Tell Me What You're Working On

Since this has been a really slow time for a lot of photographers I'm wondering what people are doing to fill their time. What are you shooting? Do you have a personal project you're working on?

I’m trying to get a broader view of what people are shooting across the country that reflects our economy, their own communities, or the stimulus projects around the country. I’d like to hear from you and am asking for links so I can see your work (that's better than emailing images).

My idea is to pull together a project with strong, moving images that are both timely and universal. If this speaks to you, email me at info@stellakramer.com.

If you are outside of the US, yet are shooting similar things, I'd like to know. I haven’t decided the particulars of the project--I’m just getting started--and no matter how much work I look at, I don’t see or hear about everything.

Be sure to tell your friends as well. I'm happy to look at lots of work.

Catherine Ledner's Glamour Dogs

Catherine Ledner was born into a creative New Orleans family where "no two walls were parallel and no ceilings were flat," owing to her architect dad. Growing up in a home full of dogs, rats, rabbits, guinea pigs, fish and turtles led to her lifelong love of animals. After graduating from NYU with a degree in film, she worked in television for a year and a half. She then worked as a studio manager for a photographer in New York, which led to her eventual move to Pasadena to study photography at Art Center College of Design.

Catherine's work has appeared in numerous publications including Travel & Leisure, Dwell, New York Times Magazine, and Vanity Fair. Her first book, "Animal House" is available through Welcome Books and Amazon.com. Catherine currently lives in South Pasadena with her husband Kyle, their dogs, Dodger, Gracie and Little Bear, two cats and several rabbits.

I met Catherine in 1998 when she shot two covers for me when I was DP for a women's start-up financial magazine (EQUITY). Both shoots were tons of fun, and I loved Catherine's zest for her work, and her ability to find something wonderful no matter how sterile the environment. I visited her this last January and saw the beginnings of her newest book, "Glamour Dogs." I knew immediately that I wanted to interview her for this blog.

Tell me when and why did you start shooting animals?

I started shooting animals in the studio against wallpaper in 2001. I was shooting a fair amount of advertising at the time and finally had the funds to realize my dream. I could hire wild animals and buy any wallpaper my heart desired.

How did Animal House come about?

Basically, it came from my head. I love animals and thought it would be great to shoot them in the studio on crazy cool wallpaper. I’d never seen that done before and it looked good in my head.

Was it hard getting your book deal?

Not at all. PQ Blackwell, out of New Zealand contacted me after seeing the animal images on Getty. They were interested in pitching a book. That first book came out in 2007 and is called Animal House.


What made you decide to do Glamour Dogs?

I wanted to do a second book and needed a subject that was more accessible and less expensive. I could no longer afford fancy animals and trainers. I love dogs and thought it would be fun to shoot them in a glamorous way. It was great working with all “real” dogs. Only the afghan was an agency dog with some training. Every other dog was just a regular dog, having his or her day! The owners and I had fun. The sets were similar to Animal House because it worked with the theme and it’s what my publisher was looking for.

Can you tell us any stories about shooting particular animals?

Well dogs are the best. I can relate to them the way I relate to people. They are very intuitive and fun. One of the owners (also a vet) brought 3 of his 15 dogs. They were crazy fun jumping off the walls and all begging for attention. Getting a shot where all 3 sat still (for a second) was quite a challenge.


As for the trained animals from Animal House, they were all a joy to behold. The Flamingos arrived in special crates that held their long necks up without getting hurt in the drive. When they walked on set it was a beautiful thing. I love the way long necked animals like flamingos, ostriches and swans move. They move in a constant ballet. So graceful to behold.



