Interval Report

It's true... some things never change. For example, my blogging behavior. I have started 3 blogs with a burst of enthusiasm and the best of intentions realizing that the success of any blog depends, more than any other factor, on a steady stream of posts. But in each instance my performance just doesn't live up to my expectations and the assurance that I have routinely given to readers that I will do better in the future. So here we go again. To those of you who have visited this blog expecting to find something new to read and perhaps find your interest in some aspect of photography stimulated, my apologies. Am I promising to do better in the future? No... I know better than to make hollow assurances and won't insult you by doing so, nor will I make any lame excuses. Suffice it to say that I find the whole thing embarrassing.


Let's move on to some news that is more felicitous and, to be perfectly candid, which allows me to preen. I submitted images to B&W+Color magazine a few months ago for their annual color special issue. Three were accepted and published in the April 2012 issue.

 Also Theresa Smerud and I submitted a proposal to the Pump House for a gallery showing for next season and we were accepted. The show will run from July 18, 2013 to August 31st. I have seen recent additions to Theresa's portfolio and, let me tell you, the work is stunning. I am extremely pleased with my own recent work but, frankly, have no idea how others will react to it. While it is nice when one's friends and fellow photographers enjoy looking at one's work, I'm glad that I don't have to sell my prints to make a living. Essentially, this allows me to strive to make images that satisfy my own creative needs without being overly concerned when others don't like them.

I am able to do some serious contemplation of lots of important things while doing long distance driving. On my recent trip, especially on the return leg from Florida, I considered my constantly shifting attitudes about criticism, especially the formalized critiques that have been de rigeur in the amateur photography scene for what seems like forever. Personally, as you know, I don't care to to be part of that process either as a subject of critique or to analyze the work of others. Let me be more precise. I love visual art, especially photographs but my opinions about images, both my own and others, is very subjective. Does the photography provoke some emotion, or appeal as an intellectual construct; does it tell a good story, or better yet create a mystery that encourages one to make up his or her own story? I put a very high value on novelty, in other words, is the image like nothing I've seen before? My own photographs don't stand up very well to scrutiny as far as the technical aspects-- for instance, almost every shot is a little soft which is likely due to my not paying proper attention to details (or seldom using a tripod) but this is unlikely to change because, frankly, I don't care all that much. The  prolific photographer and entrepreneur Trey Ratclif recently responded to some of his critics in an extremely amusing YouTube video which I present here to close this long post which I hope readers will find interesting and, furthermore, willing to offer their reactions to the opinions expressed at some future meeting.

Byron