Op-Ed by Emily Shur

I read Emily Shur's post, My Review of My Review, on Review Santa Fe which she posted on her blog My Four Eyed Fantasy. I thought it was well written and definitely came close to many thoughts I've had about reviews. Thank you Emily for letting me share this with our readers.


©Emily Shur

My Review of My Review

I have so many thoughts about Review Santa Fe, and I am going to attempt to organize them right now. Also, I am a fan of a good list. So, here I go.:

Thought #1: I think the most important thing I learned this past weekend is that I need to figure out whether or not I want to parlay my personal work into another facet of my career, or if the pictures should remain what they are - a quiet escape from my career. Being at the review made me realize that the art world (or review world) is as much of a social climbing, game playing world as the commercial photography sphere, and now is the time in which I need to decide if I want to do that all over again...and this time with work that is way more personal than my portraiture.

Thought #2: Ultimately, a photo review is a culmination of opinions given to you by a respected group of people in the photo industry. We, as photographers, need to understand that in the end, we have to be happy with the work we are making and stand by it. The reason I say this is because I, along with other photographers I spoke with, got complete opposite feedback in many reviews. One friend of mine had one reviewer tell her that her palette was dated, and she should more carefully consider the time of day that she was photographing. She had another review that same day where she was told her palette was beautiful, and the time of day in which she was choosing to take pictures was perfect.

Thought #3: Believe it or not, being in Santa Fe made me appreciate my day job. I started spending more time and energy on my personal work as a response to being frustrated with commercial photography. I felt as though I wasn't progressing, which is probably the worst feeling I can think of for someone doing what we do. At the review, I felt out of place for the first time in a long time which made me realize that I am part of a photographic community already, and although at times my community is slightly superficial (and there are some annoying people within the community), I am very lucky to do what I do for a living, and I love the people and crews I work with here in LA. I am proud to be a photographer and make a living doing something I love.

Thought #4: The actual event of Review Santa Fe is a very well oiled and organized machine. I felt a bit as though I was at college orientation all over again, but hey...college was fun, and some of my best friends still to this day are people I met in college. I met some really lovely and fun people at the review, not to mention some really good photographers. I was impressed with the variety of ages and nationalities in the "Review Santa Fe 100" and also the work. A few small critiques of the event would probably include the horrible internet connection in the hotel, the horrible coffee in the hotel, and possibly the location of the hotel since it was not downtown and a far walk from anything town-like. One big compliment on the event would likely be the fact that at no time did it feel chaotic, and to me, this is a big plus considering how many photographers and reviewers were together in one place.

Thought #5: Was it worth it? This is the question I have been asked the most by friends and family, all of whom knowing how much time, energy, and money I invested into my potential experience at Review Santa Fe. I suppose the answer would be yes, it was worth it, although I'm not going to lie and say it wouldn't feel more worth it if something tangible came out of my time there. Although, only time will tell if that (a show, gallery representation, or maybe a published book) will in fact happen. Going into the review, I was misleading myself by thinking that just getting in was the big obstacle to overcome (and I had done it!). Getting in was merely a small first step onto a long road, and that realization deflated me for a minute on my first day of reviews. In the end, I left feeling encouraged and not discouraged, and now it's up to me to decide how far I want to walk down the road.

Reviewers' Takes on Portfolio Reviews

Joerg did us all a favor and rounded up some more takes on portfolio reviews from the other side of the table on Conscientious.

Portfolio Reviewer's Advice

This isn't particularly just for women in photography but for all photographers that attend portfolio reviews. Andrew Hetherington of Whats the Jackanory interviewed photo editor/consultant, Stella Kramer about what to expect out of reviews.

It's always a great to hear criticism from an outsider's point of view whether it sometimes is helpful or not. I've come away with some good and bad reviews, and the worst are when reviewers have nothing to say. So, be sure to speak up and ask!

