Continuing in a new series of free webinars, I’m excited to announce “Composition Workflow: From…
This weekend is the 50th Annual Armonk Outdoor Art Show in Armonk, New York, where I’ll be exhibiting for the 3rd straight year. This is one of my favorite shows due to the incredible quality and variety of art on display.
Amazing artists come from near and far to participate, and the photography section in particular is very strong. In addition there is an incredible showing of painting, mixed media, sculpture, and other art forms. It took me several years of applying before I was accepted, so I am really grateful to have the opportunity to show my work in such great company.
What makes this show special for me however are the people who attend, which always seem interested and receptive to whatever you have on display. This doesn’t necessarily mean that you will sell, but if you can create a response or reaction, those chances go up significantly.
What I’ve learned after five years on the art festival circuit, and especially at his show is that a buyer is only interested in one thing – whether the work speaks to them or not, that makes a connection. Everything else is rather irrelevant – camera, lens, paper, location, and many times even the asking price. If someone is interested in these things, they are probably not going to make a purchase. I often fail at making a connection, but I learn and try again – in my composition, my printing, my presentation, and most important my attitude. Failure means I’m doing the work, gaining experience, and pushing my limits. In this crowded environment, there is no other way.
If you’re in the neighborhood, stop in and say hello. I’m always eager and happy to talk about the work and answer questions, even about gear!
I like what you said here about the importance of making images that people connect to and in the last post about refining your own vision and story telling. Besides these most important talents that you lead in so well, you also have a knack for showing us something different about what might have been fairly mundane. You seem to be able to make not only images of beautiful scenery, but also to render the ordinary beautiful, as in the photograph above. I imagine that a certain type of person connects to your work because of this alone.