Are You Shy or Hesitant About Showing Your Photography In Public? Why?

[MurrayMinchin]

I was hesitant when early in the printing game, but once I could look at my work without seeing too many things that needed fixing, or were reduced to mere annoyances, it became easier.

Everyone, after a bit of experience showing their work, should consider a solo show. There is a special moment, after the show is hung and you get to see them all up on the walls without anyone else in the gallery, that you get to see your work in an absolutely new way.

We work in isolation, one print at a time. This will be the first time that you’ll get to see them all working together.

I’ve learned massive lessons in that quiet moment with each of the three one man shows I’ve put on in our local museum. More lessons arrive on opening night when you get to see how the public responds.

Can’t recommend it enough!

 

[Pieter12]

Everyone, after a bit of experience showing their work, should consider a solo show.

Solo shows are quite difficult to get unless you stage your own vanity show. Being part of a collective gallery might help, but to a certain extent it is not that far removed from a vanity show. Group shows are easier to get into, but the work can be lost among all the others on the walls.

 

[MurrayMinchin]

Solo shows are quite difficult to get unless you stage your own vanity show...

Say what?

Pretty presumptuous leap there

I live in a town of 8,500 people, submitted proposals, was accepted, and didn't pay them for the use of the gallery.

Made my money back, plus a bit, on each show...if that's a measure you find meaningful.

 

[Pieter12]

I live in a town of 8,500 people

Of course.

 

[MurrayMinchin]

Of course.

Wrong side of the bed today?

 

[Pieter12]

Wrong side of the bed today?

Always.

 

[MattKing]

It isn't really presumptuous to think that people may enjoy your work, and to be curious enough to find out.
And Murray is correct that a town of 8500, a very, very long way from any large population centre, is a very different environment than a city offering many choices.
Anyone who has ever attended a Saturday morning market in a small, somewhat remote town, can attest to.

 

[MurrayMinchin]

Always.

That explains the paper bag.

 

[Pieter12]

That explains the paper bag.

Court order.

 

[DWThomas]

I don't aggressively pursue showing my work, but I have entered local shows and garnered a few awards. That provides some sort of validation and encouragement. I've had two solo shows, not via promoting myself but being invited by people who know me and my work. However I found the first of those shows to be a massive amount of work -- and investment. I did sell a few pieces, but nowhere near enough to cover the cost of matting and framing 38 pieces, even though I did that work myself. So glass half full, given my age I have likely a lifetime supply of frames!

As pretty much a realist, I accept that much of what interests me photographically for my B&W film activity is not likely to be seized by people gushing about "look honey -- over the sideboard in the dining room?!" Sometimes I myself am not sure why I make photographs, but have been doing it for about 65 years. I have also done some watercolors, ceramic, and pen&ink work, but seem to have too many interests to concentrate on one. I also have been putting photos from travels up online, I don't hide my work. (Although I've lately fallen behind in curating the largest treks.)

 

[MurrayMinchin]

My first show was an odd ball.

Started using 4x5 in my early twenties, then after going to a couple colleges for fine arts foundation programs I took a one year photography course.

Did class assignments for the first month, put the 35mm away, then spent the rest of the year on "self directed studies" using a 4x5 without discussing it first with the teacher. Was otherwise fully engaged in the class, print critiques, etc.

At the end of the course I had my first show (about 25 pieces) printed, dry mounted, and over matted using the schools materials. Once home, I just had to put them in frames.

Teacher gave me a B grade even though I didn't hand in any of the assignments.

 

[awty]

I find it hugely beneficial for me to show what I do and like to encourage others to do the same. That's what I thought it was all about, but after joining a social film photographers group when I first started getting into darkroom photography, I realised it was more about discussions on equipment, dead photographers and developers...just like here.

 

[Don_ih]

after joining a social film photographers group when I first started getting into darkroom photography, I realised it was more about discussions on equipment, dead photographers and developers...just like here.

People discuss their common interests. So cameras, dead photographers, and chemicals are good topics of conversation among hobbyist photographers, who tend to not be interested in each other's photos. (Although, they are often interested in your photos enough to ask about what camera you used, what developer, and what dead photographer you were copying/inspired-by.)

