Blog

I have found that there are some artists that feel that photography isn't really a bona fide "art-form", or on the same level as with painting or sculpting which requires creating an image or work from one's own imagination and vision, Of course, being a photographer, I do take exception to this notion and find photography to be a very special type of art-form. You see, to my mind, aside from some studio controlled environment photography, photographs capture a unique and specific moment in time that will never occur again. For example, street photography captures images of subjects, lighting, and relational positioning which by there very nature will only occur once in that precise moment when the camera captures it. We are able to grab that moment in time and keep it for posterity with all its uniqueness which is quite special in and of itself. Of course, while technology enables photographers to replicate and share their captured images as often as they like, these images cannot be re-created due to their inherent uniqueness of the conditions that existed when the shutter captured them, in their own unique moment in time. In my book, this makes photography a very special type of art-form!

I have found that more often than not, customers find photos of places that they are familiar with more interesting and hence, yield a higher percentage of sales. There seems to be an appeal factor of photos that remind customers of places, buildings, bridges etc. that they have visited or even in many cases that are part of the city or neighborhood where they live. Having shown my photos at a number of local galleries in New York City, I can tell from the comments made by gallery visitors that photos of places or structures seem to resonate more when they see something that they know. Many times, I have sold photos to customers not only because they like the shot, but it is something that also represents where they live or grew up seeing. Always a topical piece as well to visitors to their home when they spot the shot of something that they are also familiar with. Variations or abstract interpretations of these familiar sites also offers the customer a piece of art that is relevant to them, but is also unique in nature which can be very appealing at times. So keep this in mind - relevancy and familiarity is an important factor when showing your work and provides a great forum to engage prospective customer and discuss specific aspects relating to your photo[s]. This can be a powerful and also fun way to promote your work and generate more sales!

When going out to shoot, keep in mind that when composing your shot, be sure that you are close enough to your subject to feel part of the action. The most common mistake I see [especially with newer photographers], is that they shoot from too far a distance away from their subject. When you are not close enough, the result is a photo which is more like a general "vacation snapshot" as opposed to a well crafted image capture. With a telephoto lens, it is usually easy enough to fill the frame and create a more engaging shot for the viewer. While tight cropping can be done in post processing, it is better to compose your shots as best you can when shooting, and avoid the loss of detail or creation of additional noise which can occur when cropping in post processing. My advice, "Don't Be Afraid To Get Too Close!".

About 40 years ago, when I first became interested in photography, I remember reading an article that stuck with me over the years. The premise of the article was that photographers can easily get caught up in a sort of "gadget spiral" That is, always looking to buy and try the latest camera, lens, filter etc. I have known and still know to this day, photographers that are always fixated on the latest gadget and spend a good deal of their available time investigating and procuring the latest and greatest. The article emphasized that one's time would be better spent using that time and the associated funds to go out and shoot more pictures. The point being, focus on shooting and learning to be a better photographer from your successes and your failures. That in the end will have a greater impact on your photography than any new gadget on the market. In today's digital technology boom, we see more new equipment each day than ever before. My advice, while it is always good to upgrade from time to time, in the end, it's all about getting out there as much as possible and shooting as much as you can. With digital, today it is virtually cost free and you will continue to improve the more you shoot!