"You know? I like your work, but you're missing something."
I gave him a questioning glance as I braced myself. Oh, not again.
"You need to do portraits. I mean anonymity is interesting, but people want to know who the model is, they want to know something about them."
Having heard this on numerous occasions, I shrugged it off. I mean, what does he know?
Four hours later I found myself still dwelling on what he had said, his words were rattling around in my head. Was he right?
Yes, there is an absence of portraits from my portfolio. Is that so wrong?
It took me until this year to answer that very question.
I finally took a page out of the artist statement of a certain Mr. Steven Klein.
http://www.stevenkleinstudio.com/www/index.html
His words sparked a certain emotion in me, like the moment in movies where the treasure chest is opened and a glowing light radiates onto the character's face. :insert enlightening "aah" sound here:
Klein stated how the purpose of his work was not to reveal the person he was photographing, but to show the relationship between the model, the props, and the concept of the work. You see, it's a sort of experiment. And sure, in that way, qualities of the model can be revealed in their roundabout sort of way...the way an actor reveals their connection to the part that they play through their subtle individual characteristics.
Portraiture is not the only way, don't let anyone convince you that it is. Do what feels right to you.
1 comments:
Everyone has an opinion.
people love to tell each other HOW IT SHOULD BE.
Sometimes they are right.
Sometimes the truth lies on the opposite end of the spectrum.
Sometimes in the middle.
EDIT.
take the info, relate it to your own work and your goals, plan, desires.
Consider whether another's advice is relevant to what you want to do.
If yes - use it - learn from it.
If it isn't in line with you - perhaps the experience of the other's opinion was just that. An experience of another.
Critical thinking is necessary to learn the difference between opinion, advice, and sound, effective information.
Sometimes, another's opinion, advice can't really be used until later.
Keep it in the memory bank - like metadata, a tag, you might need it later.
Bottom line, if you are not honest with yourself and your skills, your practice of making images and who you are - you might not know the difference between opinions and advice and sound counsel.
What do you think?
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