Tuesday, July 12, 2011

Not As Professional, But That's OK!

Took most of the photos down to the gallery and set them up. I have to go down and touch things up and add the color work but things are near set up now. My write ups, business cards and CV etc are not as professional as Larry and Jonathan's but in a way that can be a good thing. My photo series background stories have a more personal touch, stories about the people and the making of the photographs (see earlier blog entry). I am not really that polished as a person, I feel more comfortable in an isolated area getting to know strangers than in a group at a show doing art speak. I guess thats just the way I am, never felt quite right in the arty farty art world places and events. Hopefully this gallery presentation is not shabby looking and is professional enough to tell the story of my subjects. I want to keep that human connection, the background information about the people photographed and the feel of intimacy in my work.

I think that Larry is a better photographer than I am, and Jonathan's work is beautiful and extremely creative. My strongest work is a result of knowing my subject, and working with them several times (as in the sex worker photographs). I think my style is closer and more intimate, I do not tell stories with my photographs like Larry is so great at, I am not artistically creative like Jonathan, but I might have an intimacy with my subject that works sometimes. I think in the future I have to do more of that, keep photographing and photographing the same people over and over to get to that deeper level (something Jock Sturges told me to do).