LenKowitz.com: It was time well spent

Friday, January 26, 2007

It was time well spent

Last night at the urging of my friend Kevin, I signed up for and particpated in a "portfolio review" at the Houston Center for Photography. The session was lead by Wendy Watriss of PhotoFest fame. I now know one of the reasons PhotoFest has been a success, it's Wendy. She is a wonderful, warm and charming woman. I had never spent any time with her and only knew her by reputation, it is well deserved.
On the other hand it was a "portfolio review" and I must admit it lived up to my expectations.
Of the 8 "photographers who participated, 4 of us had relatively well developed portfolios and 4 where still trying to figure out what photography is all about.
I've said it before and I'm probably say it again, I think I've been to my last group review.
Wendy was the only reason that the evening was bearable.

I had an interesting experience the other day when I decided to go to the MFAH library and look up the book "The New York School 1936-1963" by Jane Livingston.
I think I'm actually in the wrong generation with my work. I should have been born in 1934 or 1924 instead of 1944. I find myself so attracted to the work in that book I can hardly believe it.
It truly is wonderful stuff made by a group of people who weren't trying to be artists, or famous for that matter, but simply tyring to made interesting pictures with a small camera. I think there is much fertile ground to plow in studying that work and much to learn from the experience.

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It occurs to me...

I've been thinking about the business of making photographs and I'm going to use this forum as a place to share some of those thoughts.
I'll also post new pictures as they get to the "finished" state and provide information on how you can go about having your very own copy. Taking a cue from Duane Keiser, http://www.duanekeiser.com/ , I think marketing my own work is the best way for me to go, at least for the time being

As I think about becoming a "photographer", I've spent some time with people who have made that choice long ago and are now working very hard at it.The work they have produced is in many cases, excellent. What I have noticed is that the profession has a very low return on the time invested. It's far cry from my previous career where the return on my time was actually very high.
Great credit is due those individuals who choose to become photographers and then actually make a "living" by making pictures.

One night last week I took two "portfolios" to the Houston Center for Photogrphy to have them "reviewed". It was an interesting experience.
I was told that the landscape work had no relationship to the short set-up comments I made and that I should keep working on the blk&wht, "Ode to O'Keffee" portfolio.
It was pointed out to me that "landsape" work is highly competitive. Interesting observation, how did I fail to see that?
It occurs to me that showing my work to strangers is a productive activity, at least for me. Unfortunately, I probably gain more from the experience than those who see the pictures for the first time. Maybe it's a fault of the work, not strong enough or unusual enough? Maybe it's the "reviewers" problem?
In any case, it's all just opinion and not fact. I will continue to seek out the opinion of anyone who is willing to look at the pictures, I will also continue to make pictures that I like.