I see Little Bear is in the book, what about Gracie?
Little Bear is in the book. He was shot against an old fashioned looking paper that brings out his natural regal look. His long hair was freshly washed and he sparkled. Gracie was shot on the same pink sofa that the French Bulldog (on the cover) was shot and she got lost on the cutting room floor. I needed a new photo for the book jacket so I posed with a freshly cut Gracie so she would make it in – even if it was just at the end with me.
Dodger, of Animal House fame, is also in the book. I can’t believe she made it in. Being almost 11 years old and turning a bit grey – but she is the consummate poser so of course she did well and became a “Glamour Dog”. She is on a beautiful ivory inlaid chair that I rented from a prop house.

How are you faring in today’s market?

I’m getting by. It has been challenging. I try to adopt the attitude that “necessity is the mother of invention” and I am working on myself and my work in a different way than I did before. All and all things are doing well. I am extremely grateful to have Glamour Dogs coming out. Dumont (a European company) has made a stunning 2010 calendar with 12 of the images from Animal House and they have plans for two 2011 calendars, one with more Animal House images and another with 12 Glamour Dog images. I am also selling fine art prints from Animal House and am planning on getting involved with Etsy and selling smaller prints that are not in limited editions. I am also shooting assignment work for magazines and am chasing the ad work as best I can.

What would be your dream job?

I would love to be sent to a remote place and shoot a stock library for a great client like HP. I love traveling and meeting new people. I also love to shoot many different types of things. I would make a visual diary of the place. That would be my dream job for sure.

What’s next for you?

I am continuing to keep my head above water first and foremost. Then I think I will start shooting a seriously fun book about Gracie, my standard poodle. I don’t want to give away my plan – but it will be different than the wallpaper series. I see it in my head so clearly – now I just need to make the time and shoot it!

The Americans by Robert Frank

I finally got myself to the Robert Frank show at the Metropolitan Museum (The Americans), and if you haven’t seen it—GO! If you have, see it again. I know I'm late on this, but I was really wowed by the show. What I never realized was the incredible care and time Frank gave to editing the images he chose, juxtaposing to create context and sub context for the viewer to contemplate.

His intent was to “compare disparate objects with thematic ties,” according to the exhibit statement, and he did that brilliantly, beginning with early photographs before his seminal book that put a photo of radio tubes across from a photo of musicians. By juxtaposing people with objects, he created a new way of thinking about their relationship.

“I am always looking outside, trying to look inside, trying to say something that is true. But maybe nothing is really true. Except what’s out there. And what’s out there is constantly changing.”
--Robert Frank, 1985.


Frank used the flag to essentially separate parts of the book, and this was a tool to create categories. Used quietly, yet effectively, we cannot see the faces, and so it is the abstract of the symbol of America that we see. In the way he put images together, he created a relationship between them that was not always readily apparent. Yet the longer you look at the images, the more you see and understand.

Frank was not just photographing America, he was commenting on race, class, and culture. He wanted to allude to the way in which Americans communicate with each other and with the larger culture. This amazing book is thoughtful, deep beyond the surface, and exciting for the layers you can peel back to discover a more caustic comment on this country.


The photo of Detroit assembly-line workers above was across from this photo of back room politicians at a Chicago convention, commenting on class and the distance between men working side by side. Contrast that with the physical closeness of the power brokers. The physical comfort of the politicians versus the coldness between the workers. One group is on the clock, one has all the time in the world.


The thought that went into culling thousands upon thousands of images into 83 and putting them into a book is something few photographers seem to think deeply about. Too often I think a book becomes just a place to showcase a number of images that may or may not be related, but are frequently related only by subject. The time Frank took to edit and sequence his work, to THINK about his work, his intent, and his audience needs to be studied and celebrated.

With The Americans, Frank examined his work by printing out images and playing with their order. He took the time to discover which images HAD TO be together. And by doing this, Frank created a body of work which still surprises and educates.

How many photographers can really say the same?

Jim Nachtwey at PhotoPlus Expo

I’ve spent a lot of time thinking about the talk Jim Nachtwey gave at PhotoPlus Expo, and the photographs he showed. Pretty much everyone acknowledges him as a singular figure in the world of photography (although I would argue the same for Sebastiao Salgado, and the breadth of his work is truly extraordinary. From Northern Ireland to the tuberculosis wards of Northern Thailand, Nachtwey has borne witness to the worst of the world’s conflicts and social issues.