 

[Alan Edward Klein]

NYC has a famous art club in Manhattan, whose name I forget. My friend, a commercial artist, was a member. Every year they have a contest where artists submit paintings, photos, and sculptures. My friend invited me to submit some photos of mine. They only allow a few for consideration and I had more that I wanted to submit. So I entered a couple under my wife's name. Wouldn't you know it. She won second place in the photo submissions on one of the ones submitted in her name. So they mounted that 16x20" framed photo in this huge room with all the other winners. They had a little index card under it with my wife's name.

So on the big day when they invited everyone down for a tete-a-tete, drinks, and hors d'oeuvres, my wife and I were standing around our picture. Admirers would come by asking me what camera and film I was using and questions about the aperture and shutter. I would point to my wife telling them it's her photo. She's the winner. She mumbled and stumbled and turned red. My wife was not amused and didn't talk to me for a week. Other than that, it was a grand time all around.

 

[TheFlyingCamera]

I'm sufficiently egotistical about my work that I put in an effort to exhibit it. I'm also sufficiently self-undermining that I don't make nearly enough effort to get it out there. But I've had some success - I do exhibit locally here in the DC area from time to time, and I've had work accepted into juried shows, and I now have work in the permanent collection of a major museum in Mexico City. But yes, doing your first show is always daunting, because until you've done it, you really don't know all that it entails or what you need to do to make it successful. And those necessary first false starts easily can be a deterrent to trying again.

 

[Pieter12]

I gues it depends on the location. I know several artists and photographers who would give a vital body part to get a solo show at an established/respected gallery or municipal institution. In major markets, most curators and gallerists won't take unsolicited submissions. There is big business in portfolio reviews, basically a pay-to-play system where gallerists, curators, editors and consultants will look at work. Mostly it seems like referrals are the best way to get a foot in the door to be seen and possibly get a (hopefully) solo show or gallery representation.

 

[MattKing]

I gues it depends on the location. I know several artists and photographers who would give a vital body part to get a solo show at an established/respected gallery or municipal institution. In major markets, most curators and gallerists won't take unsolicited submissions. There is big business in portfolio reviews, basically a pay-to-play system where gallerists, curators, editors and consultants will look at work. Mostly it seems like referrals are the best way to get a foot in the door to be seen and possibly get a (hopefully) solo show or gallery representation.

Same here.
But there are many more accessible alternatives - and this thread is referencing all sorts of options.

 

[VinceInMT]

Same here.
But there are many more accessible alternatives - and this thread is referencing all sorts of options.

Like many places we have "art walks" several times a year where downtown businesses stay open late and host an artist of group of artists. While we have galleries involved, there is quite a range of businesses that do this and some keep the art up after the walk is over: mortgage companies, architectural firms, chamber of commerce type, hair salon, yoga studio, bookstores, a church, a brewery, a distillery, etc.

 

[Pieter12]

Like many places we have "art walks" several times a year where downtown businesses stay open late and host an artist of group of artists. While we have galleries involved, there is quite a range of businesses that do this and some keep the art up after the walk is over: mortgage companies, architectural firms, chamber of commerce type, hair salon, yoga studio, bookstores, a church, a brewery, a distillery, etc.

Hate to sound like a downer. I have been on many art walks, gallery openings and open houses. Work does get exposure, very few sales seem to result. Many tend to be more like outdoor/sidewalk art fairs featuring kitschy and amateurish work. At best they are mostly an opportunity for friends and acquaintances to possibly buy one's art. How many times have you gone into a business, be it a bank, café or clothing boutique and really looked (not glanced) at the art on the walls? Offered to buy it? Most of it gets ignored. The upside to a business keeping art on the walls is they might end up buying. The average Joe doesn't buy serious art and from what I've observed collectors don't seem to buy outside their comfort zone. Obviously there are exceptions.

As an aside, I was in a major clothing retail chain store that had some nice art and photography books on display on the shelves among the clothing and accessories. I took one down and was leafing through it and a salesperson politely asked me to put it back, it was part of the decor.

 

[awty]

People discuss their common interests. So cameras, dead photographers, and chemicals are good topics of conversation among hobbyist photographers, who tend to not be interested in each other's photos. (Although, they are often interested in your photos enough to ask about what camera you used, what developer, and what dead photographer you were copying/inspired-by.)

