So, are you also one of those who are waiting for me finally writing about
my portfolio reviews? I guess yes, because I have got about dozen e-mails
in last two days asking how was it :-)
I am not going to write about individual talks and comparing person to
person. I will write about what I have got there in whole. One need to know
that set of people I choose was mainly oriented to newspaper and reportage
and less on documentary. I was talking to representatives of dutch edition
of National Geographic, two dutch daily newspapers, biggest dutch photo
agency and owner of popular photo website covering most of the photo
activities in the Netherlands.
When I went there I actually wasn't sure what to expect, I wasn't
completely sure what I want as well. I was hoping than reviewers will tell
me something (what, I had no idea) which will show me where to go and what
to do. And this was probably the problem.
I like photographing as I do now but for very long time I have feeling
that it doesn't lead anywhere. That I need to make more with my photographs
than only catch interesting situations or nice light. I wasn't and still I
am not fully sure what it was what I am missing. Why that kind of
uncertainty and lack of satisfaction? Something is missing!
All persons I spoke to had no negative comments to my photographs all of
them where in one that technical quality and quality of composition is good
or even very good. NG editor has comment about need of more distance to
subject and color if I would ever consider publishing there. All other
reviewers were equal in comment that I need to have more concrete subject,
story in my work.
I was presenting 12 (at the end) prints from my series about childhood
comment was following:
it is good for book or for long term work but to wide and too general for
newspaper work. For that we need a story about concrete people or subject
which is tide to reality and best to the current news of interest"
And than was it when I realize that this is what I am missing I am missing
interests on current hit news I am not reporter I am not the one who is
going to war zone and take pictures of ruined people and places. But on
other hand I also realize that I really like to create stories about
something more common and not so visible, about situations which are not in
daily news but are part of live of many people. But question is why I am
not doing it?
I than realized that photography is not only about photo technique and
ability to catch the light. It is also about a message which photographs
will bring to other people. And that is why when one see picture, one can
easily said which picture is good and which one is not. Both are perfect
technically and esthetically but one tell you something while the other is
forgotten in few seconds.
For me is now only one question? what stopping me from making me those
kind of picture, pictue which show small stories.