As Nachtwey himself said, he “gives a voice to people who have endured immense suffering, who have no voice.” His classic composition recalls the paintings of such masters as Caravaggio and Goya, and in his photographs I have seen an incredible palette of black and grey, with more variations on those colors than I thought possible. Rather than making suffering beautiful, Nachtwey shows the incredible, inherent beauty of people, even at the worst moments of their lives.

It would be impossible to witness what Nachtwey has witnessed and remain uninvolved, so he took advantage of winning the T.E.D.. award and started a campaign against Extremely Drug-Resistant Tuberculosis (XDRTB). He turns his anger into “something that can clarify my vision, not cloud it.”

To simply see Nachtwey’s work as depressing would be missing so much. “My mission as a photographer has always been to have the pictures published in the mass media while the situation is unfolding.” It is because he knows the power of images to move people to action. That was the case with the famine he photographed in Somalia in 1992. After the photographs ran as a cover story in The New York Times Magazine the outcry made it possible for the ICRC to mobilize the largest aid effort it had undertaken since WW II and saved 1.5 million lives. Can there be any greater achievement than that?

I think everyone left Nachtwey’s presentation wondering what they had done and what they are doing with their lives. I know I did. And it’s going to take me a lot more time to sort that out. I am inspired by his example, and glad that he is working so hard to bring light to darkness.

Day 3 and PhotoPlus Expo Is Over

This last day began with a panel on White House photographers, moderated by Debra Weiss. It was a fascinating and historicdal look at the position which was originally done my military photographers who kept their distance and pretty much concentrated on official events. JFK was the first president to bring in outside photographers--Jacques Lowe, Stanley Tretick, George Thames (of The New York TImes) and we began to see the first glimpses of the work of the president as well as the president as a person in such photographs as John F. Kennedy Jr. peeking out from the door under his fathers' desk in the Oval Office.

Lyndon Johnson brought the first official White House photographer in--Yoichi Okamoto.

David Hume Kennerly, who photographed Richard Nixon, and especially Gerald Ford (who he became very close to) showed his work, saying he had an "upstairs, downstairs" relationship with them. Like other photographers he had top secret clearance, and showed photographs of President Ford at a planning session for the military response to the Mayaguez incident in 1975 that hasn't been seen before.

His favorite photograph was taken on the final day of Ford's administration when he was with Betty Ford and she got on top of the table in the Cabinet Room and started dancing. She was his favorite.

Robert McNeely worked for presidents Carter and Clinton, and said Carter was uncooperative and as a result there is little historical documentation of his administration. "Carter was just impossible", he said.

As for Clinton, McNeely photographed him during the campaign and went to the White House with him. Wanted full access and to shoot in B&W. Only twice in six years did Clinton ask him to stop taking pictures.

Pete Souza was working for the Chicago Tribune when he met Barack Obama on his first day as a Senator, and took a photograph of him with daughter, Malia. Obama was so impressed he asked for prints, which began their relationship. Souza says he had it in the back of his mind that maybe this guy is worth watching, and he was shooting for history.

Having photographed Ronald Reagan, he was familiar with the job, and says he spends a lot of looking for interesting photographs. Where Reagan was formal (always wore a jacket in the Oval office), Obama is more relaxed. Even with top secret clearance, when he shoots in meetings he has to be careful not to show the writing on the paperwork, and everyone has to look good. This White House puts out lots of photos, from the White House website to their Flickr stream.

Souza told of how they cover a wall in the West Wing with "jumbos", 20 x 30 prints (about 80 of them) that they change out all week for Obama and staff to look at. That's sort of like how a magazine puts an issue up on their walls while they are working on it so they can see it as a whole, make changes, substitute photos, etc.

