro Solutions, can attest to Durbin’s means with a camera. She explained ProPetro Companies has been selecting Durbin for a few of years to photograph and do video clip perform. 

“We have been seeking for an knowledgeable photographer precise to the oil and gasoline field,” Lester stated. “It is difficult to uncover an individual with the ideal certifications to go on a effectively website and do artistic do the job.”

Lester additional that he has a documentary type that will take the oil and gasoline field to the upcoming amount getting capable to make genuine-lifetime illustrations or photos of the oilfield gorgeous.

“It’s a amount of experience that he has crafted for himself more than time,” Lester stated. “He is effective with so quite a few various businesses in the oil and gas business. He is common more than enough with the market to guard every of his consumers.”

“Once you’re a customer of James he is constantly seeking out for your business enterprise,” she explained. “He is exceptionally chaotic yet he normally helps make time for whichever client is in front of him.”

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Editor’s note: James Durbin is a previous worker of the Midland Reporter-Telegram. His business The Oilfield Photographer, Inc. proceeds to submit photographs and obtain compensation from the newspaper.