Yes, I find it completely bizarre. It's seems to be a phenomenon mostly by film photographers. Digital photographers seem to be way more keen to show their pictures and discuss composition, lighting, editing etc.
I have to google which dead photographer people mention, so I know who they are likening me to. If I get any influence it's from other amateur photographers.

 

[MattKing]

Yes, I find it completely bizarre. It's seems to be a phenomenon mostly by film photographers. Digital photographers seem to be way more keen to show their pictures and discuss composition, lighting, editing etc.

This varies greatly.
The much larger group that I became involved with around 2010 loved to talk gear (and digital editing). There was also lots of social interaction and lots of images - including prints - so it was worthwhile for me.
The smaller, film-mostly group I remain involved with mixes the topics nicely.
And the other group that I was involved with until COVID put it into hiatus focused its efforts on images and the techniques and technical aspects relating to sharing work in shows and otherwise.
The most important role of photographic group membership is that it helps one avoid making photography a solitary, purely individual pursuit.

 

[VinceInMT]

Hate to sound like a downer. I have been on many art walks, gallery openings and open houses. Work does get exposure, very few sales seem to result. Many tend to be more like outdoor/sidewalk art fairs featuring kitschy and amateurish work. At best they are mostly an opportunity for friends and acquaintances to possibly buy one's art. How many times have you gone into a business, be it a bank, café or clothing boutique and really looked (not glanced) at the art on the walls? Offered to buy it? Most of it gets ignored. The upside to a business keeping art on the walls is they might end up buying. The average Joe doesn't buy serious art and from what I've observed collectors don't seem to buy outside their comfort zone. Obviously there are exceptions.

As an aside, I was in a major clothing retail chain store that had some nice art and photography books on display on the shelves among the clothing and accessories. I took one down and was leafing through it and a salesperson politely asked me to put it back, it was part of the decor.

I hear you but the OP was asking about showing, not selling, and that is what I was responding to with the various venues that do offer a chance to be seen.

 

[VinceInMT]

This varies greatly.
The much larger group that I became involved with around 2010 loved to talk gear (and digital editing). There was also lots of social interaction and lots of images - including prints - so it was worthwhile for me.
The smaller, film-mostly group I remain involved with mixes the topics nicely.
And the other group that I was involved with until COVID put it into hiatus focused its efforts on images and the techniques and technical aspects relating to sharing work in shows and otherwise.
The most important role of photographic group membership is that it helps one avoid making photography a solitary, purely individual pursuit.

Over my many years I've looked into various cameras clubs and the same two reasons held me back from joining. One, they tend to be a "camera" club and hardware is the topic. Second, if they do talk about images, it is in the context of a competition, usually a "show" with some types of awards for "best of" one thing or another. The competition issue also spills over into the hardware side, with the oneupmanship game over who has the "best" equipment. I have no interest in getting involved in that type of hardware competition as it usually devolves into who has the most money or their own optical bench to prove their lenses are sharper. It's not unlike the audiophile groups where the final word involves the use of an oscilloscope.)

Of course, this isn't limited to photography and found in many other hobby groups. When I retired a dozen years ago I started a vintage foreign car club for our area. I remain the benevolent dictator and my primary function is to send out the email reminders of our twice-monthly meetups. There is ZERO competition involved and it mostly functions as a support group to help each other keeping these vehicles on the road. A couple other car clubs are in the area, notably one for a German marque, and they have their own competition as to who has the newest and most expensive model and a reluctance to admit anyone who bought a model that they consider an abomination due to the engine that the factory installed.

But I get it. Competition is deep in the human psyche and it's going to crop up just about everywhere.

 

[MattKing]

Both my current film-mostly group and the larger group I referenced earlier try to include either visiting speakers or "How To" workshops in as many meetings as possible.
This coming Saturday, we are going to be treated to a demonstration followed by each of us making our own Van Dyke Brown prints.
The last email I had from the big group indicated that they were doing a print night with three excellent printers I know, showing and talking about their prints - both digital and darkroom - and reviewing prints submitted by all the club members (up to 3 each member).
Like I said, it varies.

 

[MurrayMinchin]

Went to one camera club meeting. Had to listen to minutes from the last meeting read by some guy who was a wannabe Mayor. Left at break, never went back. Club disbanded long ago.