All of the photographers touched on the propaganda aspect of their work. For McNeely, "What you do is see as propaganda, it’s just a fact of life. What you try to shoot for is history. You have to live with the factor of how those photograph are seen. You’re going to reflect who the man is. You’re not going to change him.”

Pete Souza said this: “It’s a lot closer to photojournalism than what the wire services photographers do—they’re shooting photo ops.”

When asked about wether it is the pinnacle of photojournalism, McNeely said, "It’s an amazing thing while it exists. It’s hard to do anything else in Washington. That access is intoxicating.”

For David Hume Kennerly (a Pulitzer Prize winner for his Vietnam War photographs), “I know what I’m missing when someone else is there.”

Blogging PhotoPlus Expo with Stella and Sari

I've been here all day and have a bunch of things to tell you about--just hope someone is listening. Sari Goodfriend and I have gone to 4 seminars, heard the amazing Harry Benson speak about his photographs, and talked to bunches of people. As per usual it seems that everything is going on at the same time and the seminar rooms are freezing, but I did hear some very interesting things.

The first panel I went to was moderated by Debra Weiss and was about working in advertising. As Debra said, "I don't believe the economy is the problem, it's technology and how everything is changing." Andrea Kaye, manager of art production at McCann Erickson, JoAnn Tansman creative director of BBDO NY and Matt Seminara a rep from Friend & Johnson based in NY all made basically the 3 same points:

*Get a point of view and stick to it. That is the single most important thing for a photographer, and I couldn't agree more. You need to be unique to distinguish yourself from the rest of the world.

*Professionals can do it on demand, which bodes well against the competition posed by the millions of amateurs with cameras.

*It's a business first and foremost. If it's what you HAVE to do instead of what you WANT to do, and you have the drive and determination, you'll be making the right choices. Remember, clients aren't your friends. They work in their best interest, not yours. But that doesn't mean you can't have friendly, professional relationships--they are the cornerstones to success.

If you're an established photographer and want to work in advertising you have to have a rep, that was pretty much agreed on by all. If you're just starting out, however, you need to have some work to show before you should consider a rep. Here in New York (as with most other places) there are small businesses and small agencies and small companies you can work for in order to get your book and portfolio together. But like anything else, you have to expend the energy to get what you want. It doesn't fall into your lap. The reason agencies rely on reps to find photographers is that the rep takes all the guesswork out of it for the art buyer/producer and saves them time. But if you're a beginner, how do you deal with that?

I think the lessons are the same no matter what kind of work you want to do. Do your homework, find out the right person to contact. Get your work together on your website and in your portfolio and plan a direct mail campaign that makes sense--that shows your work to it's best advantage.

If you want more about this, let me know.

Now I want to switch gears and talk a little about the amazing Harry Benson.


If any of you are wondering who he is, let's just say this: He came over to America with The Beatles, was standing next to Robert F. Kennedy when he was assassinated, photographed Richard Nixon as he resigned the presidency, photographed Dr. Martin Luther King's funeral, and took photos of a bald Liz Taylor after she underwent brain surgery. And that's just a short overview of his work. Think about the amazing breadth of his work..... He's a great, sly storyteller, with understated wit and a gift for getting the unexpected from people. And all he does is ask.

When asked how he seemed to become friends with the famous people he photographed he said that was only incidental. "My feelings and my energy are more important to me than Jack Nicholsons'."

Now that's a man who is in charge of his life.


Is everyone on Twitter these days? Does everyone understand what to do with it or is it just another aggravation in your life? Well I want to understand why I should be tweeting, so I went to this seminar and it opened my eyes.
Jack Hollingsworth, Rosh Sillars, Seshu Badrinath, Taylor Davidson and Jim Goldstein gave an easy to understand, answer all your questions pep talk about pioneering on Twitter and about the value of creating your identity and gathering like minded people to you. I'm excited and will try Twitter updates tomorrow as well as blogging.

Here's Sari's take on the seminars she went to...



