Press Department, “Bell Telephone Operators, Worlds Fair”, 1939

#somereallygoodones, #pressdept, #worldsfair, #howtogetwhatyouwant, #advice, #yourpicture, #fotofest

The greatest pleasure of teaching is getting a student to think for themselves and to problem solve.

Any sort of expertise I bring to the field comes from an endless and joyous desire to learn for myself about photography. I am blessed with some heavy duty instincts, but these are now informed by knowledge and experience.

Intending to spread the gospel about the delight of photography, I do this often with photographers finding their way.

Thirty years ago I started organized a range of symposia usually titled “Your Picture … in the The New York Times Magazine” (how to get published), “… on the wall” (how to get a gallery), “… Wins” (how to enter competitions), etc. It was a good hook. I got to be funny in front of an audience, I got to invite experts who actually did know what they were talking about. The idea came from “How to Audition”, classes that proliferate in show business. I repurposed it. The audience was ravenous for information, and it got some. I met a lot of people and learned a lot too about how to behave. Most of the freight delivered in these sessions struck me a rhetorical — what any thoughtful professional would know or be able to figure out — but people like lists.

Over time, I made one too.

1. Be talented. It’s possible that an artist might be so incredibly talented that they won’t need any advice. They’re simply on fire and someone notices it and the rest is history. This does NOT happen. There is NO luck. There is only hard work.

2. Be smart. Again, an artist may behave with such direction and clarity that they don’t need much advice. They can figure out how the world works and then take advantage of their insight.

3. Be focused. This piece of advice is very difficult to manage. This is the work part of having a career. But this will get you through an edit or get you to the heart of a project.

4. Be clear. When you are focused and want to share your discovery with the rest of the world, be articulate. Communicate that. Passion will help, also some thinking and rehearsal.

5. Be ready. If you have confusion about your work, you’re not ready. When it is edited and presentable and you’re clear about what you want to communicate, then you’re ready. If you’re anxious because the work is not fully resolved, you’re not ready.

6. Be full. Show yourself in a life that is full of joy and tenderness and anguish and doubt and bring all of it to your work and to your days. It will show up in the work.

7. Be active. Work. Work at all of it. Work at thinking about the work, work at making the work, and work at sharing the work. Be in the world not off on some other planet. Enjoy.

8. Be receptive. Listen. Don’t be defensive. Be smart and be clear and be focused so you can HEAR. Overwhelmingly the world is on your side. We want you to make and offer up amazing photographs or whatever so our lives our richer. Also if I advocate for you and you’re a genius, it makes me look like one too.

9. Be merciless with yourself. Edit, edit, edit. Work, work, work.

10. Be patient. Please. Photographers seem to have very long lives. Bear that in mind. It is better to do it right and amazingly. That will give you an even longer life.

My Top ten list has appeared over the many years in a range of venues and contexts. I show it then riff on it. It starts the conversation.

The business of photography takes more time than anyone wants to admit or commit too. That’s a shame because because there is nothing more beguiling or seductive than a well considered, thoughtful presentation of great photographs. If you spend enough time and energy on the business of your craft and talent, you might find a real audience.

Press Department, “Bell Telephone Operators, Worlds Fair”, 1939

This 1939 Worlds Fair line up of Bell Telephone workers is a visualization of a list although my list only goes to ten. Photographs like this are like messages in bottle form another time and era. The who, what where are not nearly as important as the straight forward oddness of the image.

I post a screen with “Look”, “Think”, and “Imagine” on it. This is how I encounter a photograph. Part of looking is feeling. Does the photo thrill you, scare you, calm you. Pay attention to your visceral reactions. That is truly seeing. What does the image make you think of. Listen to yourself. It is YOU who is looking, not some critic. It is important to recognize how you feel. What does that do your imagination?

Lately the hardest thing for me to do as some who had been looking at photographs seriously for a long time, is to put my knowledge and experience aside and simply to see, to be present, to show up. The next step will be to be able to speak, to be articulate about that experience, but first things first. I think a lot of photographers avoid really confronting their own work and reacting honestly.

