You Gotta Have Friends
I think if you are a photographer, you have to have friends. Well, of course, that is true of anyone, but in this case, I am thinking of friends who support your artistic endeavor. This is a blog that celebrates the many ways you can have photography friends.
Critique Community
I have often spoken sentimentally about my years spent in the lightstalking.com community, and specifically in the Shark Tank group that was the critique arm of the community. I entered that community when I was still engaged in general photography with a particular interest in bird photography. The critique goals were well defined: You could say what was right with the image, but you had an obligation to say what you thought might improve the image. I needed a whole lot of suggestions for improvement. Constructive critique was delivered day in and day out in a way that unbelievably did not make me feel bad about myself as a photographer. As a side note, I learned as much giving critique as getting it. I left the community when I moved toward street photography. It is a very specialized discipline which I do not think particularly lends itself to traditional critique. Finding a suitable critique community is, at best, a gamble. My experience is that there are a whole lot more unhelpful ones than ones that help, so photographer beware.
Social Community
The Vivian Maier story of taking photographs that she never showed to anyone in her life time is a rather romantic, mysterious photographer’s story, but I do not recommend that path. A photographer needs to share work just like a painter or a song writer needs to share work. It is fortunate that finding a social community is relatively easy. There are many such communities. The two that I particularly use are Instagram and Facebook. I started on Instagram, and put the time in, and I do mean the time, to build a lovely, supportive community. Eventually I tired a bit of Instagram’s shenanigans, which I still very much see levied against some of the most unlikely members. I have come to understand that IG is the repository of my portfolio, so I am back on. What are a few shenanigans in the big scheme of things?
Facebook is a different deal. It is not as good as Instagram for the purposes of portfolio building, but it can help you narrow down the community to find photographers of like interest. My favorite group is Inspired Street Photography, where I spent some time as an Admin. There are so many opportunities to further knowledge, share work, and learn new things. Getting into such a group can be a little problematic, especially for someone who has not used Facebook for posting their work. Your application for membership has to be approved by the group. That generally means proof that you are an active street photographer whose work meets some quality standards. In a perfect world, your Facebook posts would do that, but if you have never posted work there, well, there isn’t going to be anything to see. In lieu of that, be sure your IG and personal websites are part of your Facebook profile. If you know a member in the group, ask them to recommend you. It might not help, but it does not hurt. Once you are turned down, you are not likely to have a second chance. If you want to do this, take some time to put your best foot forward, so to speak.
Local Networks
Photo clubs, camera shops, photography schools and collectives are just a few of the places you might find a truly supportive in-person community. Last year I joined SNAP, the Society of Nashville’s Artistic Photographers. We have our first in-person meeting next week. I can hardly wait. Because of that membership, I was allowed to submit photographs to be a part of a gallery exhibition at the Preston Hotel in Nashville. I am amazed to say that I have two photos on exhibition, even as I write. I never thought I would get that opportunity.
Friend, Friends
Thank you, Angela Holloway for the time you and I spent mentoring each other. I do not remember which site gave us that opportunity, but I am grateful that it did.
Thank you, Simona Ruggeri, for the support you have given me, especially with the blog. I would not be writing today if it were not for you. We met on Instagram and I think it was “love at first sight”.
Thank you, Susan Schiffer, for giving me the courage to take a street photography workshop. I value our pact to look at each other’s work with a fair but discerning eye. I value our friendship that has grown to an in-person friendship.
Photo Salon
This is a new twist, but I think it will become a more common opportunity. I have joined one of six groups led by NYC street photographer, James Maher, that provides a supportive community of 25 photographers per group. There is a modest monthly fee. It is surely the best thing for me right now. It provides gentle critique. It provides a safe place to post. What is interesting to me is the other people in the groups. There is an ISP Admin, two friends from Nashville, and a friend from my Facebook community. All of this, and I get to meet new people, too. A NYC photographer, in another group, visited Nashville. I got to tag along on a Photowalk.
In summary, I have found that I have to have a photography community. The type of community tends to change over time. But you gotta have friends.