FINDING YOUR PLACE in the FINE ART MARKET
Moderator: Holly Hughes
Panelists: Michael Foley, Debra Klomp Ching, Hanna Frieser, John A. Bennette

Took lots of notes here, but looking through them a lot of it seems to be common sense.
Just makes me wonder: exactly how many photographers are there out there with no common sense? Seems that every year these panels are presented to educate us on the most basic things like “don’t be a haughty jerk when you’re getting your work looked at by a big time gallerist or consultant at a portfolio review”. Duh!

But mostly, this was a really good panel, each one really well prepared to discuss their business and how they acquire their roster of photographers. It was actually an incredibly pleasant way to start the day. I frankly couldn’t believe everyone was so chipper and alert. Holly Hughes, Editor in Chief of PDN, was the moderator and she did a fabulous job. A-plus, Holly!

Michael Foley started it off with a nice humble tone by stating that he, too, had been an artist and knew what it was like. His background working at Frankel Gallery in SF and here in NYC (I believe he worked at Yancey Richardson), gave him the business education he needed though to run what is recognized as a very cool gallery here in Chelsea. As each panelist did, he listed his preferred ways to be contacted (email for him with a direct link to a website, please) and offered some basic, yet sage advice about approaching galleries, such as:

*Know who you are, what your work is about and be able to talk about articulately.
*Don’t be pushy – be informed about their gallery
*Be humble and hold a conversation
*Ask what the gallery owner does and why they do it. (not 100% sure what that means, but basically seems to be like “keep up your end of the conversation – don’t be totally self absorbed).
*Send ONE jpeg – NOT a whole PDF.
*Be ubiquitous –you’ll have more chances if your work is out there.
*Go to openings and make contact with the gallerist.
[personally, I’d say, GO BACK after the opening because at the opening it’ll be too crowded]
*It’s a social industry – get out there and socialize. [I’d add that even if you’re not in NYC – there are plenty of opportunities to shine in your own art community]

Michael ended with a slide of a postcard that he had received from Joel Peter Witkin in response to a letter he had written to this artist he so admired when he was young and “naive” [his word].
It said “If I were to encapsulate what anyone must do, it would be to have a vision of life and depict that vision .“ How true.

Each of the panelists likened the gallery-artist relationship to a marriage, however not all of them agree on the need for pre-nups. (i.e. contracts). Debra Klomp Ching of KlompChing Gallery (http://www.klompching.com/) said she and her partner Darren Ching, have “agreements” with their artists but she resoundingly stated that they will only work with artists they like. Meaning, beyond just the work, but personally.

She also gave a little hint of what to expect if you actually DO get some face time with her or Darren and I quote: “When people say they want a solo show, gallery representation and a book deal, I say, so what have you done so far and why don’t I know your name?” Ouch. So, people you gotta be more than prepared, you gotta be sharp!
Debra also said she does not appreciate looking at work prints or a Blurb-type book [although Blurb has unarguably enabled a huge population of photographers to publish their own work in a great affordable way). However, because Debra is really appreciating the work “as an artifact”, she wants to see your actual prints and the quality of them. Understandable if she’s going to be selling them to people who will hopefully pay a lot of money.

Next to speak was Hanna Frieser of LIGHT WORK up in Syracuse, NY. They are a non-profit whose magazine I’ve seen, but I didn’t know that they also function as a gallery and an artist residency. Their main focus is helping artists at crucial moments in their careers, like when they have to print a huge body of work for a show or a book. Light Work has printing facilities and a full staff of 7 to help artists get these things done. Sounds utterly amazing. There is no formal application, Hannah explained, rather just: a letter of intent, a resume, artist statement, and of course…the work. This is competitive though – they receive 350 applications every year for only 12 spots. Hannah spoke, as other gallery owners did, about many wonderful and inspiring artists that she has either worked with or knew about and was considering for the residency program. Among them were the following which I found particularly inspiring.