An important experience for me — it was actually an epiphany — was watching Eugenia Parry, a longtime writer and teacher about photography, give a walk-through at an exhibition of Joel Peter Witkin’s work. As I remember and reconstruct the event, she stood in from of them and described them quite fully. In the course of that, it became evident how she felt about them: moved, engaged, awed, irritated, shocked, disappointed, curious, amused, delighted. What was most important was her gut reaction, not her knowledge of the history of art and photography and other people’s opinions. What was most important was what she could see in front of her and talk about.

It thrilled me to be shown that the most important part of seeing was me looking, thinking and imaging.

Your imagination will demand of you how to share your work to the world. Listen to yourself.

Simple and practical yet complicated and difficult. Commit.

Ready. Receive. Respond.

Similarly an artist presenting their work in a portfolio review or even studio visit should think through the process. Artists are most nervous when they’re not prepared. If the work is ready and fully realized then the artist sought to be proud to be sharing and presenting.

If you’re ready, then you should put your energy into observing — hearing — the response.

This is difficult, and you’ll feel challenged, even attacked. Breathe. There might be some ideas forth coming that are positive and helpful. Questions shouldn’t be defensive but rather part of a search for direction.

Recognize that I know so much about you from the few seconds I have had by myself watching you before we meet. I can see if you’re nervous or excited. Be true to yourself and to the work. DO not try to bullshit me. I’m on your side. Treat me as an ally. I want to help you because if I think you’re amazing then I can take credit for discovering you and people will think I’m amazing. We can help each other to discover you

When you are unknown to a reviewer or a competition, your first photograph should tell the whole story for what follows. Seriously. Make me think I’m a genius for understanding your work at the upshot.

If you have entered work into a competition, look at the situation from my point of view if I’m a judge and I am looking a few hundred or thousand thumbnail images on my laptop or computer. Bear in mind that you do not have my undivided attention; I am at home in my boxer shorts, in the middle of the night, working on my laptop, looking at what seems to be an endless supply of teeny tiny thumbnail photos. I’m cranky, blind and really, really tired.

No text or, if you think you must, you mustn’t. Just the facts. Don’t piss me off by making me read too. Seriously. You may feel that the story can’t be told without captions. My advice would be not to enter the competition if the images aren’t strong and clear on their own.

Nothing marginal. Only GREAT stuff, please. I am on your side. I want YOU to be the winner because then I can go to bed.

Why enter a competition?

If you are a professional photographer, this is a one of those rare and unique opportunities for your best, recent work to be seen by judges who are professional editors and publishers and whom you want to see your work and to know about you. Be serious.

It’s your job. That’s why.

Do some homework. Who, What, Where, When, Why and How

Who? Are you qualified? Who will see it? Who are the judges? What to submit? New work, old work? What are their rules? What do you want to tell the world about yourself? What is the point of the contest? When? Be timely. Don’t be late. Why? To win. To sharpen editing skills. To get feedback possibly. To publicize yourself. To be seen. It is part of a career.

Then how do you conquer the world and market yourself. Use your head. Get into the world.

This is hard for me to deal with too but I do try. Meet your audience where they are. Today much of your audience is on social media. . A photographer ought to have a presence because that’s where people get information and share stuff. Simple. Find an audience and support.

The point is to get your audience talking, taking action and encouraging others to do the same. The goal of social media is to gain support.

Write to people, write down names and addresses, look at new platforms, read. Work, work, work. That makes for a full practice.

Your cat loves you and enjoys sitting on a shiny gelatin silver print. Your cat will be of no help.

There was a follow up to this.

The F-Stops Here - Notes for Portfolio Reviewers:

1. Be Thoughtful. Ask the photographer if he or she has sought you out specifically. If so, why? Do they want you to offer a critique or career advice? Understand that you will see a broad range of work, some of it well done and professional, some not. Deal with it accordingly. Be realistic but not unpleasant.

2. Be imaginative. Look, react, edit. Suggest reference materials (books, critical writings, monographs) and venues (not-for-profits, editorial work, stock, museum and library drop offs, appropriate galleries).

3. Be specific. Refer them to other professionals (editors, writers, dealers, collectors.) Tell them whether or not they can use your name. Politely decline to take their materials if you don’t want them.

4. Be prepared. Get plenty of sleep, go for a walk, eat, drink water, go to the bathroom. Bring business cards and a pencil. Be on time.

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