I am flabbergasted (photography)

[ChallengerHK]

Last night I returned a call from the latest gallery I've submitted my photography to for representation. I was fully prepared to be turned down, but the way this conversation went...well, see for yourself.

Gallery (this is the third sentence out of her mouth): I was wondering, do you own any professional-level cameras.
Me (wondering where this is going): I have two 35mm, a digital SLR, a digital prosumer, and two 4x5 large format cameras.
Gallery: Hmmm. Do you have any professional lenses.
Me: Uh, yes. (List my lenses)
Gallery: That's odd. Have you ever had a class in photography?
Me: Actually, I've taught photography.
Gallery: Hmmm. Have you ever studied composition?
Me: Why do you ask?
Gallery: Well, I was just thinking that if you were to get any professional cameras and lenses, and take a few classes, that you seem to have some innate ability.
Me: Umm...did you look at the resume I've included? Awards won, contests won, collections which have my work?
Gallery: Another thing, you should learn to use photoshop. You can actually take your photography and make it look like a painting.

At this point I said "Well, thanks fr your time" but she couldn't take the hint. She spent the next half hour repeating this information over and over.

I'm not insulted. I'm not depressed. I'm just shocked. I mean, WTF?   

[buddydog]

Just one of those folks where the lights are on but no one is home!

Sorry you had to endure that, I have so little patience for people like that sometimes.

Geoff

P.S. try "Posterize" or "Paint Daubs"

[ChallengerHK]

Thanks. Aside from the fact that I was hoping to get some representation to get extra income to fund work on the car, it's not the end of the world. Just...weird.

[dutch]

    if that wouldn`t be so stupid, you could actually laugh about it..... 

[Challenger III]

  Sounds to me like they are looking for off the wall "artsy fartsy" types. 

 

 

[Bullitt-]

Sounds more like she was selling something.......photography classes? 

[wally426ci]

well of course anyone can make a photo with photoshop, the art is in capturing it without editing. Duh!

I think i would have hung the phone up. 

[ChallengerHK]

Sounds more like she was selling something.......photography classes? 

I thought about that. honestly, I think she thought she was being really helpful, which is one of the reasons I'm not angry.

well of course anyone can make a photo with photoshop, the art is in capturing it without editing. Duh!

Honestly, everything is edited. The old way to to do it in the darkroom, with nasty chemicals that would eat your lungs. If something is Photoshopped right, you can't tell the difference between great skill at one and great skill at the other. If either is done badly, well, it looks like 

That being said, my personal ethic is to try to capture as much of the scene as I saw it as possible, without having to alter the capture. It's rare that that happens, but I limit myself to what I know I could have done in the darkroom when altering a shot.

[1ownr]

The art of photography is getting lost today in the hype of special effects in computer software. It's one thing to color correct or clean up a shot, but to encourage a photographer to make a photograph "look" like a painting is just wrong.  I see this being taught at high level PhotoShop classes all the time. Didn't the camera take the place of the "artist" who would paint you a landscape or portrait, now the computer is taking that photograph and rendering it back to a painting... How's that for going full circle? 

I grew up in a photography family, it was always about the natural ability to "see" the photograph, to create the feeling, to do right by the subject. My grandfather started his photography Studio in the 1920's and my dad continued with the profession.

judy

[IMNCARN82]

Mee too.   I grew up with a photo talent. Won every contest entered as a kid. It is getting lost out there with all the computers. Living here... I say it all the time... "there it is" ... That million dollar shot of life. Unstaged.   Un chopped.  to me that photo is art. If i could get it.I'd be made. We all see them.But do you notice it?   You know what I'm sayn'?  One of my pics was of peanut butter and jelly close up on a picnic table. Mmmmmmm.   Could take pics all day long.              My dad got me into it.   Anywayz,I hear ya'  Don't get mad. there will always be a place for photos. wait till' next years calendar!   Sounds like you blew her away. Nice.   

[ChallengerHK]

The art of photography is getting lost today in the hype of special effects in computer software.

judy

To an extent I can agree with this. On the one hand, I love my digitals. I can travel light, I don't have to worry about fogging film or burning my lungs up in a darkroom. On the other hand, I love my 4x5s; those turn out landscapes that are unparalleled.

I compare this situation to the early days of desktop publishing. Computers made layout "easy," in that anybody could do it, but they didn't give anybody the skills and judgement to do it right. In the long run, people found out that whether it was being done by hand or on a computer, they still needed someone who knew how to do layout.

Photography is the same thing. The latest big thing is HDR, high dynamic range (I think that's it). I've seen a half dozen magazine covers recently featuring lurid, oversaturated HDR covers. It's easy to do, and it has a dramatic look, so it's the next big thing. Eventually, they're going to realize that real photographers can take the HDR tools and produce pleasing photos with them.

[DAYTONA]

.....just wanting to sell you something

[ChallengerHK]

.....just wanting to sell you something

It's possible that she was just trying to blow me off, but she seemed pretty sincere. Misguided, but sincere 

[js27]

I wouldn't worry about her and just  move on. It is obvious she doesn't have a clue...
JS27

[ChallengerHK]

Thanks. I've had shows in a couple of galleries, and I know it's not easy to get representation through one, but I'll keep working at it.