Angelika Rinhofer, Binh Dahn, photosynthesis images of Vietnam images on Leaves, and Myra Green- used the backing from Polaroid (possibly Type 55), then photographed that image – mostly concentrates on African Americans. Very faded images- you have to work hard to see them. Reminded me of Roy de Carava in that regard.


Lastly the dapper, mildly sarcastic and endlessly amusing John A. Bennette presented some of his personal photography collection and spoke about his pathway to becoming a curator and photo consultant, based on his love and passion for photography. He seems to give a lot of support but also some harsh advice to photographers in portfolio reviews and when he’s out and about. He said he doesn’t go to openings too much anymore though because he finds them “stressful”. I don’t blame him – for anyone who’s been in Chelsea on a Thursday in the summer. What a mob scene! So John’s advice today was the following:
*Put your camera down and think about what sort of art you are creating and what kind of art you make.”
*State beliefs about yourself – don’t try to please the reviewer
*When at a portfolio review: bring only one body of work – don’t show one body for 10
mins and then say you have another body of work to show.
*Likes to get a CD at a review – printed label on the disc. He was adamant about this funny little tidbit: He said DON’T USE a SHARPIE on your disc!! Get a label printing machine for 50 bucks.
*Donate to auctions – he particularly recommends one he is involved with of an organization called “Friends without a Border”. They have a nice catalog, but I didn’t get to stick around to see it because a client called and I had to duck out early to send an estimate. Psyched about that, but it’s challenging to do double duty and be inside all day. I’m sure anyone who’s here knows what I mean

Over n’out…
-Sari

PhotoPlus Expo Comes to Town

PhotoPlus Expo starts on Thursday,, and I plan on blogging from the Expo this week. I've elicited the help of Sari Goodfriend, and together we will try to cover as much as possible. We expect to go to seminars, keynotes, and talk with as many people as we can, so I'm looking forward to having interesting information for all of you. If you happen to see me, or Sari, stop and say hello. If there's something in particular you'd like to know about we will certainly try to accommodate you, so let us know.

The plan is to cover the daytime events and get to as many of the evening soirees as we can. There may even be photos, we'll have to see how it goes. I haven't done this before, so the best thing to do is keep checking to see our updates during the day. And just to get things going, here's a list of things happening this week. If there are more, send me an email and let me know.

TUESDAY October 20

WIN-Initiative hosts a champagne toast to the 10 winners of their "10 Best 10" photography contest at 77 Mercer St. #2N from 6:00 - 8:00pm. Come and lift a glass of champagne to Carey Kirkella, Sarah Small, Bob O'Connor, Katie Shapiro, Quim Fabregas, Kah Poon, Ted Sabarese, Heather Johnson, Peter Riesett and Gabriela Herman.
Please RSVP to Chrissy

THURSDAY October 22

The big PDN shindig at Hammerstein Ballroom at the Manhattan Center 311 W. 34th St. (between 8th & 9th Aves.) from 9.00pm – 1.00am
$25.00 (tickets are first-come, first-served)

Sony debuts their World Photography Awards show and Artisans of Imagery at Aperture Gallery 547 W. 27th 4th floor from 7:30 - 9:30pm
RSVP

Hasselblad Celebration of Photography is being held all day at Milk Studio 450 W. 15th St.

FRIDAY October 23

Bron Imaging Group presents their "Something Big" party at Skyline Studios 500 W. 36th St. from 5:00 - 10:00pm. RSVP here

What’s Going to Happen?

Like everyone else, I spend a lot of time trying to figure out where things are going and where photography will fit in the future. As much as I wish I could see into the future, I can’t, and so this is what I’m thinking.

Instead of bemoaning where things used to be I am trying to focus on where they might end up. I’m always thinking about new ways to get myself out there and new things I can do to make my mark. I am also asking for help more than I may have in the past. And that is a great thing.

In this time of turbulence it’s more important than ever to connect with people you know and with people you want to know. If things aren’t going well then all we have is each other. Now I’m not trying to sound like a self-help book, but feeling a part of something is much better and much healthier than isolating yourself.