Sasha Wolf Portfolio Review

When Rona and I sat down with Sasha Wolf earlier this year for a Nymphoto Conversations, we left completely inspired. For artists it is rare to get complete access to a gallery owner and even rarer to find someone in that position with whom you can have a real dialogue without pretension.

Sasha said in the interview with us that it is important to her to be a good person, and as I said then, that struck a cord with me. It sounds so simple but it is something that people seem to aspire to less and less. True to character Sasha has been responsive to anyone who sent her work, diligently responding with real feedback, but currently there are so many submissions that she can't keep up.

Luckily Sasha is now offering Portfolio Review Appointments in exchange for a reasonable fee.

I asked Sasha if I could blog about this, because I think that this is a very valuable resource for professional artists.

Sasha, a successful filmmaker herself, understands the struggles artists face but furthermore as a gallery owner she also comprehends the other side, which - in my opinion- makes her feedback extremely helpful. She is also honest but never mean and always constructive.

Rona offered her testimonial:

"Sasha Wolf has been a mentor and friend to me over the last year. With each body of work I have shown her, Sasha has been remarkably dedicated to looking thoroughly at the images. Her attention to the work and the response she formulates is one that is critical, honest, comprehensive, and sincere. Her guidance is invaluable."

You can contact Sasha Wolf to arrange a review at: info@sashawolf.com or call the gallery to make an appointment at: 212.925.0025

You can read our Nymphoto Conversation with Sasha here.

En Foco Portfolio Review

There is still time to register for the En Foco Portfolio Review Sessions.
Find out more here.

Reminder: Porfolio Review Session at Enfoco

En Foco is a non-profit organization that seeks to support fine art contemporary and documentary photographers of diverse cultures and backgrounds. They often host many professional building programs like their Portfolio Review Sessions.

This workshop is only available to current En Foco Members (ALL are welcome to join). Each review session lasts for 20 minutes; photographers are guaranteed a minimum of three reviews and receive a 'gift bag.' Upon registration, participants will receive an article written by photo marketing expert Mary Virginia Swanson, on how to best prepare themselves for the Review.

Reviewer´s confirmed to date (8/13/08) include:

* Rocio Aranda-Alvarado, Jersey City Museum
* Kalia Brooks, Arts Consultant and Curator
* Mary Ann Fahey, Umbrella Arts Gallery
* Elizabeth Ferrer, Rotunda Gallery (am session only)
* Hannah Frieser, Light Work
* Elvis Fuentes, El Museo del Barrio
* Michelle Graham, Getty Images
* Charles Guice, Charles Guice Contemporary
* Lisa Henry, Independent Curator
* Stella Kramer, Photography Consultant
* Joanna Lehan, Aperture
* Vincent Nelson, The Black Book
* Edwin Ramoran, ALJIRA Center for Contemporary Art
* Elizabeth Shank, Silverstein Gallery (am session only)
* Jill Waterman, PDNedu and ASMP Bulletin
* Deborah Willis, Curator, Historian

Talk about a group of people you'd want seeing your work.

Location: Calumet Photographic
22 West 22nd Street
New York, NY
Date: Saturday, September 13, 2008
10am-5:00pm

Cost: $100 = members only (ALL are welcome to join)
$100 + $45 = non-members (click HERE to see member benefits and join!)

Space is limited, BUY ONLINE NOW to guarantee your spot, or call 718.931.9311 with your credit card.

Head over to this website to read the reviewers' bios and more details about the program and En Foco.

PhotoNola Portfolio Review this December

Registration for the PhotoNOLA Portfolio Review starts today. You can find out more here: www.photonola.org

It's portfolio review season

Photo marketing guru Mary Virginia Swanson has a great post on her blog about whether or not one should attend portfolio reviews. These are words of wisdom from an experienced reviewer. Several upcoming portfolio review registration dates are coming up so if you plan to attend, stand by your phone (I'm not kidding, these fill up fast!), there are dates and links at the bottom of MVS's portfolio reviews post.