In New York City you are maybe two degrees at most away from someone in media. Take advantage of that! Ask your friends if they know any photo editors or art buyers and if they will make an introduction for you. Think in terms of the long run. Not everything pans out immediately, but if you are taking a long-range view of your future, you will have more success.

Is your book ready to go at a moment’s notice? Is your website current and attractive for viewing? If you’ve been meaning to update and improve your portfolio or website do it now! If unbelievably you don’t have a website, DO IT NOW! There is no time to waste, because what you should be spending time doing is thinking about how you can make yourself known and your work seen.

Do you read other photography blogs? Why not? Do you comment on things you read? Why not? Do you have a blog? Is it something people can get value from? By that I mean are you offering an opinion or information or ideas that are singular to you? The world doesn’t need another self-involved blog from a photographer who has nothing to say. However, you can make your blog important reading by really understanding what it can be for you. Maybe you want to comment on other people’s work. Maybe you want to talk about your own. Maybe you want to comment on the larger issues in the industry. Make sure you’ve looked around at some of the thousands of other blogs to see how you can make a real, unique contribution.

And if you have a blog, is it linked to others? If you’re just beaming things out into the void without touching down anywhere it will be harder for you to be found. Think about it, you can communicate with and befriend people around the world through the Web. That’s incredible! Think about how you can connect with people everywhere.

If work is slow (or even non-existent) ask yourself what else you can do. If that means taking a job in order to support yourself, so be it. There’s no shame in supporting yourself. Is there a way you can barter for work? Can you do publicity for a neighborhood business in trade for their offerings? Maybe you can shoot some publicity for a local restaurant that will pay you in meals. I don’t think enough people are thinking this way. When things are tight bartering is more important than ever.

I think people should be talking more with each other and coming up with new ideas. I mean if not now, when? If you get an idea, execute it! Don’t wait for things to come to you. Think in new ways, create in new ways and maybe you’ll come up with a viable outlet for others as well. The old ways are falling to pieces at our feet. Let’s get out there and create new avenues for story telling and for great art. Let's show the vital value of photography in our world.

And finally, I hope this goes without saying (but I’ll say it anyway)—SHOOT MORE!! Get better at what you do, produce more. It will keep you sharp, keep you connected, and keep you learning and refining your eye. Thing big. Be the photographer you want to be. Don’t stop and don’t let things stop you in your tracks. Things will change, and those who are ready for the change will be able to take advantage when it comes. If you really want to be a professional photographer, be one. Fight despair; fight the impulse to give up.

Remember, you are not alone; we are all going through this together.

Silverheads from Sari Goodfriend

Many photographers have personal projects they work on, whether to counter the work they do for pay, or to continue something that is close to their heart but might not be everyone’s cup of tea. It doesn’t seem to be hard to find things to photograph, but often there seems to be little thought given to subject matter.

Anyone can photograph a dog, but can you offer us a new way of looking at the dog? Coming up with a unique idea that can set you apart as a photographer is a culmination of several key things: personal curiosity, intense observation, creative inspiration, and purposeful thought.



What I love about Sari Goodfriends’ “Silverheads” project is both its delightful premise and it’s respect for her subjects. While most of society and most of the media ignore woman after they’re in their mid-thirties, Goodfriend not only delights in older women, but also elevates them in a classic way that makes me so pleased.

By focusing on the beauty of not only their hair, but also the women themselves, you cannot help but be drawn to them. I love the way Goodfriend has created diptychs and triptychs, showing the women full on and from the back. It is like looking into a three-way mirror to see a person from all angles.

Too often the work I see is very familiar—-young women in bored or stunned poses that focus on either their beauty or their sexuality. Sari has chosen what seems to be a simple conceit, and yet it is as fresh as any portraiture I have seen recently, and certainly some of the only portraiture I have seen that celebrates women without prejudice, without judgment, and certainly without hair dye.

See more of Sari's work here.